Leading off . . .
? The 2018 MIAA regular season champions return to the field as they will open the 2019 campaign at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational in Conroe, Texas north of Houston with six games starting Feb. 1.
? The Ichabods will face four teams who recorded at least 40 wins last season and all six in the event had at least 25 wins.
? Washburn is scheduled to have its first 23 games of the season on the road not playing a home game in Topeka until March 8 when they will open MIAA play against Lincoln followed by a twin bill with Lindenwood the following day.
? Washburn finished the 2018 season with a 39-14 record going 23-3 in MIAA play winning its first conference title since the 2002 season.
? The Ichabods also made their first NCAA postseason appearance since the 2008 season last year.
? Last season in non-conference play, the Ichabods were 4-3 against teams from the NSIC, 5-2 against the Heartland Conference, 3-2 against the GLVC and 3-1 against teams from the GAC this year.
? The 39 wins in 2018 were 14 more than the Ichabods recorded in 2017.
? Washburn is 20-3 in games in which the Ichabods have hit a home run last season.
? Senior outfielder Emilee Baker led the Ichabods in 2018 with a .397 batting average and her 69 hits were second on the squad … her 42 runs scored were second on the team and her 29 RBI were tied for third.
? The 2018 MIAA Freshman of the Year in the MIAA, catcher Bri Francis was third on the team with a .383 batting average and batted .415 in MIAA games.
? Senior third baseman Savannah Moore led the team with 19 multi-RBI games had 21 multi-hit games … she was fourth on the team with a .379 batting average … her 61 RBI was an Ichabod single season record ranked fifth in the NCAA Division II ranks.
? Senior outfielder Samantha Stallbaumer led the team with 53 runs scored and 31 stolen bases … her 74 hits led the Ichabods last season.
? Senior pitcher Megan Deiter recorded a team-best 2.27 earned run average going 17-2 in the circle en route to MIAA Pitcher of the Year honors. She has a better than 2 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio with 180 K's compared to 96 BB's and opponents batted .192 against her … she set the Ichabod single-season strikeout record.
? Washburn led the NCAA Division II ranks in 2018 with a .980 fielding percentage.
? The 76 stolen bases (in 84 attempts) passed the final season total dating back to every year since 1999 when the Ichabods swiped 74 bases for the entire season.
? This season as a team the Ichabods batted .314 compared to their .245 batting average from in 2017.
? The Ichabod pitching staff has also lowered its ERA dropping to 2.87 in 2018 from 3.12 in 2017.
? Washburn outscored its opponents 55 to 14 in the first inning, 42 to 20 in the second inning, 42 to 17 in the third inning, 29 to 20 in the fourth inning, 53 to 41 in the fifth inning, 40 to 24 in the sixth inning and was outscored 18 to 17 in scoring in the seventh inning in 2018.
? The Ichabods were 24-2 when scoring in the first innings of games last season and 32-7 this season when scoring first.
? Washburn is 33-5 last season when leading after four innings.
? Washburn opponents were 2-25 when scoring two runs or less last season.
? Washburn was 35-4 last season when out hitting its opponents.
 
 On Deck . . .
West Texas A&M
? West Texas was 40-13 last season going 21-6 in the LSC.
? The Lady Buffs reached NCAA South Central Regionals in San Angelo, Texas.
? West Texas leads the all-time series 6-1 and Washburn's last win over the Lady Buffs was on March 7, 2010 in a 6-4 win.
? Overall the Lady Buffs have won the last four in the series.
 
Texas Woman's
? The Pioneers were 25-20 last season and 13-14 in the Lone Star Conference.
? Washburn leads the all-time series 2-1.
? The teams have not met since a 3-2 win by the Pioneers on Feb. 25, 2012.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce
? The Lions were 42-12 last season reaching the NCAA Super Regional.
? Are ranked No. 9 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll.
? The Lions lead the all-time series 2-1 after sweeping both meetings in 2017.
? Washburn's win came on Feb. 14, 2015 in a 2-1 win.
 
Texas A&M-International
? The Dustdevils were 25-34 last season going 18-12 in Heartland Conference play.
? Washburn leads the series 5-3 and have won the last two meetings.
? The last meeting was in a doubleheader sweep in Topeka winning 9-8 and 21-2.
? The Dustdevils' last win was on Feb. 26, 2012 in a 9-3 win.
 
Southeastern Oklahoma State
? The Savage Storm were 34-23 last season and 27-14 in the Great American Conference.
? Washburn topped the Storm last season in Durant 5-2 the first weekend of the season.
? Overall the Ichabods trail in the series 4-7, but have won the last two meetings.
 
St. Mary's (Texas)
? The Rattlers were 34-23 last season and 19-9 in the Heartland Conference.
? Washburn leads the series 5-2 and have won the last two overall and they have not faced each other since the 2015 season.
 
