TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn baseball team will return to Falley Field to play its final home series of the regular season as the Ichabods take on Newman for three games this weekend.
LEADING OFF
>> Twelve Ichabod seniors will be recognized before Saturday's doubleheader in celebration of senior day.
>> The Ichabods (14-19, 13-14 MIAA) took two out of three games for the third-straight series and came away with a road series victory at Fort Hays State last weekend.
>> The Jets hold a record of 7-19 (6-18 MIAA) and went 1-2 against Rogers State.
>> The Ichabods are currently sixth in the MIAA standings while the Jets are sitting in last place.
>> The top-eight teams in the MIAA standings at the end of the regular season will take part in the MIAA Tournament.
>> This season's tournament will look a little different as the quarterfinals will take place on the campus site's of the top-four seeded teams in a best-of-three-game series format on May 14-16.
>> The four champions will advance to the double-elimination event at Missouri Southern's Warren Turner Field, May 20-22.
>> The bracket for the MIAA Tournament will be announced Sunday, May 9.
>> This is the 68th season in Washburn baseball program history.
GAME INFORMATION
>> The series begins with a single game on Friday at 5 p.m.
>> Senior Day festivities will take place before the start of Saturday's doubleheader at approximately 1:45 p.m.
>> Fans are allowed to attend home games free of charge.
>> All games will have live stats and be video streamed.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
>> The Ichabods are third in the MIAA in doubles (72).
>> Washburn has outscored its opponents 44-26 in the third inning.
>> Leadoff man Xavier De Leon leads the Ichabods in batting average (.353), hits (49), and runs scored (25).
>> He is third in the conference with six sacrifice bunts.
>> Kros Bay has a .321 average at the plate and is second on the team in doubles with nine.
>> Zion Bowlin is on a six-game hitting streak and has had a homer in three of the last four games. He has also scored at least one run in eight-straight games.
>> Bowlin is hitting .319 on the year with five total homers, five doubles, and three triples.
>> Brett Ingram is batting .311 with 11 extra base hits and leads the team with 27 runs batted in.
>> Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli is just under the .300 mark with a .294 batting average and has three homers, seven doubles and driven in 16 runs.
PITCHING LEADERS
>> The Washburn pitching staff has a combined 6.32 ERA and is fourth in the MIAA with 312 strikeouts.
>> Gilliam is 6-2 in 10 starts with a 3.58 ERA, the sixth-lowest in the conference. His 83 strikeouts ranks fourth in the MIAA and 13th in all of Division II.
>> Zach Philbin has made 12 relief appearances and is 2-0 in 13.2 innings pitched. He has allowed just one unearned run and recorded 10 strikeouts to hold a 0.66 earned run average.
>> Dalton Huggins leads the team with 13 appearances and holds a 5.28 ERA after throwing 15.1 innings. He has recorded two saves and 16 strikeouts.
>> Braden Minor picked up a save on Saturday as he closed out the ninth with a perfect 1-2-3 inning. He has tossed 14.0 innings and has a 5.14 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 10 appearances.
>> Starters Sean McElwee and Rane Pfeifer have both collected 54 strikeouts after 10 appearances and nine starts this season. Pfeifer has thrown 40.1 innings and is 2-4 with a 5.58 ERA while McElwee is 1-4 after logging the second-most innings on the team (54.2) with a 5.93 ERA.
RECORD WATCH
>> Gilliam has 194 career strikeouts and is now third all-time on Washburn's career strikeout list.
>> Brett Ash is second on the list with 199 career strikeouts and Jake Lenherr is the all-time leader with 215.
>> Gilliam has already etched his name in the Washburn record book this season as he ranks in the top-10 of the most strikeouts in a single season. He is currently tied for fourth in the program's history and looks to move up as the season continues.
>> The most strikeouts in a single season by an Ichabod is 100 by Rick DeHart in 1991.
