TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball plays the final game of its seven-game season-opening homestand on Tuesday against Rockhurst at 3 p.m.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball takes a pause on MIAA play for a midweek contest against Rockhurst on Tuesday with first pitch at 3 p.m.
>> Last week the Ichabods won a three-game series against Pittsburg State 2-1 to open up MIAA play. After losing game one 8-6 they responded with an 8-4 win in the second game and won the series with an eight-run comeback to win 10-9 in the 10th inning in game three.
>> Washburn is now 6-7 overall on the year and 2-1 inside the MIAA. They are 4-2 at Falley Field and 2-5 on the road.
>> Rockhurst is 8-2 on the year after sweeping Bemidji State in a four-game series over the weekend.
>> 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.
>> After the quick stop in the middle of the week Washburn will take on Emporia State in a three-game series beginning Friday in Emporia.
>> 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 13 games Washburn is scoring 7.92 runs per game while allowing 7.62.
>> The Ichabods are 4-2 at Falley Field, 2-5 in road contests and have not played a neutral field game.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .308 with a .402 OB% and are slugging .523 as a team. They have 19 home runs and have drawn 60 walks.
>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 7.15 this season in 113.1 IP. They have struck out 115 batters while allowing 125 hits and issuing 77 walks.
>> The Ichabods have a .958 fielding percentage with 20 errors on the year and have turned 11 double plays.
>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen 18 bases on 22 attempts while opponents have 24 stolen bases and have been thrown out eight times.
>> The Ichabod hitters have collected 236 total bases while opponents are at 209 this year.
STACKING THE STATS
>> The Ichabods are tied for the 13th most sacrifice bunts put down in the nation with 11. They are second in the conference behind Fort Hays State with 17. They are 57th in the nation with six sacrifice flies as well.
>> Washburn is 48th in the nation and seventh in the MIAA with 139 hits through 13 games. They are 19th in the nation with 19 of those going for home runs.
>> The Ichabods are tied for 13th in the nation in doubles with 34 hits going for two bases on the year.
>> Washburn is fourth in the MIAA and 34th in the nation turning 11 double plays on the year.
>> The Ichabods are 25th in the nation and fourth in the conference with a .523 SLG% on the year.
>> Scoring 7.9 runs per game WU is 57th in the nation and eighth in the MIAA in that department.
>> With a batting average of .308 as a team Washburn is 61st in the nation and sixth in the MIAA at racking up hits.
>> The Ichabod pitching staff averages 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings, 57th most in the nation and sixth in the MIAA.
AROUND THE ORDER
>> Payton McHarg has started and played in all 13 games and leads the Ichabods with a 1.426 OPS. He leads the team with seven home runs, 22 RBI and three sacrifice flies. He is tied for 1st in the MIAA in home runs and 20th in the nation, his 22 RBI is 16th in the nation and fifth in the conference.
>> Hayden Priest has started in 11 of the 12 games he has appeared in and is hitting .375 on the year with a 1.082 OPS. He has 15 hits and has only struck out three times in 40 at bats. He is ninth in the conference in RBI and fourth toughest to strike out. In the third game against Pitt State he hit a game-tying three-run home run with three outs in the bottom of the ninth.
>> Connor Scott leads the team with a .462 batting average in eight starts and 11 games played. He also leads the team with four stolen bases and has a 1.269 OPS.
>> Jett Buck is hitting .325 with 11 appearances and eight starts this season. He has 13 hits, two doubles and three stolen bases.
>> Cale Savage has the fourth highest OPS on the squad at .947 with 14 hits and three home runs with starts in all 13 games this season. He leads the team drawing 11 walks on the year.
>> Easton Bruce is second on the team with 17 hits this season starting all 13 games in the outfield. He is hitting .296 on the year with a .441 OB%. He has 57 AB's to lead the team.
>> Ike Book is hitting .296 on the year with eight starts and 12 appearances. He has drawn seven walks with just 27 at bats and scored eight runs.
>> Shane Morrow has three home runs in four plate appearances this year.
ON THE MOUND
>> Seventeen players have taken the mound this season for Washburn.
>> Cooper Carlgren leads the Ichabods with 18.2 innings pitched and 27 strikeouts. He has a 5.30 ERA with a 2-0 record and only a .236 opponent batting average. He has won both of his last two starts.
>> Griffin Huiatt is second on the team throwing 18.1 inning so far and has a 6.87 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 14 walks allowed. He has a 0-1 record and has given up just one home run.
>> Chase Torkelson has a 1-0 record in 15.2 innings in three starts with a 6.89 ERA. He has struck out 11 batters with 17 hits and nine walks allowed.
>> Caden Bressler has thrown 10.0 innings out of the bullpen and has a 0.90 ERA with seven strikeouts and just four hits and two walk allowed in five appearances. Opponents have a team-low .133 batting average against him. He also has one save.
>> Grant Zwald has made four appearances in relief this season and has a 3.72 ERA with 10 strikeouts, nine walks and a save.
>> Fidel Hatch has tossed 8.0 innings in relief allowing three runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts across four appearances.
IN THE FIELD
>> Jett Buck leads the team with 22 assists this season, Cal Watkins and Cash Jay are just behind tied with 19.
>> Excluding first basemen and catchers, Trevor McCollum leads the team with 23 putouts.
>> Hayden Priest has thrown out five baserunners from behind the plate.
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 230-203 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
ROCKHURST HAWKS
>> The Hawks are off to a 8-2 start on the 2024 season after sweeping Bemidji State in a four-game series last weekend. They are 2-0 on the year in road games.
>> They went 13-37 overall a season ago, with a 9-23 record inside of the GLVC.
>> Rockhurst's offense is hitting .352 on the year with a .443 OB%, 508 SLG% and 3 home runs.
>> Dakota Hanna leads the team hitting .480 across eight games with seven starts. He has a 1.192 OPS with 12 hits and seven RBI.
>> Adonis Forte leads the Hawks with a 1.218 OPS with starts in all 10 games and a team-high 17 hits while batting .472 and stealing eight bases.
>> On the mound, Rockhurst's staff has a 6.19 ERA in 77.0 innings with 87 strikeouts and 47 walks issued.
>> Jake Canent leads Rockhurst with a .55 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched across seven games pitched with a 4-0 record with 20 strikeouts on the year.
>> Gavyn Dockery has a 3.48 ERA out of the bullpen in four trips to the mound with 10.1 innings pitched and a 1-0 record.
HEAD COACH GARY BURNS
>> Is in his 31st season as the head coach at Rockhurst
>> has compiled a 812-708 record over the past 30 seasons. He has led the Hawks to 16 post-season appearances, including six berths in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament
>> Prior to becoming the head coach at Rockhurst, Burns was an assistant coach at Indiana State, Vanderbilt and Clemson.
>> A 1981 graduate of Vanderbilt University, Burns posted a 9-3 record with four saves and was the ace reliever on Vandy's 1980 SEC championship team
SERIES HISTORY
>> Tuesday's game will be the 62nd in the all-time series between Washburn and Rockhurst with the Ichabods leading the series 32-29.
>> The first game between the two programs came on May 12, 1958 and was a 6-4 win for the Hawks in a location unknown.
>> Washburn is 20-17 against the Hawks at Falley Field
>> The teams have not played since 2020 with the last contest going to Washburn in an 8-5 win in Alva, Okla.
WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY
>> The 2024 season will be the 72nd year of Washburn Baseball.
>> The Ichabods have gone 1333-1274-3 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 will play its first conference series on the road this week with three games against Emporia State beginning on Friday 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.
