TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball is set for its home opening series this weekend hosting Northern State for four games Feb. 19-21 at Falley Field.
LEADING OFF
>> Due to winter weather, the Ichabods' home opener against the Wolves is now scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.
>> Sunday is now a doubleheader with games at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
>> The finale is slated for a noon start on Monday.
>> The Ichabods (5-3) are coming off four wins at the Northwestern Oklahoma Ranger Festival in Alva, Okla. last weekend.
>> Northern State has played just three games so far this season and hold a record of 1-2.
>> Washburn was 20-22 (18-15 MIAA) overall last season and finished fifth in the conference standings and advanced to the MIAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.
>> The Ichabods went 9-8 in home games last year.
>> This is the 70th season in Washburn baseball history.
WASHBURN'S LAST TIME OUT
>> The Ichabods went 4-0 at the NWOSU Ranger Festival last weekend.
>> Washburn defeated Oklahoma Baptist twice by the scores of 7-3 and 8-3.
>> WU scored double-digit runs in both of its games on Saturday as it defeated the tournament-host 12-10 and then New Mexico Highlands, 14-4.
>> Over the course of the four games, the Ichabods outscored their opponents 41-20.
>> WU also finished the weekend hitting .312 while its opponents had a .222 batting average.
>> Out of the Ichabods' 48 hits, 22 went for extra bases including 13 doubles.
MIAA ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
>> Two Ichabods were recognized by the conference on Monday as Parker Dunn was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week and Dalton Huggins was the MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Week.
>> At the NWOSU Ranger Festival last weekend, Dunn hit .375 with a .938 slugging percentage after launching a trio of two-run home runs to go with with eight RBI and seven runs scored. He was also walked four times and was hit by pitch once.
>> In the 14-4 win over New Mexico Highlands, Dunn was 4-6 with six RBI and three runs scored and hit a a two-run home run in the eighth and ninth innings. In the next game against Oklahoma Baptist, he started the first inning with another two-run shot.
>> Huggins made one relief appearance last week and received the save in the 7-3 victory over Oklahoma Baptist after allowing just one hit in 3.2 innings of work.
>> He entered the game with one out in the sixth inning and the bases loaded and got two outs to end the frame. He then retired the side in order the next two innings and erased a single in the ninth with a game-ending double play. He finished his outing with six strikeouts.
>> This was the first MIAA weekly award for both players.
>> Washburn had three players earn recognition last season as Brett Ingram (Mar. 16, 2021) and Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli (Apr. 20, 2021) were Hitters of the Week and Brock Gilliam (Mar. 23, 2021) was the Pitcher of the Week.
LONG BALL
>> The Ichabods have hit seven home runs so far this season and launched six just this past weekend by four different players.
>> The seven home runs currently ranks third among MIAA teams.
>> In addition to Dunn's trio of home runs, Ingram hit his first homer of the season in Sunday's win over Oklahoma Baptist.
>> In the victory over NMHU, Bowlin hit a three-run bomb and Easton Bruce hit his first collegiate home run against NWOSU.
>> Bowlin hit the first home run of the season for the Ichabods on Feb. 7 against Lynn.
QUICK HITS
>> Connor Scott leads the team with 14 hits, six doubles and two triples and is tied for the team-high in runs scored with nine. He is batting .378 and has started all eight games in center field.
>> Bruce is off to a solid start in his freshman campaign as he leads the team hitting .385 after going 10-26 at the plate and has recorded six RBI and scored eight times. He is on a five game hitting streak and has reached base in all seven games he's played.
>> Clark-Chiapparelli also has 10 hits on the season with three doubles and seven runs scored. On the base paths, he's a perfect 4-4 in stolen bases.
>> Bowlin and Cal Watkins are hitting .278 and .270, respectively, and have landed 10 hits apiece and combined for 13 runs scored.
>> Kros Bay had five hits in Oklahoma last weekend and now has eight on the season to go with three RBI and four runs scored.
>> Dunn leads the team in RBI (nine), walks (seven), HBP (two), and is tied with Scott in runs scored.
FOR STARTERS
>> Rane Pfeifer got his first win of the season on Friday against Oklahoma Baptist as he went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with four walks while striking out seven.
>> On the season, Pfeifer has a 1-1 record and has struck out 10 in 7.1 innings.
>> In the following game against Northwestern Oklahoma, Casey Steward received a no-decision after allowing one run, one hit, two walks, and three strikeouts in four innings pitched.