LAST TIME OUT
>> Washburn won the first two games at Fort Hays State by the score of 8-5 before falling in the finale, 5-4.
>> The Ichabods hit five homers and five doubles.
>> Bowlin finished the series 5-for-12 (.417) at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored to go with a .917 slugging percentage. In the final game, he was 3-for-4 with a solo shot.
>> De Leon had a team-high six hits in the series.
>> Pfeifer started the series off with a win, tossing six innings and allowing one run on two hits with four walks while striking out seven.
>> Gilliam earned his sixth win of the season after he allowed just one run, four singles, and two walks while striking out six in six innings pitched.
>> Philbin made three relief appearances and allowed one unearned run in 2.1 innings pitched.
>> Despite receiving the loss after allowing three runs, McElwee tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
SCOUTING NEWMAN
>> Newman went 8-15 (2-5 MIAA) in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
>> The Jets won in walkoff fashion in the series finale against Rogers State with a 12-11 in 10 innings after scoring the tying run in the ninth.
>> Games one and two were seven inning run-rule games with the Hillcats winning by 10 and 11 runs, respectively.
>> Newman's offense is hitting .281 with 32 homers and 52 doubles on the season.
>> Devin Beard holds a .361 batting average and leads the team in doubles (nine) and is tied for the most hits (30) and runs scored (25). He has also driven in 16 runs.
>> The Jets' pitching staff holds an 11.22 earned run average and has recorded 162 strikeouts.
>> Luke Thoreson is 2-1 in 10 relief appearances and has a 5.09 ERA after 17.2 innings of work and has struck out 17 batters.
>> In nine total appearances and six starts on the bump, Connor Langrell leads the team with 37 strikeouts in 40.0 innings pitched and has a 6.98 ERA and a 1-1 record.
HEAD COACH DREW MAUS
>> Drew Maus was named the head coach for Newman on August 5, 2019, after serving as an assistant coach at Henderson State for five seasons and Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock for two years.
>> As a student-athlete, Maus played shortstop at Ouachita Baptist.
SERIES HISTORY WITH NEWMAN
>> These two teams have met 43 times since 1978 with Washburn holding a close 22-21 all-time series lead.
>> The Ichabods last played the Jets in the 2017 season opener in a neutral site game in which Washburn won, 8-6.
>> This weekend's series will be the first time Washburn has played Newman since it became an associate member of the MIAA in the 2019-20 season.
>> Coach Douglas is 3-1 against Newman.
THANK YOU, SENIORS!
>> Twelve Ichabods will be recognized before Saturday's games for their contributions to Washburn baseball.
>> Conner Bond joined the Ichabods in the fall of 2019 and has made 12 appearances out of the bullpen … earlier this season at Central Oklahoma, he tossed four scoreless innings and allowed just two singles and recorded three 1-2-3 innings … Conner is majoring in kinesiology and will be a two-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
>> De Leon is a three-year member of Washburn baseball and has played in 98 games, making 97 starts … he holds a career batting average of .307 with 115 hits, 71 runs scored and has recorded 33 multi-hit games with 17 occurring this season … in his first season with the Ichabods, he was an all-MIAA honorable mention selection … De Leon is majoring in management.
>> Cole Emerson has been a part of Washburn baseball for four years and has played in 57 games with 28 starts … this season, Emerson has made 26 starts in the outfield and has scored 23 runs and hit three doubles, two triples and hit his first career homer last weekend at Fort Hays with a three-run shot … he has earned a place on the MIAA academic honor roll every year and is majoring in elementary education.
>> Wyatt Featherston is in his third season with the Ichabods and has played in 73 games making 63 total starts … he has a .267 career batting average with 59 hits, 44 RBI, 40 runs scored, and 26 extra base hits, including nine homers … on February 8, 2020, he became the second Ichabod to hit for the cycle as he accomplished the feat against Truman State, finishing the day 4-for-4 with four runs and two RBI … Featherston is a two-time member of the MIAA academic honor roll and is majoring in psychology.
