LEADING OFF
• Washburn baseball returns to action with a four-game set as it faces Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant ... the Ichabods will open the series on Friday with a 1 pm first-pitch, before a doubleheader with game one slated for 1 pm ... the series finale is scheduled for noon Sunday.
WHERE TO FOLLOW
• Fans can fellow every pitch of the 2018 season via live stats available by visiting wusports.com/live or the team's schedule page ... for occasional in-game updates, news and more be sure to follow Washburn Athletics on Twitter (@wusports) and Facebook ... fans should also be on the look out for all new baseball/softball coaches' show featuring head coach Harley Douglas.
ICHABOD NOTABLES
• Josh Crosby enters the week on a four-game hit streak.
• Bowe Behymer is riding a three-game hit streak.
• Crosby, Darian Abram, and Javis Larson have each reached base in four consecutive games.
• Crosby and Brady Hoover lead the team with two RBI each.
• Crosby has three multi hit games.
• Sam Carver has a team-best eight strikeouts.
• Brock Gilliam is the only reliever to work 3.0 or more innings this season and have an ERA of 0.00.
• Zach Linquist has one save this season.
THE SKIPPER
• Harley Douglas is in his fourth season as the Ichabods' head coach.
• Douglas' career record to begin the year was 88-68.
• Lead Washburn to back-to-back (2015 & 2016) 30-seasons for the first time nearly three decades.
• Coached Miami Marlins' draft pick David Gauntt (2016, Rd. 188)
• Had MIAA Pitcher and Player of the Year in 2016.
• Douglas is the first former Ichabod to be named head coach of the program ... he played under predecessor Steve Anson from 1997-2000
• Set the single-season hits record in 2000 (88) en route to earning MIAA honors.
• Former member of the New York Mets minor league system.
THE STORM AHEAD
• Southeastern Oklahoma is an experienced laden squad with 27 of its 34 players listed as upperclassmen including 13 seniors.
• Since 2016, SOSU is 3-8-1 against MIAA opponents including wins over Central Oklahoma (7-6) and Emporia State (7-2) last weekend at the Air Hogs Classic.
• Easton Elliott, Cade Clay, and Joseph Cerda each have multiple hits in the last two games.
• Cerda is the team leader in RBI (4), runs scored (5) and stolen bases (2).
• Cody Nitson has tossed a team-best eight strikeouts.
• The Storm are led by first-year head coach Zach Crabtree.
SERIES HISTORY - SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
• Washburn and Southeastern Oklahoma have met just three times before this weekend's series.
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series, 2-1.
• WU defeated the Storm, 8-3, at the Air Hogs Classic last weekend to open the season.
• The Ichabods made their first trip to Durant last season and went 1-1.
THE SOONER STATE
• WU is 1-4 when playing in Oklahoma since 2015.
NEW UNI, WHO DIS
• Head coach Harley Douglas welcomes 21 new faces into the fold for Washburn for 2018 ... in spite of being new to the Ichabod lineup, the crop of newcomers is largely experienced with just four players coming directly from the HS ranks while reminder either played at the junior college level or with a Division I program.
MIAA PRESEASON RANKINGS
• Washburn begins the season ranked in a tie for ninth with NW Missouri in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll ... Emporia State topped the list with 11 first -place votes ... No. 2 Central Missouri and No. 5 Missouri Western also each received a first-place vote ... the remainder of the top five consisted of No. 3 Central Oklahoma and No. 4 Lindenwood ... Pitt State claimed sixth with Missouri Southern and Southwest Baptist following respectively ... Northeastern State was listed at No. 11, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 12 and Fort Hays State at No. 13.
PRO 'BODS UPDATE
• Former Washburn hurler Brett Ash (2010-12, 14) continues his baseball career as a member of the Seattle Mariners organization ... Ash, who's second in program-history in strikeouts (199), is set to begin his second season with the Mariners' Double-A affiliate, Arkansas Travelers.
• Former Ichabod slugger Riley Krane (2014-2017) returns to the Windy City Thunder Bolts ... Krane signed with the Frontier League club after the 2017 season and batted .321 with 22 runs, 15 extra base hits, and 26 RBI in 42 appearances.
WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY
• The Washburn baseball program began in 1947.
• There was no Ichabod baseball from 1951-56 ... the program returned in 1957 under the direction of Marion McDonald.
• In 1985, head coach Steve Anson recorded the program's first 30-win season as went 33-20.
• Washburn baseball has been home to many talented alumni with some being able to take their talents to the Majors ... to date, their have been six former Ichabods who have played a regular-season or playoff game for an MLB club including George Darrow, Rick DeHart, Jerad Head, Davey Lopes, Jerry Robertson and Steve Simpson.
• Six Ichabods have been chosen in the MLB Amateur Draft with catcher David Gauntt being selected most recently (Miami Marlins, 2016, Rd. 18).