>> He is tied for the team-lead in innings pitched (9.0) and has an even 4.00 ERA after two starts.
>> Cole Warner picked up his first win of the season after his five-inning start against NMHU. He allowed three runs, three hits, and one walk while striking out seven. In two starts, he has worked 8.1 innings and struck out nine.
>> Jack Brimacombe started the weekend finale and went five innings and allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out eight in the no-decision. He is tied with Steward for the most innings worked and is second on the team in strikeouts with 12.
WHAT A RELIEF
>> Huggins leads the bullpen with zero runs allowed and just two hits in eight innings scattered across three appearances. He leads the pitching staff with 14 strikeouts and has a 1-0 record to go with one save.
>> Julian Zamora won the first game of his career on Saturday against the Rangers. He gave up one run on two hits with a strikeout in two innings of work.
>> In the same game, Joel Casillas closed out the game and earned the save.
>> Jake Schroeder made his collegiate debut against the Cowboys and worked two hitless innings while recording all six outs by way of strikeouts.
>> Freshman Wyatt Hardy received the final win over the weekend on the mound as he surrendered just one run on two hits with two strike outs in two innings against the Bison.
>> In four innings through two appearances this season, Hardy has a 4.50 ERA and four strikeouts.
>> Cash Crane has made a pair of one inning appearances and has allowed just one hit while striking out four. He also earned a save earlier this season at Palm Beach Atlantic.
HEAD COACH HARLEY DOUGLAS
>> Former Washburn All-MIAA outfielder Harley Douglas enters his eighth season at the helm of the Washburn baseball program in 2022.
>> In seven seasons, Douglas carries an all-time record of 161-152 with three appearances in the MIAA Tournament.
>> He has also coached a total of 39 all-MIAA selections, including one MIAA Player and Pitcher of the Year.
MIAA PRESEASON POLL
>> For the second-consecutive season, the Ichabods were picked sixth in the MIAA Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll.
>> Central Missouri was voted the favorite earning 10 first-place votes and totalling 120 points.
>> Pittsburg State racked up 103 points and one first-place votes and Northeastern State received the final first-place vote and was tabbed third with 94 points.
>> Central Oklahoma (92 points) and Missouri Southern (86 points) rounded out the top-five.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
NORTHERN STATE WOLVES
>> The Wolves went 15-22 (14-19 NSIC) and ended the 2021 season on an eight-game losing streak.
>> Northern State was tabbed ninth in the 2022 NSIC Coaches Preseason Poll.
>> NSU has already played three games against MIAA schools as it fell to Emporia State, 12-6, on Feb. 6 before winning 10-1 against Central Oklahoma. The Wolves closed out the tournament in Edmond, Okla. with a 12-7 loss to Pittsburg State.
>> The team returns both of its all-conference players from last year in Seth Brewer, who was an all-NSIC first team selection, and Spencer Sarringar, who was placed on the all-defensive team.
>> So far this season, NSU is hitting .303 and has recorded five home runs and eight doubles.
>> Austin Portner is tied for the team-lead in hits as he has gone 4-8 at the plate and is tied with a team-high four runs scored.
>> Through three games, the pitching staff holds a 6.92 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 20 walks.
>> Max Otto earned the win against Central Oklahoma, tossing five innings and allowing one run on five hits with zero walks and five strikeouts.
HEAD COACH DEAN BERRY
>> Dean Berry is in his 12th season leading the Wolves and holds a record of 208-254.
>> After going 28-19 in the 2014 season to tie the program's most wins in a single season, Berry was named the NSIC Coach of the Year.
>> Prior to joining Northern State in 2011, Berry was the head coach at Dakota State from 2007-10 where he went 68-58.
SERIES HISTORY WITH NORTHERN STATE
>> These two programs have faced only one other time.
>> The Ichabods hosted the Wolves in 1990 and won, 12-4.
PRO BODS
>> There have been five Washburn players since 1965 that played for a Major League Baseball team and eight total players have signed a professional contract.
>> At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Brock Gilliam was signed by the Kansas City Monarchs on July 23, 2021.
>> He appeared in 13 games making one start and finished with a 3-1 record in 22.2 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts.
>> He helped the Monarchs to the American Association championship title.
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD
>> The Ichabods remain at home for the next four games and host Fort Hays State (Feb. 25-27) and then Emporia State (Mar. 1) for a non-conference matchup.