>> Gilliam joined the Ichabods as a freshman for the 2017 season and has made 50 appearances on the mound with 32 starts … he has a career ERA of 4.23 and a record of 14-14 with one save … Gilliam is currently third on Washburn's all-time strikeout list with 194 in his career and also has 83 strikeouts just this season, ranking fourth for the most strikeouts in a single season by a Washburn pitcher … he has thrown 223.2 innings in his career, which is the fourth-most in Ichabod history … this season, he is 6-2 in 10 starts with a 3.58 ERA … Gilliam has been named to the MIAA academic honor roll three times and is majoring in nursing.
>> In two season with the Ichabods, Eric Hinostroza has played in 52 games with 51 starts and has a career batting average of .277 with 56 hits, 35 runs scored, and 26 RBI … he has also recorded 19 multi-hit games … in his first season at Washburn last year, he led the team in runs and was tied for a team-high in hits … in game one of the doubleheader last week at Fort Hays, he went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs and had one RBI … Hinostroza is majoring in forensic investigation.
>> McElwee is in his second season with the Ichabods and has made 10 total appearances with nine starts this year … he has thrown 54.2 innings and struck out 54 and holds a 5.93 earned run average … in his last start at Fort Hays, he struck out 10 batters in 6.2 innings … he is majoring in communications.
>> Minor is a three-year member of Washburn baseball and has made 15 total appearances with two starts on the mound … he has thrown 22.2 innings and holds a career ERA of 6.75 with 22 strikeouts and two saves … heading into this weekend, he has made four-straight perfect relief appearances without allowing a run, hit, or walk … Minor has been named to the MIAA academic honor roll twice and is majoring in management.
>> Carson Sader is a two-year member of Ichabod baseball and has played in 39 games with 22 starts … in this season's opener, he went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored once … he has also recorded a hit in four pinch hit at bats … Sader was named to the 2020 MIAA Academic Honor Roll and is a biology major.
>> Peter Shearer is in his third season with the Ichabods and has started 75 of the 87 games he's played … heading into this weekend, he holds a .268 career batting average with 69 hits, 22 doubles, and eight homers to go with 56 runs scored and 48 RBI … earlier this season, he had a three-game home run streak and in the series opener against Rogers State, he went 2-for-4 at the plate with a three-run homer and an RBI double … Shearer is a two-time selection to the MIAA academic honor roll and is majoring in physics.
>> Nick Steiner is a four-year member of Washburn baseball and after starting out as a position player, he made the switch to being a pitcher full-time … in 2020, he made eight relief appearances and struck out 11 batters … he is majoring in physical education.
>> Mark Wanner has been with the Ichabods since the 2019 season and has played in 47 games and made 20 starts … in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he went 14-for-33 at the plate for a .424 batting average in 16 games played … he has been named to the MIAA Academic honor roll twice and is majoring in kinesiology.
WELCOME BACK EVERY-BOD-Y
>> Twenty-eight Ichabods from last season return with 11 of those being seniors.
>> The returning roster also consists of five juniors, five sophomores, and seven freshmen.
NEW FACES
>> Washburn welcomes 18 newcomers to this year's squad, including nine transfer student-athletes who are all coming from nine different programs spread across Division I, Division II, and Junior Colleges.
>> Eight true freshmen also enter their first season with the Ichabods.
ICHABODS IN THE PROS
>> There have been five Washburn players since 1965 that played for a Major League Baseball team and seven total players have signed a professional contract.
>> Former Ichabod infielder Riley Krane (2013-17) recently signed a contract with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League for the 2021 season.
>> Krane enters his fourth season in the Frontier League after playing two seasons with the Windy City ThunderBolts and one with the Joliet Slammers.
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD
>> The Ichabods wrap up the regular season on the road at Northwest Missouri starting Friday, May 7.
