LEADING OFF
• Washburn baseball looks to continue its good fortune when it hosts conference rival Northwest Missouri State to Falley Field for a three-game set. The series will open Thursday at 4 pm, with game two on Friday at 2 pm, before moving to the series finale on Saturday at 1 pm.
• Washburn is 8-16 overall, 2-11 in the MIAA and has been victories in its last two outings.
• The Ichabods have tallied season-highs in runs and hits during each of their last two games. During that time, WU has outscored opponents, 31-14.
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
• Steven Jacobson is batting .327 on the season, a team best mark.
• In the last five games, Bowe Behymer has a .471 average with three home runs, seven runs, and six RBI.
• In the last five games, Josh Crosby, Brady Hoover, and Jacobson are each hitting .421 ... during that time, Hoover has seven RBI, while Crosby and Jacobson have combined for six runs batted in.
• Joel Spain has 10 RBI and three home runs in his last 15 at-bats while scoring six times.
• Collectively, WU is hitting .320 since March 16.
• The Washburn pitching staff has a collective 5.37 ERA through 201 innings of work and is leads the conference in shutout wins (3).
• Josh Ramirez leads the staff in innings pitched (42.1) and strikeouts (33). Ramirez's 1.70 ERA is best among MIAA hurlers and is also among the conference's top five in innings pitched (5th) and opponent batting average (5th, .213).
• Defensively, the Ichabods lead the MIAA in double plays turned (24).
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 NORTHWEST MISSOURI
• The Bearcats began the week at 12-11 and third in the MIAA at 8-4.
• NW Missouri will head to Topeka after facing Nebraska-Kearney in a single-game on Wednesday (3/21).
• To date, the Bearcats are 6-5 during the month of March.
• NWMSU is batting .251 as a group with eight home runs, 27 doubles and 102 walks in 768 combined at-bats.
• Alixon Herrera's 18 hits in 49 plate appearances, puts him atop the team lead in batting average (.367), while Kevin Handzlik is second among the team leaderboard at .315 (28-89).
• Joseph Hietpas is the ace of the rotation as he leads all Bearcat pitchers in innings pitched (44), strikeouts (52) and wins (4), while holding a 2.25 ERA.
• Trevor Dudar is the closer. Dudar has a 1.26 ERA and six saves, while making 12 appearances with tossing 14.1 innings.
• NWMSU has a combined 4.08 ERA in 198.2 innings, with an opposing batting average of .280.
SERIES HISTORY
• Since 1973, Washburn and Northwest Missouri have played 118 times with the Ichabods leading the all-time series, 63-55.
• Since 2015, Washburn is 8-2 when facing the Bearcats.
• Last season, the series began in Maryville before weather forced the series to relocate to Topeka for game two and three.
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).
