TOPEKA, Kan. --- After a brief reprieve from life on the road, the Washburn baseball team will once again board the bus for its weekend series at Northwest Missouri. The Ichabods are coming off a resounding 17-5 victory against Baker on Tuesday in their home, improving to 12-13 overall prior to their trip to Maryville. Washburn begins its three-game set with the Bearcats on Saturday at 3 pm with the remainder of the series slated for 2 pm on Sunday and Monday, respectively. 

Live stats for each game will be available online at wusports.com/live or on the team's schedule page with additional links to radio and video made available on a game-by-game basis. 

LEADING OFF
» Prior to the weekend series, Washburn has faced Northwest Missouri 121 times since 1973. The Ichabods are 63-58 all-time but were swept in three games against the Bearcats last season. 
» Washburn is hitting .241 in conference play, but is coming off a .455 outing against Baker on Tuesday.
» The 2019 campaign marks the 30th season Washburn Baseball has called Falley Field home, since opening prior to the 1990 season.
» Washburn is led by Harley Douglas, who is in his fifth season with the program.

A LOOK AT NORTHWEST MISSOURI
The Bearcats go into the weekend at 11-15 on the year and are just ahead of Washburn in the MIAA standings at 7-9. Northwest Missouri is coming of a 9-3 non-conference loss to Missouri Western on Tuesday. Northwest is batting .271 on the year and .241 in the MIAA. With 94 plate appearances Connor Quick leads the team in average (.370), runs (21), hits (34), home runs (2) and walks (16). On the mound, Quintin Van Ackeren, Max Spitzmiller and Joe Funkhouser are the projected rotation. Each have eight starts on the year, with Van Ackeren leading the staff in wins (3), innings (44.1) and strikeouts (40). Collectively, the Northwest pitching staff has a 6.82 ERA in 224.1 total innings with 212 strikeouts, while opponents are hitting .302.

DOUBLE PLAY BALL
The Ichabod defense has been stout all season and is sixth in the conference and 69th on the NCAA Division II leaderboard with 18 double plays turned. Through 25 games, Washburn is averaging just under one (0.72) double play a game and has twice turned a season-high three double plays, first at Southeastern Oklahoma (2/9) then versus Rockhurst (2/13). Prior to the season, the Washburn defense has turned 164 double plays dating back to the 2015 season including a program-best 57 during the 2016 campaign. 

THIEVES!
Washburn began the weekend with 46 steals, second-most in the MIAA and 33rd overall on the NCAA Division II chart. The Ichabods have converted .719 (46-of-64) steal attempts. Javis Larson has a team-best nine steals. Xavier De Leon follows with seven stolen bases, while Mitchell Lady and Wyatt Featherston each have six steals.

ON THE MOUND
The Ichabod pitching staff has a combined 4.63 ERA with 203 strikeouts in 210.0 innings of work. The staff averages 8.7 strikeouts per nine, which is fifth among the MIAA.
» Josh Ramirez is 2-3 in eight starts and holds a 4.17 ERA in 45.1 innings and seventh among league leaders with 49 strikeouts. 
» Jacob Head is 2-2 in seven starts, while posting a 4.19 ERA in 34.1 innings of work with 26 strikeouts. On March 1, Head lead the charge in a combined shutout effort at Pittsburg State in a two-hit, 6.0-inning outing.  
» Brandon Gabler is 3-0 on the year in 10 appearances with a 3.32 ERA, 23 strikeouts in 21.2 innings, while oppoenents are .169 hitting.
» Nathan Lorenzen has two saves in nine appearances with a .402 ERA in 15.2 innings of work.

MILESTONE WATCH
» After pacing the team with 18 stolen bases in 2018, Larson's 27 career steals has him now six shy of tying Dane Simoneau for 25th on the all-time list.
» Washburn's .963 fielding percentage is the best mark single-season mark since 2012 (.964) and is fifth-overall in the Washburn single-season record book. 
» Ramirez's 191.2 career innings is ninth-best on the Washburn record. He is also 8.1 innings shy of becoming the Ichabod pitcher in program history throw 200 career innings.

MARCH MADNESS
In the month of March:
» Washburn has gone 6-7 in 13 games and are fielding at a .978-clip with 10 errors.
» Six Ichabods are batting .300 or better. Larson leads the way hitting .381 (16-for-42), while De Leon is 18-for-50 (.360). 
» Jacobson and De Leon have 12 runs apiece, while Hoover has 12 RBI.
» Gabler has recorded three wins in six appearances.
» Ramirez has tallied 28 strikeouts  in 25.2 innings.

UNDER DOUGLAS
Fifth-year head coach Harley Douglas is the fifth head coach in the program's 67 seasons. Douglas is 105-98 in his last four seasons which includes back-to-back seasons with over 30-plus wins. The first former player to take the helm, Douglas played four seasons (1997-2000) for predecessor Steve Anson before a stint with the New York Mets system and a three-year term as Anson's top assistant. 

#PROBODS UPDATE
Former Ichabod slugger Riley Krane (2014-17) is set for his second full season in the Frontier League in 2019 when he suits for the Joliet Slammers. Krane is hitting a .248 for his career with eight dingers, 52 RBI in 123 game s played. 

UP NEXT
Washburn's non-conference game with Emporia State slated for Tuesday has been cancelled. As a result, the Ichabods will return to action at home next weekend as Southwest Baptist makes its final MIAA trip to Falley Field with a three-game series scheduled fo April 5-7.