TOPEKA, Kan. -- After expected weather caused cancelations Washburn Ichabod baseball will play its home-opener on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Truman State beginning a three-game series that continues on Sunday and wraps up on Monday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball will play a re-worked home-opening weekend with a three-game series against Truman State University.
>> Anticipated weather causing wet field conditions caused games against Minot State and Regis to be canceled as part of the 2024 Ichabod Baseball Classic Presented by Goodcents.
>> The home opener at Falley Field will take place on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 3 p.m.
>> The series will continue on Sunday at 2 p.m. and on Monday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
>> Last week the Ichabods were swept in a three-game series by Union with the first game ending 9-8 in 10 innings and the final two 9-8 and 15-14 respectively.
>> The Ichabods are coming off a second straight 30-win season in 2023 where they went 30-22 (21-12 MIAA) and finished tied for third in the MIAA Regular Season.
>> Truman State is 0-4 after the opening weekend of the season for the Bulldogs.
>> After the weekend, Washburn opens up MIAA play and stays at home to do so, taking on Pittsburg State in three games beginning Friday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.
>> In the 2024 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, the Ichabods were picked fourth after finising tied for third in the 2023 regular season.
>> Washburn's roster consists of 27 returners from a season ago along with 25 newcomers broken down between 15 transfers and 10 true freshmen.
ICHABOD CLASSIC INFORMATION
>> All games will be played at Falley Field
>> Live stats all games can be found on the Washburn schedule page.
>> All games will be livestreamed through the MIAA Network and are available at a charge.
>> A gate fee will be charged and there are no passes.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
>> Through four games Washburn is scoring 7.86 runs per game while allowing 9.43.
>> The Ichabods are 2-5 in road contests and have yet to play at home or in a neutral field game.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .288 with a .396 OB% and are slugging .464 as a team. They have seven home runs and have drawn 33 walks.
>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 9.25 this season in 60.1 IP. They have struck out 61 batters while allowing 80 hits and issuing 45 walks.
>> The Ichabods have a .954 fielding percentage with 12 errors on the year and have turned seven double plays.
>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen 12 bases on 14 attempts while opponents have 18 stolen bases and have been thrown out four times.
STACKING THE STATS
>> The Ichabods are tied for the fourth most sacrifice bunts put down in the nation with eight. They are second in the conference behind Fort Hays State with 12.
>> Washburn is 23rd in the nation and third in the MIAA with 72 hits through seven games.
>> The Ichabods are tied for 10th in the nation in triples with three.
>> Scoring 7.9 runs per game WU is 42nd in the nation and fourth in the MIAA in that department.
>> Washburn is third in the MIAA and 14th in the nation turning seven double plays on the year.
>> The Ichabods are 34th in the nation and seventh in the conference with 12 stolen bases this season.
>> With a batting average of .288 as a team Washburn is 66th in the nation and seventh in the MIAA at racking up hits.
IN THE BOX
>> Payton McHarg has started and played in all seven games and leads Washburn batting .429 with a .485 OB% and a 1.071 SLG%. He has five home runs and a team-high 13 RBI.
>> McHarg is tied for second in the nation in both home runs (5) and total bases (30), both are top in the conference. He is 15th in the nation in hits (15) and 10th in RBI (13).
>> Hayden Priest has played and six games and started five. He is second on the team hitting .421 and has a .1029 OPS with eight hits and eight RBI. He is tied for 78th in the nation and 10th in the MIAA with his eight RBI.
>> Easton Bruce has started all seven games and is hitting .344 with a .820 OPS. He is second on the team with 11 hits and has driven in four runs.
>> Ike Book has played in six games and started in two with a .300 average and a .862 OPS. He has three hits and three walks on the year.
>> Trevor McCollum has played and started all seven games and his hitting .250 with a .424 OB% after drawing six walks. He is tied for 78th in the nation and 10th in the MIAA with his eight RBI. On the bases he has stolen three bases, tied for a team-high.
>> Cash Jay is hitting .261 with a .915 OPS in six games and six starts. He has four extra base hits on the year with one home run and six RBI.
ON THE MOUND
>> Seventeen players have taken the mound this season for Washburn.
>> Chase Torkelson leads the Ichabods with 9.1 innings pitched in two starts. He has a 6.75 ERA with eight strikeouts and has allowed eight hits with six walks.
>> Griffin Huiatt has a 6.23 ERA in 8.2 innings with two starts. He has issued seven walks while striking out eight with 11 hits.
>> Caden Bressler has thrown 6.2 innings out of the bullpen and has a 1.35 ERA with five strikeouts and just three hits allowed in two appearances.
>> Grant Zwald has made two appearances in relief this season and has a 3.00 ERA with seven strikeouts, three walks and a save.
>> Fidel Hatch has tossed 3.2 innings in relief allowing one run on four hits with four strikeouts.
>> Cooper Carlgren has started two games for the Ichabods throwing 7.2 innings with an 8.22 ERA.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> Cale Savage is two home runs away from 20 as an Ichabod.
