LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball is set for four games at the Ranger Roundup in Alva, Okla., this week starting on Thursday, Feb. 6.

>> The Ichabods will play the host team Northwestern Oklahoma State on Feb. 6 and Feb. 9. Both games are scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start.

>> Sandwiched between games against NWOSU, Washburn will play Rockhurst (Feb. 7, 3:30 p.m.) and former MIAA foe Truman State (Feb. 8, 12 p.m.).

>> The Ichabods are 2-2 to start the new season after splitting the opening four game series at Cal State San Bernardino last week.

>> NWOSU is 1-2 after playing three MIAA teams last week, while RU and TSU will play their first games of the season at the Ranger Roundup.

>> All three opponents finished 2019 with a record below .500: NWOSU (23-26), RU (12-37), and TSU (7-34).

>> Washburn was 25-21 overall last season and went 9-4 in non-conference games.

GETTING IT DUNN
>> Junior transfer Paker Dunn had an impressive opening series as he went 7-for-14 at the plate with two home runs, five RBI, and scored four runs as the Ichabods split the four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino last weekend.

>>  In the season opener, he hit a solo home run in his first at-bat as an Ichabod and finished the night 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one walk.

HEAD'S UP
>> Senior Jacob Head picked up where he left off at the end of last season and started opening night on a strong note by throwing 4.1 no-hit innings.

>> He also struck out four while allowing his only baserunners on six walks.

>> Head moved up into the top-20 of most innings pitched in Washburn program history as he sits in 19th with 152.1 IP and also boasts the 11th-lowest opponent batting average all-time at WU at .265.

A SHARP OUTING
>> Southpaw sophomore Jared Sharp picked up a win in his first collegiate start with a gem, hurling 7.1 scoreless innings and allowing just three hits while striking out five. 

QUICK HITS - NEWCOMERS
>> Several Ichabod newcomers had an impressive opening series in California.

>> Eric Hinostroza started all four games and went 6-15 with four runs and drove in two runs.

>> Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli landed five hits, two of which were doubles, in 14 ABs. He also scored four runs.

>> Kros Bay went 3-8 with a double, run scored, and two RBI. 

>> Joe Roecker struck out nine in 4.2 innings.

>> Dalton Huggins recorded his first save with the Ichabods after striking out both batters he faced in the series finale at CSUSB.

QUICK HITS - RETURNERS
>> Leadoff hitter Xavier De Leon had five hits in 13 at bats, drove in two runs, and scored one himself.

>> Wyatt Featherston, Mitchell Lady, and Steven Jacobson all had three hits and a combined eight RBI.

>> Featherston went 3-5 in the first game with an RBI double and then a three-run shot to left field.

>> Nick Steiner, Brandon Gabler, and Trevor Marreel pitched a combined five innings out of the 33 total with one hit, one unearned run, and four strikeouts.

SPEEDY BODS
>> The Ichabods have already stolen 11 bases on 15 attempts.

>> Hinostroza and Lady were a successful 3-3 on the basepaths last week.

>> Clark-Chiapparelli swiped two bases as well.

QUICK STARTS
>> The Ichabods have outscored their opponents 13-1 in the first three innings so far this season.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
>> The Rangers were 23-26 in 2019 and have started the new season 1-2.

>> They lost to Missouri Southern (7-5) and Central Oklahoma (16-3) before claiming a 13-10 victory over Pittsburg State.

>> The team graduated several key players from last season, notably Johnnuelle Ponce, who was the 2019 GAC Player of the Year, an all-Region first-team selection, and an All-American honorable mention after hitting .354 with 18 homers.

>> NWOSU hit .314 last season and launched 60 home runs.

>> Daschal Johnson returns after appearing in 45 games with 44 starts and had a .293 batting average with 53 hits, 13 of which were extra bases, and drove in 24 runs while scoring 44 more.

>> The Rangers' pitching staff finished with a 6.24 ERA.

>> Kaleb Honea returns for his senior year after going 2-4 with an 4.86 ERA over 53.2 innings pitched while tying a team-high 39 strikeouts.

HEAD COACH RYAN BOWEN
>> Ryan Bowen is entering his third season as head coach of the Rangers.

>> In two seasons, he holds a record of 47-51.

