TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball will put non-conference play on hold this weekend for a three-game series against Pittsburg State starting on Friday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn baseball begins MIAA play this weekend with a three-game home series against Pittsburg State beginning on Friday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. 

>> The series will continue on Saturday at 2 p.m. and first pitch of the series finale will be 1 p.m. on Sunday. 

>> Last week the Ichabods won a three-game series against Truman State 2-1. After losing the home-opener 7-4 they won 16-2 and 4-3 in the final two games of the series 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. 

>> Pittsburg State is 9-3 on the year after sweeping a three-game series against Southwest Baptist last weekend. 

>> After the weekend Washburn will have a quick turnaround before a midweek game against Rockhurst on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

>> 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. 

NUMBERS TO KNOW

>> Through ten games Washburn is scoring 7.90 runs per game while allowing 7.80. 

>> The Ichabods are 2-3 at Falley Field, 2-5 in road contests and have not played a neutral field game. 

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .301 with a .401 OB% and are slugging .503 as a team. They have 13 home runs and have drawn 48 walks. 

>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 7.38 this season in 85.1 IP. They have struck out 85 batters while allowing 99 hits and issuing 56 walks. 

>> The Ichabods have a .951 fielding percentage with 18 errors on the year and have turned eight double plays. 

>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen 17 bases on 20 attempts while opponents have 22 stolen bases and have been thrown out seven times. 

>> The Ichabod hitters have collected 172 total bases while opponents are at 149 this year. 

STACKING THE STATS 

>> The Ichabods are tied for the 12th most sacrifice bunts put down in the nation with nine. They are second in the conference behind Fort Hays State with 14. They are 23rd in the nation with six sacrifice flies as well. 

>> Washburn is 41st in the nation and seventh in the MIAA with 103 hits through ten games. They are 20th in the nation with 13 of those going for home runs. 

>> The Ichabods are tied for 15th in the nation in doubles with 24 hits going for two bases on the year. 

>> Washburn is fifth in the MIAA and 32nd in the nation turning eight double plays on the year. 

>> The Ichabods are 51st in the nation and seventh in the conference with 17 stolen bases this season. 

>> Scoring 7.9 runs per game WU is 44th in the nation and ninth in the MIAA in that department. 

>> With a batting average of .301 as a team Washburn is 61st in the nation and eighth in the MIAA at racking up hits. 

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Hayden Priest has started in eight of the nine games he has appeared in and is leading Washburn hitting .429 on the year with a 1.163 OPS. He has 12 hits and has only struck out twice in 28 at bats. His batting average is 5th best in the MIAA and he is tied for sixth in the conference in RBI with 15. 

>> Payton McHarg has started and played in all 10 games and is second on the Ichabods with a 1.145 OPS. He leads the team with five home runs and is tied for the most RBI with 15, also putting him tied for fifth in the MIAA. His five home runs are tied for seventh in the nation and second in the conference. 

>> Connor Scott is second on the team with a .357 batting average with five starts and eight games played. He has driven in six runs and leads the team with four stolen bases. 

>> Ike Book is hitting .353 on the year with five starts and nine appearances. He has drawn six walks with just 17 at bats and scored seven runs. 

>> Cale Savage has the third highest OPS on the squad at .935 with 11 hits and two home runs with starts in all 10 games this season. 

>> Jett Buck is hitting .333 with eight appearances and seven starts this season. He has nine hits, two doubles and a pair of stolen bases. 

>> Shane Morrow has two home runs in two plate appearances this year. 

ON THE MOUND

>>  Seventeen players have taken the mound this season for Washburn.  

>>  Chase Torkelson leads the Ichabods with 14.1 innings pitched in three starts. He has a 5.02 ERA with 10 strikeouts and has allowed 13 hits with eight walks for a 1-0 record. 

>>  Griffin Huiatt has a 5.27 ERA in 13.2 innings with three starts. He has issued nine walks while striking out 13 with 15 hits. 