 2018 In Review . . .
The Washburn Ichabods won their first MIAA regular season championship since the 2002 season and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008 finishing the season with a 39-14 record going 23-3 in the MIAA winning the league by four games in the conference race.
Washburn had its longest winning streak from March 18 to March 31 winning eight games in a row including a doubleheader sweep at Emporia State. After splitting a twin bill with the Hornets the following day, the Ichabods would go on to win seven more in a row taking a total of 15 of 16 games played.
  The Ichabods broke several school records this season including 62 RBI in a single season by Savannah Moore and 180 strikeouts by Megan Deiter both setting single season records. Deiter also broke the Ichabods' single-game record with 14 strikeouts against Nebraska-Kearney.
Taylor Kirk and Moore also tied an Ichabod single-game record with 7 RBI with Kirk's coming against Lincoln and Moore's against Pittsburg State.
  Brenda Holaday became the first Ichabod head coach since Kim Newbern in 2002 to receive the MIAA Coach of the Year honor and only the second in program history.
Brianna Francis was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year becoming only the third Ichabod to receive the honor joining Tish Williams in 2007 and Katie Gregg in 2002.
Megan Deiter was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Year becoming the first Ichabod to receive the award.
Dieter, Savannah Moore and Samantha Stallbaumer were all three named first team all-MIAA and Brianna Francis, Emilee Baker and Taylor Kirk were all selected as second team all-MIAA picks. Kelsee Henry and Alyssa Carney were tabbed as honorable mention all-conference selections.
  Washburn had seven players named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athletes for the 2017-18 academic year.
Alyssa Carney, Megan Deiter, Halle England, Brianna Francis, Taylor Kirk, Lacie Myers, Lexie Myers were the representatives from Washburn softball.
The Ichabod softball team 12 players named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll as well.
Carney was also honored for the third time in her Ichabod career (two with volleyball) as a CoSIDA Academic All-American earning second team honors as a senior.
 
 Where to follow . . .
? Fans can also follow the Ichabod softball team at @IchabodSB for updates as well at the athletic department twitter handle at @wusports.
 
 Last time out. . .
(May 11, 2018) MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team had its season come to an end with a 10-6 loss to Minnesota State in an elimination game at the NCAA Central Regional No. 2 hosted by Southern Arkansas. The Ichabods finish the season with a 39-14 record, a MIAA regular season championship and the program's first NCAA appearance since 2008 improving 14 wins from last season.
The Ichabods opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the first chasing the Mavericks starter after only recording one out. After Samantha Stallbaumer led off the game with a single and moved to second on a passed ball and Savannah Moore was hit by a pitch. A single by Alyssa Carney loaded the bases and Halle England cleared them with a double to right center staking the Ichabods to a 3-0 lead.
Washburn added a solo run in the bottom of the second after an RBI single to right by Carney which scored Emilee Baker.
The Mavericks (34-18) would then score two runs in the third, three in the fourth and five in the fifth taking a 10-4 lead after five innings.
Washburn came back with two runs in the sixth with a lead-off solo home run by Moore capping her season-record of RBI at 62 with her ninth round-tripper of the season. After England walked, she would come around to score on a single by Maddie Anderson.
In the seventh, the Ichabods were able to get a runner on, but a game-ending double play wrapped up the game and ended Washburn's season.
Megan Deiter fell to 17-4 on the season in the circle with a strikeout. Kelsee Henry tossed 1 2/3 innings scattering six hits.
Stallbaumer, Moore, Carney and Courtney Todd each had two of Washburn's 12 hits while England had 3 RBI with Moore, Carney and Anderson each driving in one.
The Ichabods stranded 12 runners in the game while the Mavericks left eight on base and had eight hits overall with two bases-loaded doubles.
 
 Head coach Brenda Holaday . . .
? is 64-44 in her third season as the Ichabod head softball coach.
? coached the previous 19 seasons at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka compiling a 351-93 record.
? led the Junior Blues to three 6A state championships as well as winning 14 league championships earning 16 6A state tournament berths, five second-place state finishes and three third-place state finishes and was inducted into the Washburn Rural High School Hall of Fame in 2018.
? was named the Centennial League Coach of the Year and City Coach of the Year nine different times earning the Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year in 2011 and the 6A Kansas Coach of the year two times in 2008 and 2011 and was named the overall Kansas Coach of the Year in 2011.
? while at Washburn Rural, she coached more than 40 players who have gone on to play college softball including three at the NCAA Division I level including former Ichabod head softball coach Lisa Carey, the winningest coach by wins in program history.
 
 Washburn Ichabod softball history . . .
? The Ichabods are 1133-871-1 in their 50th year of softball.
? The Ichabods have made four NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008, 2018).
? Washburn won the 2002 and 2018 regular season MIAA titles.
 
 Up Next . . .
The Ichabods will return to the road for the Edmond Regional Festival in Edmond, Okla., running Feb. 8 to Feb. 10.