•       The Washburn Ichabod softball team will open its 2024 season with a five-game trip to Conroe, Texas as they will take part in the DII First Pitch Invitational at the Scrapyard Complex.
•       Washburn is scheduled to play its first 15 games on the road before opening up Gahnstrom Field on Feb. 23 with Southwest Baptist at the Washburn Invitational.
•       The Ichabods will play six games at the Washburn Invitational and then head to the McKendree Invitational for six more games before opening MIAA at Central Oklahoma on March 8.
•       The Ichabods finished the 2023 season with a 37-16 record going 15-11 in MIAA play.
•       Washburn was picked in the No. 4 spot in the MIAA preseason coaches poll trailing Central Oklahoma, Rogers State and Missouri Southern.
•       The 2024 Washburn schedule features seven teams who reached their NCAA Regional, two more NCAA Super Regional teams, and two teams who reached the NCAA D2 Softball World Series … Ichabods open their home slate on Feb. 23 with the Washburn Invitational.
•       Brenda Holaday is in her eighth season as the Ichabod softball head coach recording a 215-132 overall record going 104-52 in MIAA contests leading the Ichabods to two MIAA Regular Season titles (2018, 2022) and NCAA Central Regional berths in those years as well, the fourth and fifth in school history. Holaday trails Lisa Carey as the all-time winningest coach by victories at 256. •       #1 Marrit Mead - Has started all 159 games she has played in recording 224 hits and a .413 career batting average … she has 48 doubles and 98 RBI stealing 71 bases in 75 attempts with a .466 on base percentage … a three-time All-American selection and a two-time first team all-region and a second-team all-region pick as well as a two-time first team all-MIAA selection … her career batting average is the highest in school history … she is ranked sixth in stolen bases and 156 career runs scored is third needing 32 to break the career record … enters senior season with 224 career hits, 25 from the most in program history … her 48 doubles is fourth all-time needing nine for the career record and her 71 career stolen bases are second all-time needing 17 to break the career record of 87 … a three-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and three-time member of the MIAA Scholar Athlete team and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection.
•       #2 Autymn Schreiner - Has appeared in 143 games making 134 starts … a career .258 hitter with 94 hits and 79 runs scored  … a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and MIAA Academic Excellence listings and an all-MIAA Scholar Athlete team member as a junior.
•       #3 Hailey Neira - Has made 30 starts playing in 54 career games as an Ichabod recording 19 hits scoring eight runs … a two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
•       #8 Sheyenne Cheek - Recorded a 5-2 record in 26 appearances making four starts adding three saves in 61 innings pitched.
•       #12 Jaycee Ginter - Has played in 155 games making 154 career starts going 68-21 in the circle with 633 career strikeouts in 569 2/3 innings pitched … has 146 career hits with 128 RBI and 23 home runs driving in 128 with 28 doubles and 86 runs scored … ranks seventh all-time in RBI with 128 … in the circle her 1.98 career ERA is ninth all-time and her 68 career wins is second … she ranks fifth in career appearances with 113 and her 633 career strikeouts is the most in program history … a two-time All-American selection … a five-time all-region selection … a three-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and the MIAA Scholar Athlete listing and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection.
•       #14 Danielle Schlader - As a freshman she hit .269 starting 28 games appearing in 40 overall recording 25 hits with six doubles and two home runs … batted .298 during the MIAA season … drove in 19 overall … a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and the MIAA Excellence Honor Roll.
•       #15 Ellington Hogle - Has made 38 starts playing in 78 career games as an Ichabod … has 33 hits with 23 runs scored … a career .289 hitter … a two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
•       #16 Erin Boles - Has appeared in 38 games making 24 starts … batted .250 with 18 hits while drawing 11 walks … had two walk-off hits including an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth in a 4-3 win over Fort Hays State … a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
•       #17 Kaylee Wagner - Has made 52 starts playing in 74 games collecting 28 hits, scoring 13 runs with two home runs and 19 RBI … a two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and the MIAA Academic Excellence listing.
•       #18 Jaden LaBarge - Has appeared in 107 making 92 starts recording 84 hits with 17 doubles and 10 home runs … has driven in 69 runs while scoring 45 runs … a two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
•       #20 Gracie Gallagher - Played in 26 games in her first season as an Ichabod scoring seven runs with two stolen bases.
•       #21 Sadie Walker - Has had 24 appearances making 22 starts going 8-4 with three combined shutouts in 94 2/3 innings pitched for a 3.11 ERA.
  •       #4 Molly Gilbert - A second-team all-district selection as a junior earning offensive team MVP honor … named first-team all-district as a sophomore and named defensive MVP … a two-time academic all-district selection.
