LEADING OFF
• Washburn baseball begins a four-game trip to close out March on Wednesday, Mar. 28 when the Ichabods face their nemesis, Emporia State before capping the week with a three-game set at Pittsburg State.
• The single-game at Trussler Sports Complex is slated for 3 pm and will be the series opener. The remainder of the series is scheduled to have Washburn will host game two on April 11 with the finale returning to Emporia on April 25.
• The series opener with the Gorillas is scheduled for Thursday at 2 pm, with game two to follow on Friday at the same time, while the finale slated for Saturday at 1 pm.

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 .333 on the season, a team best mark ... Mar. 24 saw the end of a season-best nine-game hit streak for Jacobson as he went 0-for-3.
• Javis Larson is batting .462 in his 13 at-bats ... as of Mar. 22, Larson was listed among the top 40 in Division II in stolen bases (39th, 11).
• Josh Crosby has nine multi-hit games this season ... hitting .274 on the season with a team-best seven home runs.
• Brady Hoover has 10 hits in his last 22 plate appearances (.455) with six runs batted-in.
• Joel Spain has a 1.143 slugging percentage in the last five games ... Spain is 6-for-14 at the dish with 11 RBI and three home runs.
• Collectively, WU is hitting .245 on the year but is a combined .297 since March 16.
• The Washburn pitching staff has a collective 5.53 ERA this season while having worked 228 innings.
• The Ichabod staff leads the conference in shutout wins (3).
• Josh Ramirez leads all WU pitchers in innings (47.1) and strikeouts (36) ... his 2.28 ERA is also a team-best and fifth among MIAA leaders ... Ramirez is among the MIAA's top 10 in innings pitched (5th) and opponent batting average (9th, .233).
• Defensively, the Ichabods lead the MIAA in double plays turned (25). 

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 EMPORIA STATE
• The Hornets are 15-11 overall and 6-7 in the MIAA.
• Emporia State is 4-2 in its last six outings and carries an 8-3 mark when playing at home this season.
• Bryce Fisher is the team leader in batting average (.422), hits (46), doubles (9), home runs (6), RBI (33), slugging% (.670), and on-base% (.488).
• Collectively, ESU is hitting .294 on the year with 189 runs on 263 hits with 19 home runs and 132 walks.
• ESU pitchers have a combined 4.81 ERA with 220 strikeouts and 77 walks. The pitching staff has surrendered 153 runs on 274 hit during 232 innings of work.
• Seth Holman and Tanner Cairns are tied for the staff lead in starts (8), while Cairns has a team-best five wins. Holman though leads the way with 57 strikeouts and 49 innings pitched. 

SCOUTING PITTSBURG STATE
• The Gorillas began the week at 19-9 overall, 11-5 in the MIAA.
• PSU is 12-3 this season when playing at home and is coming off a series sweep of Missouri Western last week.
• The PSU offense is among the MIAA's top three in batting (1st, .335), hits (3rd, 312), and walks (3rd, 129).
• The pitching staff meanwhile tops the conference in saves (11), while having the third-most strikeouts (249), and fifth-best opposing batting average (.274).
• Colton Pogue is the conference in batting average (.445), OBP (.531), runs scored (37), and tied for second in hits (49).

SERIES HISTORY
• Since 1949, Washburn has faced Emporia State 230 times, and trail the series 73-157.
• Washburn's last win in Emporia was an 11-8 decision during the 2016 season.
• The Ichabods have faced Pittsburg State 110 times since 1963.
• Washburn leads the all-time, 57-53, and is 7-3 against PSU since 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).