Leading off . . .
>  The Washburn Ichabod softball team returns to MIAA play with a pair of games against Missouri Southern on Saturday and Pittsburg State on Sunday as the weather forecast has pushed the games back one day from their original scheduled date.
>  The four game set will also be the first four games played at the Washburn Softball Complex as weather and construction on field improvements has caused six games to be moved to other sites.
>  The Ichabods are 5-1 in MIAA play entering the weekend action.
>  Thanks to Mother Nature, the Ichabods have had 25 games canceled so far this season.
>  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.
 
 Weekend recap . . .
>  The Ichabods were 2-2 in four games against the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference last weekend in Emporia.
>  Brianna Fuchs led the Ichabods with a .571 batting average collecting eight hits with two runs scored and three RBI with a .786 slugging percentage.
>  Samanthan Stallbaumer batted .500 with eight hits scoring four runs and Taylor Kirk drove in a team-high five runs with a single, a double, a triple and two home runs in four games with a 1.000 slugging percentage.
>  Raegen Hamm and Bailey Zuniga both went 1-1 in the circle.
 
 Stat Watch . . .
>  Savannah Moore has 105 runs scored tying for 10th all-time at Washburn.
>  Moore's 39 doubles is tied for 10th all-time at Washburn.
>  Moore's 24 home runs is tied for seventh all-time at Washburn.
>  Moore's 137 RBI is fifth all-time at Washburn needing four more to move into the top four.
>  Samantha Stallbaumer's 47 stolen bases are fourth all-time at Washburn.
 
 On Deck . . .
Missouri Southern
>  The Lions are 11-14 this season and 2-6 in the MIAA.
>  The Lions went 2-2 last weekend at the Missouri Western Regional Crossover splitting a doubleheader with No. 17-ranked Augustana
>  Washburn has a 43-42 lead in the all-time series winning the last three games overall.
 
Last Meeting with MSSU - March 9, 2018
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team opened the road portion of its MIAA schedule with a doubleheader sweep over Missouri Southern winning 4-2 and 4-0. Washburn will continue MIAA play at Pittsburg State on Saturday. With the wins, the Ichabods improve to 15-6 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA.
Game 1 – Washburn 4, Missouri Southern 2
After falling behind 1-0 after the Lions' first at bat, the Ichabods took advantage of a Lion error in the third inning and scored a pair of runs on a 2 RBI double by Savannah Moore which scored Samantha Stallbaumer and Emilee Baker.
The Ichabods added a solo run in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Morgan Henry before the Lions cut the lead to 3-2 with a solo run in the fifth inning.
In the seventh, Stallbaumer led off the inning with a single and the stole second and would score on a Lion error pushing the Ichabods out to a 4-2 lead.
Kelsee Henry improved to 7-3 on the season with three strikeouts scattering six hits while Stallbaumer led the Ichabods with three hits and scored two runs in the win.
Game 2 – Washburn 4, Missouri Southern 0
The Ichabods jumped out to a 3-0 lead scoring three unearned runs in the top of the first as Ashley Ruder's two-out single scored both Baker and Moore and Stallbaumer scored earlier in the frame after leading off the game with a single as the Ichabods took the early lead.
Washburn added another run in the fifth on a sac bunt RBI by Taylor Kirk scoring Baker and that would be all the runs the Ichabods would need as Megan Deiter moved to 6-0 in the circle with the six-hit shutout over the Lions striking out eight in the game.
Baker scored twice in the nightcap adding two hits and Ruder drove in two in the win.
 
Pittsburg State
>  The Gorillas are 16-15 entering the weekend and have gone 4-2 in the MIAA entering a doubleheader with Emporia State.
>  Washburn leads the all-time series 66-57 and have won the last two overall.