•       #5 Ashlynn Wolff - Named to the all-Central Indiana Super Team as well as all-county and second-team all-state as a senior after hitting .411 with 39 hits, 28 RBI and scoring 33 runs with seven doubles, two triples and a home run with a .440 on base percentage …  as a junior, she batted .398 with 19 runs scored, 25 RBI with 11 doubles and three triples … as a sophomore she was an all-conference and all-county selection after batting .383 with 30 runs scored, 32 RBI adding six doubles and four home runs … on the club circuit she was a two-time platinum glove award winner for top defensive player and also picked up a silver slugger award in 2021 and gold glove awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
•       #7 Riley Stephens - Started collegiate career at Southern Mississippi where she saw action in 30 games in two seasons and started two games as a freshman … earned two CUSA academic medals and was on the USM Dean's and President's academic lists both seasons … at Prosper High School, she helped her team to the playoffs three times and a district championship as a freshman … was also a three-time academic all-district selection.
•       #10 Zoe Quinn - A first-team all-district selection as a junior as an outfielder as team won district title … named first team all-district as a junior and named the outfielder of the year as a sophomore.
•       #11 Rylee Moore - As a senior she batted .410 with 101 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched earning first-team all-district honors and was named the all-Big Country Player of the Year, 5A all-state squad as well as academic all-district, academic all-state and an FCA all-star selection … an all-district selection as a junior also earning all-Big Country Preps first-team pitcher and honorable mention honors as an outfielder after batting .333 with a 2.43 earned run average in 83 innings striking out 113 … as a sophomore she recorded a 2.92 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched batting .500 … recorded a 1.45 ERA in 24 innings of action with 30 strikeouts as a freshman … a two-time academic all-district selection.
•       #19 Allie Stipsits - A transfer from Hutchinson Community College where she was a first-team all-conference catcher as a freshman batting .364 with 24 RBI helping the team to a No. 16 national ranking and a third-place finish at regionals with a 41-8 record … as a sophomore at HCC she batted .296 with 45 hits scoring 40 runs driving in 22 earning honorable mention all-conference honors …  in high school she was a first-team all-league, all-state selection at catcher helping team to a second-place finish at the state tournament … was a second-team all-league selection as a sophomore helping the team to a third-place finish at the state tournament and was an honorable mention pick as a freshman as her team finished fourth at the state tournament.
•       #22 Madi Moore - Named first-team all-district as a senior … as a junior she was named the defensive player of the year earning first-team all-state, all-district, all-region, all-conference and was named catcher of the year as her team won the state championship … as a sophomore she was a first-team all-district and second team all-region earning honorable mention all-conference.
•       #23 Mariah Wheeler - A member of the South Dakota State softball team in 2023 … prior to joining the Jackrabbits, spent two seasons at Butler Community College where she helped the Grizzlies to an appearance in the NJCAA World Series both seasons as well as two conference, district, and regional championship titles … as a freshman, earned All-Conference first team honors as an outfielder after batting .458 with 14 home runs, and 56 RBI as the team finished tied for fifth in the NJCAA World Series with a record of 51-4 … in her sophomore season, she was an All-Conference honorable mention and hit .378 with seven home runs and 39 RBI while the team went 48-4.
•       #24 Alexis Tanguma - As a freshman at North Central Texas College, she batted .306 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI helping her team to the NJCAA DI Regional Tournament … as a junior she batted .336 with four home runs and 40 RBI going 8-8 in the circle with a 3.18 earned run average en route to all-conference honorable mention honors … as a senior at Bells High School, she batted .456 with five home runs and 24 RBI going 16-4 in the circle with a 1.87 ERA adding 194 strikeouts earning Offensive Player of the Year, All-District MVP and was named the All-Texomaland Softball Player of the Year honors as a senior … as a junior, she batted .478 with four home runs adding 16 RBI and was a perfect 8-0 pitching with a 0.22 ERA with 50 strikeouts in a COVID-shortened season.
•       #25 Kinlei Boley - Set the school's career and season home records as a senior helping team to league and district championships; a first-team all-league, all-district, all-region and all-state selection as a pitcher earning NFCA all-region second team honors as her team was the state runners-up going 30-5 … a first-team all-conference, all-district, and second team all-region selection … a two-time softball academic all-state selection.
  •       Marrit Mead enters her senior season within reach of several Ichabod offensive categories …her career batting average of .413 is the best in school history … she needs 32 runs scored for the career record of 188 and needs 34 base hits for the career record of 258 … Mead is within 170 of the total bases record and 16 stolen bases from the career mark.
