Leading off . . .
? The Washburn Ichabod softball team will open the MIAA Tournament on Wednesday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in Edmond, Okla., when the Ichabods will face off against the No. 6-seeded Emporia State Hornets. It is the second-straight year the Ichabods will open the MIAA Tournament facing the Hornets.
? The Ichabods are the No. 3 seed this season after going 17-9 during the MIAA slate …  the Ichabods finished the regular season 26-24.
? Thanks to Mother Nature, the Ichabods have had 25 games canceled this season.
? The Ichabods played only four games on their home field this season because of construction of new dugouts and weather.
? Samantha Stallbaumer is carrying an 22-game hitting into the postseason … it is the longest streak by an Ichabod since Candi Madill had 17 in 2008.
? Brianna Fuchs has reached base in 24-straight games this season … it's the second-longest streak on the team this season as Savannah Moore had a 25-game streak earlier this season … Stallbaumer has reached base in 22-straight games this year.
? 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.
 
 In the MIAA Tournament . . .
? The Ichabods have compiled a 33-47 record in the MIAA Tournament dating back to the 1991 season.
1991 • 1-2
1992 • 2-2
1993 • 1-2
1994 • 1-2 (4-1 in MIAA Inter-division play-in tournament qualifier)
1995 • 2-2
1996 • 2-2
1997 • 2-2
1998 • 3-2
1999 • 1-2
2000 • 3-2
2001 • 1-2
2002 • 2-2
2003 • 1-2
2004 • 0-2
2005 • did not qualify
2006 • 1-2
2007 • 3-2
2008 • 1-2
2009 • 0-2
2010 • 0-2
2011 • 1-2
2012 • 1-2
2013 • did not qualify
2014 • did not qualify
2015 • 0-2
2016 • did not qualify
2017 • did not qualify
2018 • 0-2
 
 Vs in the MIAA Tournament . . .
? Central Missouri • The Ichabods are 5-6 against the Jennies.
Central Oklahoma • The Ichabods are 0-1 against the Bronchos losing the last meeting on April 30, 2015 in Overland Park.
Emporia State • The Ichabods trail the ESU in tournament match ups 1-10 having lost the last seven encounters. Washburn has not beat Emporia State in the MIAA Tournament since a 6-3 win during the 1998 tournament.
Fort Hays State • The Ichabods lost the only meeting in MIAA Tournament play to the Tigers on May 7, 2011 in a 5-3 loss.
Lincoln • The Ichabods are 3-0 against the Blue Tigers.
Missouri Southern • The Lions lead the conference tournament match ups 5-2.
Missouri Western • The Ichabods are 2-8 against the Griffons in MIAA Tournament meetings.
Northwest Missouri • Washburn is 3-2 against the Bearcats winning the last meeting on May 6, 2011 with a walk-off grand slam.
Pittsburg State • The Ichabods have played the Gorillas the most in the tournament, nine times with the series tied 5-5. The Ichabods last played the Gorillas in the opening round of the 2015 tournament.
Southwest Baptist • The Ichabods have won all three meetings leading the series 3-0.
Teams no longer in the MIAA
Missouri-Rolla • The Ichabods lead the meetings in the tournament 4-1.
Missouri-St. Louis • The Ichabods are 1-2 against the Tritons in the tournament.
Truman • The Ichabods are 3-7 against the Bulldogs and have lost four of the last five meetings in the tournament.
 
 Weekend recap . . .
? The Ichabods were 2-2 splitting doubleheaders at Missouri Western and at Northwest Missouri.
? Samantha Stallbaumer recorded seven hits during the weekend to lead the team batting .467 scoring three runs.
? Brianna Fuchs batted .375 with six hits scoring a team-high seven runs.
? Raegen Hamm was 1-1 with a 0.49 ERA with two complete games and Bailey Zuniga was 1-1 with a 1.75 ERA.
 
