LEADING OFF
>> The Washburn baseball team heads to the Golden State to begin the 2020 season as the Ichabods are set for a four-game series against Cal State San Bernardino this weekend beginning Friday.
>> The first game is set for Friday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. CT.
>> The teams will play two seven inning games on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. CT and the series finale will have a first pitch at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday.
>> The Ichabods finished the 2019 season with a record of 25-21 (16-17 MIAA).
>> The Coyotes were 15-33 (12-33 CCAA) last season.
>> This will be the 68th season in Washburn baseball program history.
OPENING DAY
>> The Ichabods are 5-0 in the very first game of the season since Harley Douglas became the head coach.
>> Washburn is 34-33 all-time in the season opener.
ALL-MIAA RETURNERS
>> Three of Washburn's seven all-MIAA selections from last year return for their senior season.
>> Steven Jacobson was an honorable mention selection at the utility position after starting 31 games behind the plate before making the move to second base where he made 11 appearances. Behind the plate, Jacobson fielded at a .989-clip and caught 13 runners stealing, third-best among MIAA leaders, while at second he recorded 22 put outs and assisted on 33 others. The Appleton, Wisc., native hit .288 for the season with 37 runs on 45 and added 24 RBI while finishing second with 12 stolen bases.
>> Xavier De Leon earned honorable mention accolades in his first season with the Ichabod as the lead-off man hit .293 and scored 39 runs. The Ichabod shortstop, who started all 46 games, finished the year with 51 hits and was tied for fifth among MIAA leaders with 31 walks, while snagging 10 stolen bases.
>> Jacob Head also earned an honorable mention selection as he put together a 4-4 record in 13 starts after missing the better part of two seasons. The left-hander hurler finished his comeback registering career-bests with 53 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.
WELCOME BACK, EVERY-BOD-Y
>> Twenty-one Ichabods from last season return with 12 of those being seniors.
>> Michael Oyervides is one of those seniors and has the top-batting average among the returners as he hit .310 in 34 games last season. He had 35 hits and knocked in 22 runs.
>> Oyervides also had a perfect season in the field as he recorded 108 putouts and 10 assists with zero errors.
>> Peter Shearer, also a senior, hit .297 last year with a slugging percentage of .461 and finished with 38 hits, 16 for extra bases, scored 23 runs and drove in 27 more.
>> Last year, Wyatt Featherston had 30 hits, including four home runs, and scored 22 times and had 25 RBI.
>> Mitchell Lady, Mark Wanner, Chance Ragsdale, Brett Ingram, De Leon, and Jacobson also return to contribute offensively for the Ichabods, who hit .281 collectively in 2019, which was fourth in the MIAA.
>> The Ichabods look to stay healthy on the mound in 2020 and return nine pitchers from last season's staff who finished with a 4.70 ERA.
>> Brock Gilliam made 15 appearances with 10 starts last year and had a 4.52 ERA after 67.2 innings pitched. He also struck out 52 batters.
>> As mentioned earlier, Head went 4-4 in 13 starts and collected 53 strikeouts as he and Gilliam were a part of a pitching staff that struck out a total of 348 batters, which tied for the most strikeouts in a single season in program history.
>> Brandon Gabler was 3-1 after 12 appearances and 24 innings pitched last season.
>> Skyler Proctor, Braden Minor, Nick Sloan, Jack Weller, Trevor Marreel, and Jared Sharp also return for Washburn.
NEW FACES
>> Washburn welcomes 19 newcomers to this year's squad, 11 of whom are transfers from eight different junior colleges.
>> The transfer additions include four pitchers, four infielders, and one outfielder, a catcher, and a utility player.
HEAD COACH HARLEY DOUGLAS
>> Harley Douglas is in his sixth season as the head coach for his alma mater.
>> In five seasons, he holds a record of 130-119 (87-93 MIAA).
>> Prior to being named head coach, Douglas served as an assistant for the Ichabods under Steve Anson.
>> His coaching career started as a high school head baseball coach for eight seasons (2003-10).
>> Douglas was an all-MIAA outfielder for the Ichabods and
>> After his collegiate career, he signed with the New York Mets organization and spent time in their minor league system.
ICHABODS AROUND THE COUNTRY
>> Washburn's 40-man roster consists of players from nine different states.
>> Almost half of the roster is from Kansas as 19 players hail from the Sunflower State.
>> Texas has the second-most Ichabods with five.
>> Joe Roecker, Trevor Marreel, Cale Hlavac, and Cole Warner are all from Nebraska.
>> There are three players from both Colorado and Missouri.
>> Illinois and Oklahoma have two players each and Jacobson represents Wisconsin and Eric Hinostroza is from Florida.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
>> The Coyotes finished the 2019 campaign with an overall record of 15-33 while going 12-31 in the CCAA (California Collegiate Athletics Association).
>> CSUSB graduated eight seniors, including decorated infielder Gabe Chavez, who received the Coyotes' first All-American award since 2011.
>> This season, the team welcomes eight freshmen and eight transfers while returning 15 players.
>> Offensively as a team last year, the Coyotes finished with a .249 batting average and hit 30 home runs.
>> A.J. Barraza played and started 40 games last season and finished with a .233 batting average with 28 hits and 20 runs scored.
>> Also a top-returner is Jacob Allen, who had a .283 batting average in 33 games and landed 26 hits, six of which were for extra bases.
>> The Coyote pitching staff last year had an ERA of 5.76 and recorded 279 strikeouts.
>> Tyler Williams made 12 starts a year ago and finished with a 3.93 ERA and led the team in strikeouts with 67.
>> Blake Timm went 5-6 in 13 starts and recorded a 5.38 earned run average in 72 innings pitched.
HEAD COACH MIKE NADEAU
>> Mike Nadeau begins his third season at the helm of the Coyotes' bench.
>> After two seasons, he is 30-65.
>> Prior to joining CSUSB coaching staff, he was an assistant at Seattle University for five seasons. He also spent time as an assistant at University of Puget Sound and Shoreline Community College.
>> He held the role of head coach at Pierce College from 2010-12, where he was named the Pacific Division and NWAACC Coach of the Year in 2012 as well as the Western Region Coach of the Year twice after compiling an overall record of 79-45 and 53-20 in conference games.
>> As a student-athlete, Nadeau played at George Fox University and was named the National NAIA Division II Player of the Year in 1994.
>> He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and played six seasons in the minor leagues.
SERIES HISTORY WITH CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO
>> This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
>> Washburn has never played a game west of Colorado.
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD
>> The Ichabods play their first 12 games of the season on the road and head to Alva, Okla., next week (Feb. 6-9) for games against Northwestern Oklahoma State, Rockhurst, and former MIAA foe, Truman State.