•       Jaycee Ginter is 39 RBI from the school's all-time record of 167 … her 68 career wins is one shy of tying the career record of 69 … Ginter also needs two saves for the career mark and 25 more appearances will break Washburn's all-time record … with 159 innings pitched, Ginter will have thrown the most innings in a Washburn career … Ginter opens her senior season already holding the career strikeout record with 633, which sits 183 more than the second-place holder. The 2023 Washburn Ichabod softball season ended with a 37-16 record overall going 15-11 in MIAA playing finishing fifth in the final MIAA standings. The Ichabods entered the final week of the season ranked seventh in the final NCAA Division II rankings, but upsets in other conference tournaments in the NSIC and GAC pushed the Ichabods out of the final eight just missing out on its sixth NCAA tournament appearance. Washburn junior pitcher/outfielder Jaycee Ginter was named second-team all-region by two different organizations as she was named to the D2CCA all-region team as voted on by members of the College Sports Communicators and to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as voted on by the region's head coaches. The Washburn Ichabod softball team had three players honored in five categories as the MIAA announced its postseason awards at the end of the regular season. The Ichabods had two MIAA Gold Glove winners as well as a first-team, a second-team and an honorable mention all-MIAA pick.
Junior pitcher Jaycee Ginter earned first-team all-MIAA honors in the circle after earning first-team all-MIAA honors as a freshman and sophomore at a pitcher/utility player. 
Junior third basemen Marrit Mead was a second-team all-MIAA selection this season after earning first-team all-MIAA pick her freshman and sophomore seasons as an Ichabod.
Senior second basemen Hadley Kerschen earned honorable mention all-MIAA honors and was an honorable mention all-MIAA selection her sophomore and junior seasons at both shortstop and second base.
Washburn also had two Gold Glove team members with Ginter in the circle and Mead at third base. Mead committed only one error at third base during the regular season and Ginter did not commit an error this season adding 27 assists. The Washburn Ichabods received the NFCA Top-10 Team listing for their grade point average of 3.73, which ranked them seventh overall in the national in the NCAA D2 rankings.
On the NFCA individual All-America Scholar Athlete listing, the Ichabods placed 16 players on the squad including Erin Boles, Jasmine Brixius, Sheyenne Cheek, Allison Hemsath, Ellington Hogle, Hadley Kerschen, Jaden Labarge, Marrit Mead, Jenna Moore, Hailey Neira, Kimi Patterson, Paige Robbins, Danielle Schlader, Autymn Schreiner, Kaylee Wagner and Sadie Walker.
The Washburn Ichabod softball team placed 11 student athletes on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll with three receiving MIAA Scholar Athlete selection honors and another two earning Academic Excellence recognition as the conference lauded academic success for the softball teams in the league.
Jaycee Ginter, Ellington Hogle, Hadley Kerschen, Jaden LaBarge, Marrit Mead, Jenna Moore, Hailey Neira, Kimi Patterson, Paige Robbins, Autymn Schreiner, Erin Boles, Sheyenne Cheek, Gracie Gallagher, Allison Hemsath, Danielle Schlader, Sadie Walker and Kaylee Wagner were all named members of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
Ginter, Kerschen and Mead were named a MIAA Scholar Athlete for earning all-MIAA honors while maintaining at least a 3.5 grade point average.
Paige Robbins, Danielle Schlader, Sadie Walker and Schreiner received Academic Excellence recognition for having a cumulative 4.0 grade point average.
Two more academic awards included juniors Jaycee Ginter and Marrit Mead were both named to the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Softball Academic All-District team. TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods were knocked out of the MIAA Tournament after falling 3-2 to Missouri Southern on Friday night at the Envista Softball Complex at Lake Shawnee in Topeka. The Ichabods dropped to 37-16 with the loss.
Missouri Southern (38-12), the No. 2 seed in the tournament, took a 1-0 lead on a home run in the bottom of the second.
Washburn tied the score in the top of the fifth on a home run by Kimi Patterson knotting the score at 1-1. In the fifth, the Lions regained the lead with a home run as they took a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth inning.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Autymn Schreiner doubled to right center with one out and after Gracie Gallagher entered as a pinch runner, she moved to third on a ground out. With two outs, Ellington Hogle sent  a ball into the gap in right center scoring Gallagher tying the score at 2-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Lions led off the inning with a home run to end the game with the 3-2 win for the Lions.
The Ichabods outhit the Lions 9 to 4 in the game as Hogle, Jaycee Ginter and Schreiner each had two hits for Washburn.
Ginter relieved Sadie Walker in the fourth inning taking the loss. Walker struck out six Lions scattering two hits in the game.