>> Before becoming the Rangers' head coach, he served as an assistant for his alma mater schools at Southeastern Oklahoma State for five seasons and at Carl Albert State College for three years.

>> He started his playing career at CASC, where he earned several honors including the NJCAA Region II Player of the Year, and wrapped up his career at Southeastern Oklahoma.

SERIES HISTORY WITH NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
>> This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

SCOUTING ROCKHURST
>> The Hawks finished 2019 with a record of 12-37 (6-27 GLVC).

>> Offensively, they hit .270 and scored 218 runs and hit 19 homers.

>> The pitching staff struggled, though, as they finished with an ERA of 7.44 and allowed 330 earned runs and gave up 41 home runs.

>> Garrett McNally started every game except one and had the highest batting average last season of .356 and returns for his senior year. He also led the team in hits (64), doubles (13), home runs (five), slugging percentage (.511), stolen bases (eight), and tied for the most runs batted in (35).

>> As a sophomore, Nathan Mark hit .326 with 46 hits, 11 doubles, four homers, and recorded 35 RBI.

>> Jack Eisenbarger went 3-4 with a 3.52 ERA in 14 appearances last year. In 79.1 innings pitched, he led the team by far in strikeouts with 102 and allowed 31 earned runs and 26 walks.

>> Thomas Jones also returns looking to improve on his 3-3 record with 5.77 ERA. He made 17 appearances and pitched 34.1 innings mostly in relief. He recorded the second-most strikeouts on staff, ringing up 36 batters.

HEAD COACH GARY BURNS
>> Gary Burns has compiled a 746-615 record over the past 26 seasons as the Hawks' head coach since 1994.

>> Burns has also held the title of director of athletics for the university since 2011.

>> He has led the team to 15 post-season appearances, including six berths in the NCAA Regional Tournament.

>> Prior to coming to Rockhurst, Burns was an assistant coach at Indiana State, Vanderbilt, and Clemson.

>> As a student-athlete, he pitched two seasons at Johnson County CC before transferring to Vanderbilt, where he was a member of the 1980 SEC championship team. 

SERIES HISTORY WITH ROCKHURST
>> The series is all tied up at 35-35.

>> Washburn has won five of the last six meetings, including the last three-straight games.

>> In a neutral site matchup last season, Washburn won in seven innings, 21-2.

>> Head Coach Harley Douglas is 2-0 against Rockhurst.

SCOUTING TRUMAN STATE
>> The Bulldogs look to improve on their record from 2019 after going 7-34 (7-26 GLVC).

>> As a team, they finished with a .238 batting average and scored 169 runs and landed 72 extra base hits, 19 of which left the ballpark.

>> The pitching staff looks to lower its 9.55 ERA from last year and mitigate the home run damage after allowing 50.

>> Holden Missey is coming off a solid freshman season. He started 38 games and led the team with a .326 batting average, as well as in hits (44) and runs (28). He also drove in 19 runs and hit three homers.

>> Rian Markes pitched a team-high 61.1 innings across 13 appearances and finished with a 7.48 ERA.

HEAD COACH DAN DAVIS
>> Dan Davis is heading into his 14th season leading the Bulldogs and has a record of 203-441.

>> He was awarded the ABCA Midwest Coach of the Year following the 2015 where he led the Bulldogs to a school record 35 victories, a Midwest Regional Championship, and a trip to the NCAA National Championship Tournament.

>> He also has coaching experience at Northern Iowa, his alma mater SIU-Carbondale, El Dorado, and Independence CC.

>> Davis pitched collegiately SIU-Carbondale and went on to play in the Frontier League for two seasons in Kalamazoo and Newark.

SERIES HISTORY WITH TRUMAN STATE
>> The Ichabods hold a resounding 62-27 lead against the former MIAA rival.

>> Truman State was a member of the MIAA for the 1996-2013 seasons.

>> The two teams last met in 2018 for a four-game series at Falley Field and split it for two wins apiece.

>> Head Coach Harley Douglas is 2-3 when playing Truman.

TAKE A LOOK AHEAD
>> The Ichabods finish out their 12 game road swing to start the season next week in Joplin, Mo., at the MIAA/GLVC/NSIC Challenge. Washburn will play St. Cloud State (Feb. 13), McKendree (Feb. 14), Maryville (Feb. 15), and University of Missouri-St. Louis (Feb. 16).