TOPEKA, Kan. - Washburn baseball heads to Tennessee this Thursday for four games in three days against Union University beginning at 4 p.m. on Feb. 8.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball plays its first series of the 2024 season this week with a four-game set against Union University beginning on Thursday.
>> The Ichabods and the Bulldogs will play four games over three days beginning on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. in Jackson, Tenn.
>> In the season-opening weekend in South Florida, Washburn went 2-2 across four days with wins over Barry and Palm Beach Atlantic.
>> 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.
>> Union is 1-3 on the year after picking up its first win of the season Tuesday afternoon 7-4 against Lane College. They went 14-31 a season ago with a 9-21 record in the GSC.
>> After Thursday, Washburn continues the series on Friday with a 4 p.m. first pitch and a doubleheader on Saturday with game one starting at 1 p.m. and a 7-inning second game slated to start at 4 p.m.
>> In the 2024 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, the Ichabods were picked fourth after finising tied for third in the 2023 regular season.
>> The Ichabods are receiving votes in the first National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Central Region rankings of the year.
>> 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 four games Washburn is scoring 6.25 runs per game while allowing 8.25.
>> The Ichabods are 2-2 in road contests and have yet to play at home or in a neutral field game.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .284 with a .389 OB% and are slugging .376 as a team. They have one home run and have drawn 18 walks.
>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 8.23 this season in 35 IP. They have struck out 32 batters while allowing 43 hits and issuing 26 walks.
>> The Ichabods have a .966 fielding percentage with five errors on the year and have turned four double plays.
>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen six bases on seven attempts while opponents have four stolen bases and have been thrown out twice.
STACKING THE STATS
>> The Ichabods are tied for the second most sacrifice bunts put down in the nation with five. They are second in the conference behind Fort Hays State with eight.
>> Washburn is 15th in the nation and third in the MIAA with 40 hits through the opening weekend.
>> With 18 walks on the year the Ichabods are 41st nationally and sixth in the MIAA at getting the free base.
>> Washburn is second in the MIAA and 13th in the nation turning four double plays on the year.
>> The Ichabods are 38th in the nation and sixth in the conference with six stolen bases this season.
>> With a batting average of .284 as a team Washburn is 51st in the nation at racking up hits.
IN THE BOX
>> Payton McHarg led the Ichabods at the plate piling up eight hits in 15 at bats in Flordia for a .533 average. Four hits went for extra bases for a team-high six RBI and a .933 SLG%.
>> McHarg is ninth in the nation in total hits and first in the MIAA. His batting average is fourth in the conference and he is first in the MIAA in total bases.
>> Ike Book hit .429 over the weekend with two starts and three appearances. He is second on the team with a 1.171 OPS and he leads the team with four runs scored. Book is 63rd in the nation and ninth in the MIAA with a .600 OB% and has yet to strike out this season.
>> Easton Bruce and Cal Watkins each went 5-17 at the plate (.294 avg) over the week with Watkins picking up two extra base hits and Bruce bringing in three RBI.
>> Hayden Priest started three games behind the plate for Washburn. While at the plate he hit .300 in 10 at-bats, driving in
>> Connor Scott got starts in two games and made appearences in three. He went 2-6 at the plate driving in two and leads the team with two stolen bases.
>> Trevor McCollum started all four games picking up three hits and leading the team with four walks drawn.
ON THE MOUND
>> Seventeen players took the mound on the season's opening week of action for Washburn.
>> Griffin Huiatt got the start in the second game of the season throwing five innings and allowing one run with three strikeouts.
>> Grant Zwald came out of the bullpen and threw four scoreless innings striking out five batters and allowing just two hits on his way to recording the first save of the season for the Ichabods.
>> Caden Bressler threw three scoreless innings in relief in one allowing just one hit with one strikeout and a walk.
>> Chase Torkelson is tied for the team lead with five innings pitched, he allowed three runs with three strikeouts.
>> Fidel Hatch tossed 3.1 innings in relief allowing one run on four hits with four strikeouts.
>> Jayden Payne and Cole Warner are the only Ichabods to pitch in multiple games in the first weekend.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> Cale Savage is two home runs away from 20 as an Ichabod.
>> Chase Torkelson is one strikeout away from reaching 50 at Washburn.
>> Cal Watkins needs two more hits to reach 150 in his career.
>> With two more stolen bases Trevor McCollum will reach 20 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
UNION BULLDOGS
>> The Bulldogs are off to a 1-3 start on the 2024 season after picking up its first win of the season on Tuesday afternoon with a 7-4 decision over Lane College.
>> They went 14-31 a season ago with a 9-21 record inside of the GSC.
>> Union's offense is hitting .246 on the year with a .326 OB% and two home runs.
>> Mitch Sisk leads the Bulldogs hitting .462 on the year with both of the team's home runs and three RBI for a 1.456 OPS.
>> Grant Ross is also hitting over .400 with a .429 average and six hits on the year and a pair of RBI.
>> On the mound, Union's staff has a 6.10 ERA in 31 innings with 19 strikeouts and 23 walks issued.
>> Lane Evans leads the Bulldogs with six innings tossed, allowing three runs with three K's and five walks.
>> Ryan Evans has thrown four innings over two appearances and not allowed a run while striking out two.
HEAD COACH CASEY MCGEHEE
>> Is in his second season as the head coach of the Bulldogs after being hired in June 2022.
>> McGehee had an eight-year career in the MBL finishing with a .258 average, 67 home runs, 380 RBI, 141 doubles, 721 hits, and 285 runs. He also spent time in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league.
>> played college baseball at Fresno State University where he was a freshman All-American
SERIES HISTORY
>> Washburn and Union have never played each other on the diamond with this week's series serving as the first games between the two programs.
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 1329-1269-3 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 returns for its home opener on Feb. 15 against Minot State at 2 p.m. for the first game of the Washburn Classic.
>> 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.