  MSU-Denver
•       The Roadrunners were 34-22 overall last season and finished second in the RMAC with a 29-13 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games.
•       MSU Denver returns a veteran cast that includes All-American outfielder Shelby Robb and RMAC Freshman of the Year Jenna Medhus, a pitcher/utility player. First baseman Miah Hartvigsen joined those two on the All-RMAC first team last season, while outfielder Kami Grammerstorf was on the second team for a second consecutive season, and catcher Jaiden Geist and pitcher/utility Audrey Burt are past second-team selections.
•       RMAC coaches have picked the MSU Denver softball team to finish second this season in their annual preseason poll.

Texas A&M International
•       Texas A&M International University softball was selected 12th in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll
•       Last season, the Dustdevils finished the season with a 19-34 mark and an 15-27 record in LSC play under head coach Scott Libby.

Wingate
•       The defending regular season SAC champion Wingate University Bulldogs are the preseason favorites in the South Atlantic Conference softball poll, which was voted on by the league's head coaches. In addition, the 'Dogs have a league-best eight players who have earned preseason All-SAC honors. Kaylee Hobgood, Savanna Brooks, Ragan Liles, Raelynn Kramer and Raechel Cutcher are first team selections, with Heaven Maness earning second team accolades while Hannah Stevens and Sydney Kale pick up third team honors.
•       The Bulldogs are coming off a record-breaking season, going 48-17 overall and 18-6 in league play to capture the regular season SAC title. Wingate earned hosting duties at the SAC and NCAA Regional tournaments. The 'Dogs advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in program history. The 48 wins are a program record, with Wingate also setting school records for runs and homers in a season. The Bulldogs are ranked 17th in the NFCA preseason top 25 poll.

UT-Tyler
•       The University of Texas at Tyler softball program will begin the 2024 season ranked no. 8 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll and were picked No. 1 in the Lonestar Conference poll.
UT Tyler claimed a second-straight South Central Region Championship in 2023 and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Softball World Series for a second-consecutive season.
•       The Patriots completed the year with a record of 62-6, setting the program record for wins in a single season, and claimed a third straight Lone Star Conference Regular Season Championship with a record of 39-2 in conference play.
•       Courtney Plocheck earns a third straight Preseason Player of the Year accolade for the program after leading the LSC with a .400 batting average in 2023 and a league-best 86 hits. The Deer Park, Texas native was named to the NFCA All-America Second Team and has been named to the All-LSC First Team list in each of the last two seasons.
•       The Patriots will return the majority of their offensive production from a year ago in 2024, highlighted by the return of Plocheck and fellow NFCA All-American JT Smith. Smith and Plocheck will join fellow All-Region selections Michelle Arias and Audrey Escamilla in a line-up that will be stocked full of talent in 2024.

Central Washington
•       The Central Washington University softball team has been picked to finish fifth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Wildcats are looking to their experienced team to build off their 21-27 record and 9-15 GNAC record in Head Coach Joe DiPietro's third season at the helm.
•       The Wildcats will have experience on their side with 11 seniors on the roster this season. Alyssa Benthagen will once again headline the Wildcats this season after earning her second-straight unanimous First Team All-GNAC selection last season and drilling a team-high seven home runs a season ago. Ashlee Laver brings the experience to the mound after starting 21 games in 24 appearances last year for CWU. Laver worked for a team-best 2.62 ERA which finished as the fifth-best ERA in the entire GNAC last season.
  •       is 215-132 in her eighth season as the Ichabod head softball coach.
•       In seven seasons, Washburn has had 34 all-MIAA picks, one MIAA Player of the Year, one MIAA Pitcher of the Year, two MIAA Freshmen of the year and 17 all-region selections and six All-American picks and three members of the MIAA Gold Glove team.
•       coached 19 seasons at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka compiling a 351-93 record.
•       led the Junior Blues to three 6A state championships as well as winning 14 league championships earning 16 6A state tournament berths, five second-place state finishes and three third-place state finishes and was inducted into the Washburn Rural High School Hall of Fame in 2018.
•       was named the Centennial League Coach of the Year and City Coach of the Year nine different times earning the Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year in 2011 and the 6A Kansas Coach of the year two times in 2008 and 2011 and was named the overall Kansas Coach of the Year in 2011.
•       while at Washburn Rural, she coached more than 40 players who have gone on to play college softball including three at the NCAA Division I level including former Ichabod head softball coach Lisa Carey, the winningest coach by wins in program history. •       The Ichabods are 1288-954-1 in their 54th year of softball.
•       The Ichabods have made five NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008, 2018, 2022).
•       Washburn won the 2002, 2018 and 2022 regular season MIAA titles.