LEADING OFF
>> The Washburn baseball squad continues conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Missouri Southern (13-4) starting Friday, March 6, at 3 p.m.
>> First pitch at Warren Turner Field on Saturday and Sunday are both scheduled for 1 p.m.
>> The Ichabods swept Missouri Western at Falley Field last weekend and are now 11-8 on the season.
>> The Lions are coming off three losses at Emporia State and are looking for their first conference win.
>> Washburn faced off against Missouri Southern in a non-conference game last month and fell, 4-2.
HEAD'S UP
>> Jacob Head won his fifth game in as many start after defeating the Griffons, 11-3, on Saturday.
>> He tossed seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits and walked two.
>> He is tied for the team-high in strikeouts with 29.
>> His 15 career wins puts him in the top-10 of Washburn's all-time wins. Head's next victory would tie him for ninth all-time alongside Mike Lineback (1982-85).
>> He also climbed up to 13th in the Ichabods' record books for most innings pitched as he has thrown 175.1 in his career.
EXTRA, EXTRA!
>> Washburn has recorded 65 extra base hits so far this season, with 20 of those coming this past weekend.
>> There have been 40 doubles, nine triples, and 16 homers.
>> Eleven of Washburn's 16 hits on Sunday went for extra bases (Seven doubles, four homers).
>> Brett Ingram had three doubles on Sunday and legged out a triple in the first game of the series.
>> Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli had two triples and a double against the Griffons.
>> Kros Bay also added to the weekend's extra base figures with two doubles on Friday afternoon.
MIAA HITTER OF THE WEEK
>> Transfer junior Zion Bowlin was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week after a strong showing at the plate against Missouri Western.
>> He finished the weekend series 8-for-13, batting .615 and had a slugging percentage of 1.077.
>> He also collected seven RBI and scored four runs over the three-game series. Four of his eight hits went for extra bases as he finished with three doubles and a home run.
>> In the series finale, Bowlin was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a two-run homer and finished the afternoon with three RBI and two runs scored.
>> This marks the second time this season a Washburn player has received the weekly conference award as Wyatt Featherston was named Hitter of the Week on Feb. 12
MULTI-HOMERUN GAMES
>> The Ichabods recorded their sixth multi-homer game of the season by sending four over the fence in the series finale against Missouri Western.
>> Bay hit his first long ball as an Ichabod with a solo homer in the second inning.
>> Featherston hit a solo shot in the sixth inning for his third homer of the season.
>> Bowlin also recorded his third homer of the season when he sent the first pitch of his at bat out of the stadium in a hurry in the seventh.
>> Parker Dunn cleared the bases with a three-run home run also in the seventh inning. He leads the team with five on the year.
BODS AND ENDS
>> The Ichabods have outscored their opponents, 123-104, with 57 of their runs coming in the third through fifth innings.
>> Washburn and Missouri Southern both enter the weekend series with 123 runs scored.
>> Steven Jacobson is five hits away from reaching 100 career hits since joining Washburn in 2018.
>> In the series opener against Missouri Southern, Brock Gilliam scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings. He struck out five and did not walk anyone and retired the side in order in five of his seven innings.
>> Dalton Huggins has four saves this season and holds an ERA of 1.54.
>> Bowlin is on a 10 game hitting streak.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
MISSOURI SOUTHERN LIONS
>> Missouri Southern finished second in the MIAA standings last season, going 23-10 in conference games.
>> The Lions are off to a 13-4 start with their only losses of the season coming to Emporia State and Southwestern Okahoma State.
>> The Lions' offense is currently batting .271 and 42% of their hits have gone for extra bases.
>> Missouri Southern has legged out 32 doubles and hit 24 homers.
>> The Lions were outscored by Emporia State, 34-12.
>> Eleven different players have hit at least one home run.
>> Jordan Fitzpatrick, Troy Gaggan, and Matt Miller have 18 hits apiece.
>> Fitzpatrick and Joe Kinder lead the team with four homers each and have combined for 35 RBI.
>> The Missouri Southern pitching staff comes into the series against Washburn with a 4.12 ERA.
>> Zach Parish is 4-0 in five starts and has an ERA of 1.93 and has allowed 12 hits across 28 innings pitched and has struck out a team-high 50 batters.
>> In four appearances in relief, Zach Zeller is 2-0 in four innings pitched.
>> Closer Logan VanWey has four saves on the year and is 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA.
HEAD COACH BRYCE DARNELL
>> Bryce Darnell is in his 13th season with Missouri Southern and holds a record of 366-279.
>> In his time with the Lions, he has coached 86 all-MIAA selections, 15 all-region selections, and nine All-Americans and has earned the honors of being named the MIAA Coach of the Year twice.
>> Darnell started his coaching career at the high school level for eight seasons before being named the head coach at his alma mater, Missouri Southern.
SERIES HISTORY WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN
>> Missouri Southern holds a 59-37 series advantage and has won nine of the last 10 games.
>> Missouri Southern won the non-conference meeting against Washburn last month, 4-2.
>> The Lions scored three runs in the first two innings and the Ichabods scored two of their own in the top of the third to get within one.
>> MSSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.
>> Washburn Head Coach Harley Douglas is 5-15 against Missouri Southern.
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD
>> Washburn will return home for four games at Falley Field. The Ichabods will host Pittsburg State in the weekend series (March 13-15) and then take on Northwest Missouri in a midweek game on St. Patrick's Day.
