LEADING OFF
• Washburn baseball returns to Falley Field with a three-game MIAA series against Central Missouri.
• Game One is slated for Friday at 3 pm, with the remainder of the series scheduled to be played Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm.
• The Ichabods are 5-8 on the year after dropping three games to Central Oklahoma.
• The weekend set will conclude what was scheduled as a 10-game home stand.

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
• Since the opening day, Darian Abram has reached base at least once in all 13 games this season (Feb. 1-26). 
• Javis Larson has reached base in all 12 games he's appeared in.
• Jake Hahn and Josh Crosby have each reached base at least once in the last seven games (Feb. 16-26)
• Crosby has a season-best five game hit streak (Feb. 1-9).
• Crosby has seven multi-hit games this season and has notched multiple RBI five times.
• Crosby has homered in 4 of the last 6 games.
• Kolton Meyer has safely reached base in three straight games.
• Larson is 8 for 10 on steals this season.
• Sam Carver has a team-best 19 strikeouts.
• Josh Ramirez leads the pitching staff innings pitched (20.2).
• Ichabods pitchers have a collective 4.77 ERA.
• WU has scored opponents 53-43 this season with a 21-14 run advantage during the final three innings.
• This season, Washburn has turned 12 double-plays.

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 consecutive (2015 & 2016) 30-wins seasons for the first time nearly three decades.
• Coached Miami Marlins' draft pick David Gauntt (2016, Rd. 18)
• Had the MIAA Pitcher and Player of the Year in 2016.
• Douglas is the first former Ichabod baseball player 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. 

SCOUTING CENTRAL MISSOURI
• The Mules enter the weekend at 10-2 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA.
• UCM is riding an eight-game win streak and swept Missouri Western in its first conference test of the year.
• Aside from three neutral site games to begin the season, the Mules are untested this season on the road.
• Central Missouri has scored 10 or more runs four times this season.
• Ben Kelsch leads the pitching staff in starts (4), wins (3), innings pitched (19.1), strikeouts (19), and opposing batting average (.139).
• Travis Able leads UCM in runs (13) and batting average (.469). 
• Collin Nevil is the team's hit leader (19).
• The Mules are led by fourth-year coach Kyle Crookes.
• Last season finished 32-18 overall and fourth in MIAA at 23-13.

SERIES HISTORY
• Prior to this weekend's three-game set, Washburn and UCM have met 107 times.
• The Ichabods trail the all-time series, 24-83 and were 1-2 last season in Warrensburg.
• WU's last win against UCM at home was in 2015.

FALLEY FIELD
• The 2018 season marks the 29th season the Ichabods have called Falley Field home since it first opened prior to the 1990 campaign.
• Entering the year, the Ichabods are 370-262 (.591) at Falley Field.

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 backstop David Gauntt (2013-2016) will continue his professional career in 2018 as a member of the Miami Marlins' organization ... in 2017, Gauntt spent the season with Short-A affiliate, Batavia Muckdogs.
• 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).