 Stat Watch . . .
? The six triples this season by Brianna Fuchs is tied for seventh all-time on the single season chart … the school record is eight.
? Savannah Moore has 116 runs scored which is eighth all-time at Washburn.
? Moore's 44 doubles is tied for fifth all-time at Washburn.
? Moore's 27 home runs is seventh all-time at Washburn.
? Moore's 155 RBI is third all-time at Washburn.
? Samantha Stallbaumer's 60 career stolen bases are third all-time at Washburn.
? Samantha Stallbaumer's current .405 career batting average ranks first on the all-time Ichabod chart head of Tish Williams who had a .399 career average.
? Taylor Kirk's .705 season slugging percentage is seventh on the all-time list and the best since Tish Williams recorded a .889 percentage in 2007.
? Taylor Kirk's career .628 slugging percentage is third on the all-time list and the best since Tish Williams recorded a .792 percentage from 2006-10.
? Taylor Kirk's 13 home runs this season is seventh on the Ichabod single-season chart and her 49 RBI is fourth on the single season chart along with Savannah Moore's 49 RBI this season.
? Taylor Kirk's 117 total bases is the most since Brooke DeVader had 115 in 2008.
? Samantha Stallbaumer's 75 hits is tied for fourth on the single season chart trailing Torrie Beauchamp's 85 in 1999, Chris Torrez's 81 in 1995 and Kristen Cheney's 80 in 2002.
? Savannah Moore has a .551 slugging percentage which is eighth on the career chart.
? Savannah Moore needs four more hits to reach 200 for her career becoming the 11th Ichabod in program history to reach that mark.
? Raegen Hamm's 40 appearances this season is the third-most on the single season chart and only two behind the single-season leader of 42 set by Amy Heiman in 1999 … Bailey Zuniga has 36 appearances this season which is eighth.
? Samantha Stallbaumer's 29 stolen bases are tied for third on the single season chart …she had 31 last season which is second and the single season record is Torrie Beauchamp who had 33 in 1999.
 
 On Deck . . .
Emporia State
? Emporia State is 25-26 overall and finished 14-12 in the MIAA. They are the sixth seed in the MIAA Tournament. As a team the Hornets are batting .286 with a 3.81 team ERA. Hannah Steeby is the only player in the top five of the MIAA with 10 home runs and 22 stolen bases. In the circle Montana Mesler is second in the MIAA with 132 strikeouts.
 
Last Meeting with ESU - March 16, 2019
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabod softball team split an MIAA doubleheader with Emporia State winning game one 6-3 before falling 9-1 in game two at Free State High School.
Game 1 - WU 6, ESU 3
The Ichabods scored one in the first inning jumping out to a 1-0 lead when Taylor Kirk drove in Samantha Stallbaumer who singled to lead off the frame for the Ichabods.
After the Hornets tied the score with a solo run in the top of the third, the Ichabods came back with three in the bottom of the third pushing their lead to 4-1 after Brianna Fuchs led off the inning with a single and then moved to second on a fielder's choice. Krik then drove in Moore and Fuchs with a double and then Kirk came around to score on a single by Winter Henry.
The Ichabods platted two more in the fourth on a 2-RBI single by Moore scoring Emilee Baker and Stallbaumer stretching the margin to 6-1.
The Hornets came back with two unearned runs in the sixth but would get no closer as Bailey Zuniga pitched the seventh inning picking up her first save of the season as Raegen Hamm moved to 8-6 on the season allowing one earned run in six innings of work.
Kirk finished 2 for 4 with 3 RBI and a runs scored and Stallbaumer scored twice with two hits. Moore drove in two.
Game 2 - ESU 9, WU 1 (5 innings)
The Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 lead taking advantage of of an Ichabod error coming out to the early lead.
In the third after Taylor Kirk tripled to start the inning, she would score on ground out by Bri Francis cutting the Hornet lead to 3-1.
Neither team would score until the Hornets scored six in the fourth inning breaking the game open.
Stallbaumer, Kirk, England and Baker each had four hits for the Ichabods.
Washburn committed three errors in the game helping the Hornet cause in the game.
Zuniga took the loss giving up two hits and four earned runs..
 
 Head coach Brenda Holaday . . .
? is 90-68 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 1154-900-1 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 . . .
With a win over Emporia State, the Ichabods will face the winner of the Missouri Western/Pittsburg State game at 6:30 p.m. on May 2. With a loss to ESU, the Ichabods will face the loser of the Griffon/Gorilla match up at 1:30 p.m. on May 2.