>> Ike Book is nine RBI away from 50 during his time at Washburn.
>> Cal Watkins needs two more hits to reach 150 in his career.
MIAA PRESEASON POLL
>> In the 2024 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, the Ichabods were picked fourth after finising tied for third in the 2023 regular season.
>> Central Missouri repeated as the conference favorite, earning 10 first-place votes and 120 total points.
>> Missouri Southern was slotted in second with Pittsburg State narrowly behind, each
HEAD COACH HARLEY DOUGLAS
>> Former Washburn All-MIAA outfielder Harley Douglas enters his 10th season at the helm of the Washburn baseball program in 2024.
>> In nine seasons, Douglas carries an all-time record of 224-196 with five appearances in the MIAA Tournament and led the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2022.
>> He has also coached a total of 54 all-MIAA selections, including the MIAA Player and Pitcher of the Year in 2016.
>> Prior to returning to his alma mater in 2012 he was the head coach at St. Marys HS from 2003-06 and at Rossville HS from 2007-10.
>> Douglas is a two-time Washburn graduate, receiving his Exercise Physiology degree in 2002 before earning an Education degree in 2004. He also earned a Master's Degree in Adaptive Special Education from Emporia State in 2010.
ASSISTANT COACHES
>> Connor Crimmins is in his sixth season with the Ichabods after spending the prior two seasons on Brad Hill's Kansas State staff serving as a graduate assistant
>> While at Washburn Crimmins played both football and baseball, finishing his career on the diamond top 10 in sacrifice flies (4th/11), doubles (6th/38) and RBI (t-7th/132), while having the 12th-most at-bats (575).
>> He graduated from Washburn in 2016 with his bachelor's and earned his master's in college student development and counseling from K-State.
>> Rane Pfeifer joins the Ichabod coaching staff in 2024 after wrapping up a three-year career with Washburn in 2023
>> He finished his career second all-time in opponent battive average (.218), third in games started (36), fourth in strikeouts (210) and 19th in innings pitched (165.2)
>> Pfeifer graduated from Washburn with a bachelor's degree in business management in May 2022
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
TRUMAN STATE BULLDOGS
>> The Bulldogs are off to a 0-4 start on the 2024 season after being swept in a four-game series against Northwestern Oklahoma State from Feb. 9-10.
>> They went 19-31 a season ago with a 9-23 record inside of the GLVC.
>> Truman State's offense is hitting .254 on the year with a .357 OB% and one home run.
>> Dakota Joggerst leads the Bulldogs offense hitting .417 on the year with five hits and a 1.033 OPS.
>> Dylan Thompson is hitting .357 and has a 1.043 OPS along with two RBI and the only home run on TSU.
>> On the mound, Truman State's staff has a 8.89 ERA in 28.1 innings with 24 strikeouts and 15 walks issued.
>> Zachry Schneider leads the Bulldogs with 7 innings pitched and carries a 3.86 ERA with four strikeouts and only one walk allowed.
>> Evan Still has not allowed a run in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts and two hits given up.
HEAD COACH DAN DAVIS
>> Is in his 18th season as the head coach of the Bulldogs after being hired in summer 2006.
>> previously served as the pitching coach at the NCAA Div. I University of Northern Iowa.
>> was named the America Baseball Coaches Association Midwest Coach of the Year following the 2015 season
>> Davis played baseball and graduated from SIU in 1995 with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and received his Master's degree in higher education and administration from the same school in 2000.
SERIES HISTORY
>> Washburn and Truman State have a long history as former MIAA foes and the Ichabods have had the upper-hand leading the all-time series 63-27.
>> The first game between the two programs came on April 11, 1990 in Kirksville, Mo. and was a doubleheader which saw the Ichabods win both contests.
>> Washburn is 33-12 against the Bulldogs at Falley Field
>> The last matchup between the two was on February, 8, 2024 in a 13-3 7-inning win for the Ichabods in Alva, Okla.
PRO BODS
>> Washburn added another member to its history of professional Ichabods with 2023 All-MIAA second-team pitcher Casey Steward being selected in the 19th round with the 583rd pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
>> Steward became the second Ichabod to have his name called under Douglas and the first since David Gauntt was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 2016 MLB Draft in the 18th round with the 533rd pick overall.
WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY
>> The 2024 season will be the 72nd year of Washburn Baseball.
>> The Ichabods have gone 1329-1272-3 in that time.
>> There has been 33 seasons with 20+ wins; 23 seasons with 25+ wins; and 12 seasons with 30+ wins.
>> Washburn has earned 25 All-Region selections and nine All-America awards.
ON DECK
>> Washburn begins MIAA play at home next week with three games against Pittsburg State beginning Friday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.
>> Senior day for the Ichabods will be on Sunday, April 21 against Central Oklahoma.
>> The MIAA Tournament first round will begin on campus sites on Friday, May 3 and run until May 5 if needed.