Last Meeting with Pittsburg State - March 10, 2018
PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods moved to 17-6 and 5-1 in the MIAA after sweeping a doubleheader at Pittsburg State winning game one 7-4 before picking up a 11-1 run rule win in game two.
Game 1 – Washburn 7, Pittsburg State 4
The Ichabods jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after a Savannah Moore single scored Emilee Baker who tripled in the inning. Pittsburg State tied the score in the bottom of the frame and then the Ichabods went up 3-1 after an RBI single by Baker and an RBI ground out by Taylor Kirk.
Washburn added two more in the fifth inning one RBI by Alyssa Carney and Moore stretching the Ichabod lead to 5-1 and in the sixth, the Ichabods added two more in the top of the sixth on another RBI single by Baker and a sac fly by Moore.
Pittsburg State added three more in the bottom of the sixth but did not get any closer as the Ichabods picked up the win in the opener.
Baker and Moore each have three hits and Moore drove in three and Baker had 2 RBI in the win. Kelsee Henry moved to 8-3 on the season in the circle and Lexi Crabtree pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to wrap up the win.
Game 2 – Washburn 11, Pittsburg State 1 (6 innings)
The Ichabods scored three solo runs in each of the first three innings after an RBI by Lenea Salinas, an unearned run in the second and an RBI single by Moore. Washburn broke the game open with a four-run fifth inning and a four-run fifth inning highlighted back a pair of 3-run homers by Savannah Moore in each inning.
Moore's 7 RBI tied a school record adding three hits in the win and Megan Deiter struck out 10 moving to 7-0 in the circle for the Ichabods.
In the twin bill, Moore was 6 for 7 with 10 RBI and two home runs to lead the Ichabods and Baker and Stallbaumer each had four hits.
 
 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. . .
EMPORIA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods used a big inning in the second game of the ESU Regional Crossover to secure a spilt on day two of the event winning the second game with Concordia-St. Paul 11-1 in the nightcap after falling to St. Cloud State in the first game of the day 7-3.
Game 1 – St. Cloud State 7, Washburn 3
The Huskies (18-6) scored two runs in the first and second innings and added a third in the third inning jumping out to a 5-0 lead while holding the Ichabods without a hit until Winter Henry broke up the no-no with a double to left center in the fourth.
 Washburn would then break up the shutout on an RBI single by Brianna Fuchs scoring Ashley Ruder cutting the lead to 5-1. The Huskies added two more in the top of the seventh going up 7-1 before the Ichabods' late rally in the bottom of the seventh came up short after RBI by Savannah Moore and Ashley Ruder scored on an error.
Raegen Hamm struck out seven in the game taking the loss in the circle while Samantha Stallbaumer, Fuchs and Henry each had two hits. The Ichabods stranded eight base runners in the game overall.
Game 2 – Washburn 11, Concordia-St. Paul 1
After scoring in the top of the first on an RBI single by Moore scoring Fuchs who reached on a fielder's choice pushing out to the 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, the Golden Bears tied the score at 1-1.
Washburn scored twice in the top of the fourth to go up 3-1 on a solo home run by Taylor Kirk and then Emilee Baker hit a single to left scoring Kameron Kissinger who got aboard via a single.
In the top of the seventh, the hit parade was on as the Ichabods scored eight runs in the inning on eight hits leading to the 11-1 win. After Moore walked to lead off the inning, Kirk doubled and then a 3-run homer by Kissinger cleared the bases. After Halle England doubled to right and then moved to third on a CSP error, she would score on an RBI single by Stallbaumer who would score on a single by Fuchs. Moore picked up an RBI scoring Fuchs and then Kirk tripled driving in two runs to wrap up the scoring for the Ichabods.
Bailey Zuniga picked up the win improving to 5-5 on the season pitching her way out of two bases-loaded jams allowing one earned run.
Overall Washburn had 16 hits in the game with five going for extra bases. Stallbaumer and Kirk finished with three hits and both Kirk and Kissinger drove in three each.
 
 Head coach Brenda Holaday . . .
>  is 78-60 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 1142-892-1 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 . . .
Washburn is scheduled to be back in action on April 5 at Central Missouri and April 6 at Southwest Baptist before returning home to wrap up the home slate against Nebraska-Kearney on April 12 and Fort Hays State on April 13. The Ichabods will then have their next eight games on the road with MIAA twin bills at Northeastern State, Central Oklahoma, Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri. The MIAA Tournament starts on May 2 in Edmond, Oklahoma at Central Oklahoma's softball complex.