Leading off . . .
> The Washburn Ichabod softball team will open the MIAA slate in what was also supposed to be its home opener, but Mother Nature has had other ideas. Therefore the Ichabods MIAA weekend has been moved up a day and to a new location at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
> The Ichabods will open with Lincoln at 1 p.m. on Thursday and then face Lindenwood at 10 a.m. on Friday.
> Thanks to Mother Nature, the Ichabods have had 19 games canceled so far this season.
> The Ichabods have also added non-conference doubleheaders at Missouri-St. Louis on March 13 and at Missouri S&T on March 14.
> 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 lot a pair of games in Joplin last time out falling 12-9 in a non-conference game with Northeastern State and lost 12-4 to William Jewell.
> Savannah Moore batted .714 during the two games with five hits, two doubles, four runs scored while driving in four with a 1.429 slugging percentage.
> Taylor Kirk batted .500 with 6 RBI with two home runs and four hits scoring two runs.
> Brianna Fuchs and Samantha Stallbaumer each scored three runs collecting three hits with a double.
 
 Stat Watch . . .
> Savannah Moore needs one more run scored to reach 100 for her career.
> Moore's 37 doubles is 11th and needs two more to move into the top 10 at Washburn.
> Moore's 24 home runs is tied for seventh all-time at Washburn.
> Moore's 127 RBI is sixth all-time at Washburn needing 13 more to move into the top five all-time.
> Samantha Stallbaumer's 41 stolen bases are fifth all-time at Washburn.
 
 On Deck . . .
Lincoln
> The Blue Tigers are 1-11 this season and will face William Jewell in a pair of non-conference games on March 6.
> The Ichabods lead the all-time series with the Blues Tigers 31-6 and have won the last eight in the series.
> Lincon's last win in the series was on April 25, 2014 when they swept a doubleheader from the Ichabods.
 
Last Meeting with Lincoln - March 23, 2018
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team pounded out 24 hits leading to 20 runs while holding the host Lincoln Blue Tigers to two hits and no runs while running its MIAA game winning streak to six games on Friday afternoon.
Game 1 – Washburn 8, Lincoln 0
The Ichabods jumped on the board in the opener in the second inning when Alyssa Carney hit her first home run of the season putting Washburn up 1-0. Neither team scored until the fifth inning when Savannah Moore's sac fly scored Morgan Henry who led off the inning with a single and then Brianna Francis' single scored Emilee Baker who also singled in the inning as Washburn went up 3-0 after five innings.
In the sixth, the Ichabods took advantage of a Blue Tiger error when Maddie Anderson scored on single by Samantha Stallbaumer and then Washburn blew the game open with four runs in the top of the seventh highlighted by Carney's bases-loaded double scoring Moore, Taylor Kirk who reached after getting hit and a single by Francis. Washburn added another run on a single by Halle England which chased home Carney.
Kelsee Henry pitched six innings allowing a third inning hit while striking out seven to improve to 10-3 in the circle for Washburn. Lexi Crabtree struck out one in the seventh in relief.
Francis had three hits to lead the Ichabod 14-hit attack while Stallbaumer, Carney and Anderson each had two.
Game 2 – Washburn 12, Lincoln 0 (5 innings)
The Ichabods scored a season-high 12 runs in the second game of the twin bill as Taylor Kirk tied a school record with 7 RBI hitting a pair of 3-run homers leading to the win over the Blue Tigers (3-23, 0-10 MIAA).
Washburn scored two in the top of the first off RBI singles by Emilee Baker and Kirk and in the second inning busted the game open sending 10 to the plate scoring seven runs to go up 9-0. After Ashley Ruder reached on a walk, Maddie Anderson singled and Morgan Henry drew a walk and then Samantha Stallbaumer singled followed by a single by Baker. With one out, Kirk hit a three-run shot to center and then Francis followed suite with a solo home run of her own.
In the fourth, after walks by Lexie Myers and a single by Savannah Moore, Kirk cleared the bases again with a three-run knock sending the Ichabods to a 12-0 lead.
Megan Deiter recorded six strikeouts in four innings facing one over the minimum improving to 9-0 on the season while Aubree Herrin pitched an inning in relief striking out one.
Kirk had three hits to pace the Ichabods with the 7 RBI hitting her sixth and seventh home runs of the season. For Francis, it was her third home run of the year.
 
