TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball will host No. 3 Central Missouri in a three-game series at Falley Field beginning Friday at 4 p.m. in a slugfest between the two top home run teams in the nation in 2024.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball plays its first ranked opponent of the season this weekend hosting No. 3 Central Missouri in a three game series beginning on Friday at 4 p.m.
>> Last time out the Ichabods tossed their first shutout of the season with a 11-0 run rule victory over Northwest Missouri on Tuesday.
>> Washburn is now 13-8 overall on the year and 8-2 inside the MIAA. They are 6-2 at Falley Field and 7-6 on the road.
>> WU is ranked in the NCBWA Central Region rankings for the first time this season entering at No. 10.
>> No. 3 Central Missouri is 20-3 on the year overall and 9-1 in the MIAA coming off a 8-4 win over Missouri Western on March 12.
>> 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.
>> Washburn heads to Claremore, Okla. to face Southeastern Oklahoma State in a neutral field game on March 19.
>> 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 26 returners from a season ago along with 25 newcomers broken down between 15 transfers and 10 true freshmen.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
>> Through 21 games Washburn is scoring 10.05 runs per game while allowing 7.52.
>> The Ichabods are 6-2 at Falley Field, 7-6 in road contests and have not played a neutral field game.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .333 with a .423 OB% and are slugging .612 as a team. They have 45 home runs and have drawn 104 walks.
>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 7.12 this season in 178.1 IP. They have struck out 173 batters while allowing 192 hits and issuing 121 walks.
>> The Ichabods have a .964 fielding percentage with 28 errors on the year and have turned 17 double plays.
>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen 25 bases on 30 attempts while opponents have 29 stolen bases and have been thrown out eight times.
>> The Ichabod hitters have collected 459 total bases while opponents are at 329 this year.
STACKING THE STATS
>> The Ichabods are second in the nation in home runs per game with an average of 2.14 balls leaving the yard per game on the year. They are second in the nation to only Central Missouri hitting 45 home runs on the year.
>> The Ichabods are tied for 5th in the nation and are first in the conference in doubles with 60 hits going for two bases on the year.
>> Washburn is 13th in the nation in hits on the year with 250 total knocks, third most in the conference.
>> The Ichabods are 2nd in the nation and in the conference with a .612 SLG% on the year.
>> Scoring 10 runs per game WU is 9th in the nation and second in the MIAA in that department.
>> With a batting average of .333 as a team Washburn is 16th in the nation and second in the MIAA at racking up hits.
>> Washburn is fifth in the MIAA and 29th in the nation turning 17 double plays on the year.
>> The Ichabod pitching staff averages 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings, 72th most in the nation and fifth in the MIAA.
AROUND THE ORDER
>> Payton McHarg has started and played in all 21 games and leads the Ichabods with a 1.338 OPS. He also leads the team with 10 home runs, 32 RBI and 30 hits all while hitting .380. He is 3rd in the nation and 1st in the MIAA in home runs, 10th nationally total bases, eighth in the nation in RBI and 15th in SLG%.
>> Hayden Priest has started in 18 of the 19 games he has appeared in and is hitting .385 on the year with a 1.102 OPS. He has 25 hits drivning in 27 runs and has only struck out seven times in 65 at bats. He is 36th in the nation and 10th in the MIAA in RBI.
>> Connor Scott leads the team with a .400 batting average in 16 starts and 19 games played with an OPS of 1.159. He has driven in 15 runs with a trio of home runs and leads the team with six stolen bases. He has the 6th best batting average in the MIAA and 15th in slugging. He is also 7th in the nation and first in the MIAA laying down five sacrifice bunts this season.
>> Cale Savage has the third highest OPS on the squad at 1.176 with 28 hits and seven home runs with starts in all 21 games this season. He leads the team drawing 18 walks on the year. He is tied for fifth in the MIAA in home runs, seventh in runs and eighth in walks.
>> Cash Jay is hitting .378 on the year with a 1.289 OPS in 18 games started with 19 appearances. He is second on the team with eight home runs while tying the team-high with nine doubles to drive in 26 runs. He is tied for third in the conference in home runs and in slugging while sitting 7th in runs batted in per game.
>> Jett Buck is hitting .338 with 18 appearances and 17 starts this season. He has 23 hits, five doubles, a triple, three home runs and four stolen bases.
>> Easton Bruce has played in 17 games and started 16 while hitting .314 on the year with one home run and nine RBI from the outfield.
>> Ike Book has made 14 starts and played in 18 games hitting .308 driving in five runs with a .400 OB%.
>> Trevor McCollum has a .255 average in 18 games played with 14 starts. He leads the team with two triples and has also worked 12 walks, second most on the team.