>>  Caden Bressler has thrown 8.0 innings out of the bullpen and has a 1.13 ERA with six strikeouts and just four hits and one walk allowed in three appearances. Opponents have a team-low .167 batting average against him. 

 >>  Grant Zwald has made three appearances in relief this season and has a 2.16 ERA with eight strikeouts, seven walks and a save. 

>>  Fidel Hatch has tossed 5.0 innings in relief allowing two run on six hits with five strikeouts across three appearances. 

>>  Cooper Carlgren has a 1-0 record in three games started for the Ichabods throwing 12.2 innings with a team-high 17 strikeouts and a 6.39 ERA. He is ninth in the MIAA in strikeouts. 

IN THE FIELD

>>  Cal Watkins and Cash Jay are tied for the team-lead with 17 assists on the year. 

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Trevor McCollum leads the team with 19 putouts. 

>>  Hayden Priest has thrown out four baserunners from behind the plate. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Ike Book is nine RBI away from 50 during his time at Washburn. 

>> Easton Bruce is five games away from reaching 100 in his career. 

>> Connor Scott is two stolen bases away from swiping 25 bags with the Ichabods.

>> Cal Watkins needs one more hit 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 plus seasons, Douglas carries an all-time record of 228-202 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

PITTSBURG STATE GORILLAS

>> The Gorillas are off to a 9-3 start on the 2024 season after sweeping Southwest Baptist in a three-game series last weekend. They will open MIAA play this weekend as well. 

>> They went 33-20 overall a season ago, with a 21-12 record inside of the MIAA. They advanced to the MIAA Championship Tournament, losing both games.

>> Pittsburg State's offense is hitting .346 on the year with a .453 OB%, 567 SLG% and 17 home runs. 

>> Austin Warkins is tied for the team-lead hitting .400 on the year starting all 12 games. He has driven in 10 runs with two home runs for a 1.148 OPS. 

>> Cade Clemons joins him hitting .400 on the year with 16 hits in 11 games started. He has three home runs and a 1.218 OPS. 

>> Karson Coffee leads the Gorillas with six home runs and is hitting .364 overall starting all 12 games. He has driven in 22 runs and carries a 1.215 OPS. 

>> On the mound, Pittsburg State's staff has a 3.62 ERA in 97.0 innings with 86 strikeouts and 25 walks issued. 

>> Tanner Leslie leads the Gorillas with 16.0 innings pitched and carries a 1.69 ERA and a 3-0 record. He has a team-high 11 strikeouts and has not allowed a walk. 

>> Alex Kafka has made three starts with a 1-0 record and has a 3.46 ERA across 13 innings. She has allowed five earned runs with six strikeouts and eight hits allowed.

>> Gage Singer and Boston Dowd have both thrown six innings out of the bullpen without allowing an earned run. 

HEAD COACH BOB FORNELLI

>> Is in his 6th season as the head coach at Pittsburg State University. 

>> ranks sixth among active NCAA Division II coaches in victories (1,044) and ninth in winning percentage (.692) with a 1,044-465 record in 27 seasons as a collegiate head coach

>> came to Pitt State from MIAA rival Emporia State University where he fashioned a 599-266 (.692) record in 15 seasons leading his alma mater (2004-18)

>> also served as the head coach at Fort Hays State for seven seasons and as the pitching coach at Butler Community College from 1992-96. 

>> earned a bachelor's degree in general studies from ESU in 1991 where he played after coming from Butler Community College. 

SERIES HISTORY

>> The weekend's series will be games 106, 107 and 108 in the all-time series between Washburn and Pittsburg State with the Ichabods leading the series 65-60. 

>> The first game between the two programs came on April 20, 1963 and was a 6-5 win for Washburn in Pittsburg, Kan. 

>> Washburn is 27-20 against the Gorillas at Falley Field 

>> Last season the Ichabods won the series 2-1 on the road with 9-6 and 6-4 wins in games one and three of the series respectively. 

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 1331-1273-3 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 has a quick turnaround hosting Rockhurst University on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. in a one game contest. 

>> 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.