Lindenwood
> The Lions are 6-2 this season and they are scheduled to face Emporia State on March 8 before facing the Ichabods the following day.
> Washburn leads the all-time series 10-5 and have won the last four in the series.
> The Lions swept a doubleheader on March 5, 2016 for their last wins in their last wins in the series.
 
Last Meeting with Lindenwood - March 25, 2018
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods moved to 24-7 and 9-1 in the MIAA after sweeping Lindenwood winning 9-1 and 8-2 on Sunday. The start to conference play is the best for the Ichabods since starting 11-1 in 2003 en route to a 13-5 league mark. 
Game 1 – Washburn 9, Lindenwood 1 (5 innings)
Savannah Moore had three hits and Samantha Stallbaumer drove in four while Megan Deiter struck out seven in the first game of the doubleheader.
The Ichabods scored four in the second inning as Stallbaumer and Moore each recorded RBI as the Ichabods took 4-0 lead. The Lions got one back in the bottom of the inning but the Ichabods came back with two in the fourth and three more in the fifth leading to the run-rul win.
In the fourth, Morgan Henry led off the inning with a double and she scored on an RBI by Emilee Baker and then Moore's solo home run pushed Washburn to a 6-1 lead.
The Ichabods sent eight to the plate in the fifth when Brianna Francis singled and would later score as would Alyssa Carney and Morgan Henry on a bases-loaded triple by Stallbaumer clearing the bases moving Washburn to a 9-1 lead.
Deiter moved her record to 10-0 this season in the win striking out seven allowing two hits and one earned run.
Game 2 – WU 8, LWU 2
The Ichabods broke a scoreless tie with five runs in the fourth inning as Ashley Ruder, Savannah Moore and Brianna Francis each had RBI as the Ichabods took advantage of one of three Lion errors. In the fifth, the Ichabods added three more with Alyssa Carney collecting a 2 RBI single with an RBI single by Maddie Anderson as Washburn went up 8-1.
The Lions added a solo run in the sixth but that would be it.
Kelsee Henry improved to 11-3 in the circle scattering two hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Lexi Crabtree pitched the final inning.
Francis and Carney each had two hits while Carney drove in two in the game.
 
 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. . .
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods were swept in a pair of non-conference games at the Teri Mathis Zenner Memorial Invitational falling 12-9 to Northeastern State before losing the night cap 12-4 to William Jewell. The Ichabods are scheduled to open their MIAA schedule next with Lincoln on Friday and Lindenwood on Saturday. Stay tuned to wusports.com for schedule updates.
Game 1 – Northeastern State 12, Washburn 9
The Ichabods jumped out to a 6-0 scoring three runs in each of the first and second inning. The Ichabods' Samantha Stallbaumer, Brianna Fuchs and Savannah Moore each scored two runs in the first two innings while Fuchs drove in a run and Moore plated two in the first two innings.
The Ichabods added a solo run in the fifth inning with a solo home run by Taylor Kirk, but the RiverHawks scored 12 unanswered runs building a 12-7 lead. The Ichabods added two more in the seventh on Kirk's second home run of the night with a 2-run shot, but it wasn't enough as the Ichabods rally came up short.
Kirk had three hits with 2 RBI and Moore and Kissinger also drove in two runs.
Game 2 – William Jewell 12, Washburn 4
The Cardinals scored the first five runs of the game coming out with a five-spot in their first at bat before the Ichabods got on the board with a solo home run by Savannah Moore in the fourth inning cutting the lead to 5-1.
Washburn then scored three more in the fifth inning with a 2-RBI double by Brianna Fuchs and an RBI single by Moore trimming the lead back to 5-3, but the Cardinals scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach.
Moore drove in two more runs in the game as did Fuchs and Moore had two hits to pace the Ichabods
 
 Head coach Brenda Holaday . . .
> is 71-55 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 1135-877-1 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 will be back in action, weather permitting, with a pair of non-conference doubleheaders at Missouri-St. Louis on March 13 and at Missouri S&T on March 14 before returning home on March 16 to face Emporia State