ON THE MOUND
>> Seventeen players have taken the mound this season for Washburn.
>> Cooper Carlgren is second on the Ichabods with 28.1 innings pitched with 33 strikeouts. He has a 5.08 ERA with a 3-0 record in six starts. Opponents have only a .212 batting average when facing him and he is fifth in the MIAA and 52nd in the nation in strikeouts.
>> Chase Torkelson is second on the team throwing 26.2 innings with a 3-0 record in six starts. He has a 50.6 ERA with 16 strikeouts and 16 walks issued.
>> Griffin Huiatt has made six appearances with five starts throwing 26.1 innings with a 7.52 ERA and 1-1 record. He leads the team with 34 strikeouts, 4th in the MIAA and 45th in the nation.
>> Caden Bressler has thrown 16.0 innings in six outings this season, with one start and five bullpen calls. He has a 3.38 ERA, 2-1 record and 11 strikeouts with 14 hits allowed. He leads the team with a pair of saves, seventh most in the MIAA.
>> Grant Zwald has made five appearances in relief this season and has a 3.75 ERA with 15 strikeouts, 12 walks and a save.
>> Charlie Kiefer is 2-1 this season throwing in six games out of the bullpen with a 4.82 ERA in 9.1 innings of work. He has struck out six batters while walking just four.
>> Fidel Hatch has thrown in six games this season making one start with a 5.27 ERA. In 13.2 innings he has struck out 13 while giving up 13 hits.
IN THE FIELD
>> Cal Watkins leads the team with 40 assists on the year followed closely behind by Jett Buck who has 39.
>> Excluding first basemen and catchers, Connor Scott leads the team with 33 putouts, Trevor McCollum has 29.
>> Hayden Priest has thrown out five baserunners from behind the plate.
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 237-204 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 batting 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
CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES
>> The Mules are 20-3 on the year overall and are 9-1 in the MIAA following an 8-4 midweek victory over Missouri Western on Tuesday for win number nine in a row.
>> They have gone 6-0 away from Tomkins Field.
>> A season ago they went 43-15 overall with a 27-6 record inside of the MIAA, winning the MIAA Championship Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Central Regional.
>> Central Missouri's offense is hitting .375 on the year with a .471 OB%, 656 SLG% and 47 home runs. They lead in the nation in both home runs and SLG%.
>> Chase Heath has played in 20 games with 13 starts leading Central Missouri batting .457 with seven home runs. He has driven in 25 runs with a 1.585 OPS. He leads the MIAA in SLG% at 1.022.
>> Vance Tobol leads the Mules with 29 RBI playing and starting in 19 games while hitting .408 and a .697 SLG%. He has nine stolen bases with 31 hits on the year.
>> Josh Patrick has played in 22 games, starting 21 and is hitting .387. He has six homers on the year with a .500 OB% and is 11-13 on stolen bases.
>> On the mound, Central Missouri's staff has a 5.74 ERA in 193.0 innings with 183 strikeouts and 101 walks issued.
>> Connor Wolf leads the Mules with 35 innings pitched and has a team-low 2.31 ERA in six starts going 5-0. He has 33 strikouts while allowing just six walks and 17 hits. Opponents are hitting .147 against him on the year.
>> Bryce Taylor has a 3.94 ERA in six appearances out of the bullpen throwing 16.0 innings. He is 2-0 on the year with 16 strikeouts.
>> Jake Wilson has made five starts throwing 17.1 innings with a 6.23 ERA and a 1-0 record. He has 20 strikouts to just one walk allowed on the year.
HEAD COACH KYLE CROOKES
>> Is in his 10th season as the head coach of Central Missouri
>> has compiled a 346-123 overall record in nine seasons, including a 224-66 mark in MIAA play. He has led the Mules to five MIAA Regular Season and six MIAA Tournament championships
>> Prior to coming to Warrensburg, Crookes spent the previous eight seasons as the head coach at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan.
>> played collegiately, first at San Jose Junior College, and then at Centenary where he earned his bachelor's degree in history in 1999
SERIES HISTORY
>> This weekend's series will be the 118, 119th and 120th games between Washburn and Central Missouri with the Mules leading the series 90-27.
>> The first game between the two programs came on March 14, 1985 and was an 8-7 win for Washburn in Topeka.
>> The Ichaobds are 10-39 against Central Missouri at Falley Field.
>>Last season the Mules took the season series winning two out of three in Warrensburg.
WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY
>> The 2024 season will be the 72nd year of Washburn Baseball.
>> The Ichabods have gone 1340-1275-3 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 travels to Claremore, Okla. to face Southeastern Oklahoma State on March 19 at 4 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.
