TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball heads to the Sooner State for one day taking on Southeastern Oklahoma State in a neutral field contest at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in Claremore, Okla.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball plays its first neutral field game of the season traveling to Claremore, Okla. to take on Southeastern Oklahoma State University in one game on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
>> Last time out the Ichabods won the final game of a three-game series over No. 3 Central Missouri, 10-9. They went 1-2 in the series.
>> Washburn is now 14-10 overall on the year and 9-4 inside the MIAA. They are 7-4 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.
>> The Savage Storm are 9-16 on the year after losing a three-game series to Henderson State 1-2 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.
>> Washburn returns to MIAA play against Missouri Southern in Joplin for three games beginning Friday at 6 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 26 returners from a season ago along with 25 newcomers broken down between 15 transfers and 10 true freshmen.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
>> Through 24 games Washburn is scoring 9.58 runs per game while allowing 7.88.
>> The Ichabods are 7-4 at Falley Field, 7-6 in road contests and have not played a neutral field game.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .331 with a .419 OB% and are slugging .611 as a team. They have 51 home runs and have drawn 110 walks.
>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 7.48 this season in 203.1 IP. They have struck out 191 batters while allowing 220 hits and issuing 142 walks.
>> The Ichabods have a .964 fielding percentage with 31 errors on the year and have turned 17 double plays.
>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen 25 bases on 30 attempts while opponents have 37 stolen bases and have been thrown out 11 times.
>> The Ichabod hitters have collected 519 total bases while opponents are at 389 this year.
AROUND THE ORDER
>> Payton McHarg has started and played in all 24 games and leads the Ichabods with a 1.401 OPS and .396 batting average. He also leads the team with 13 home runs, 36 RBI and 30 runs scored. He is 1st in the conference in home runs, second in SLG, tied for second in RBI and sixth in average.
>> Cash Jay is hitting .388 on the year with a 1.346 OPS, both second on the team. He has started 21 games and played in 22. He is second on the team with 10 home runs and 30 RBI while leading the team with 11 doubles. He is tied for first in the conference in doubles, tied for second in in home runs and is 8th in batting average
>> Hayden Priest has started in 21 of the 2 games he has appeared in and is hitting .346 on the year with a .974 OPS. He has 27 hits driving in 29 runs and has only struck out 10 times in 78 at bats.
>> Connor Scott is tied for second on the team hitting .388 on the year with a 1.110 OPS in 22 games with 19 starts. He has driven in 15 runs with three home runs and leads the team with six stolen bases.
>> Cale Savage has the third highest OPS on the squad at 1.116 with 30 hits and seven home runs with starts in all 24 games this season. He leads the team drawing 20 walks on the year. He is tied for sixth in the MIAA in home runs.
>> Jett Buck is hitting .342 with 21 appearances and 20 starts this season. He has 27 hits, eight doubles, a triple, four 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 20 starts and played in 16 games hitting .271 driving in five runs with a .358 OB%.
>> Trevor McCollum has a .264 average in 20 games played with 16 starts. He leads the team with two triples and has also worked 12 walks, tied for second most on the team.
ON THE MOUND
>> Seventeen players have taken the mound this season for Washburn.
>> Chase Torkelson leads the team with 32 innings pitched over seven starts. He has a 5.63 ERA with a 3-0 record while striking out 20 batters and allowing 32 hits. He has thrown at least five innings in each of his last three outings.
>> Cooper Carlgren has made seven starts this season throwing 30.2 innings with a 7.04 ERA and a 3-1 record. He is second on the team with 36 strikeouts while walking 16. Opponents hit .239 against him.
>> Griffin Huiatt has made eight appearances with five starts throwing 30.2 innings with a 7.63 ERA and 1-2 record. He leads the team with 38 strikeouts while walking 21. He has made one save.
>> Caden Bressler has thrown 21.0 innings in seven outings this season, with two starts and five bullpen calls. He has a 3.43 ERA, 2-1 record and 12 strikeouts with 17 hits allowed. He leads the team with a pair of saves.
>> 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 seven games out of the bullpen with a 4.50 ERA in 10.0 innings of work. He has struck out seven batters while walking just five.
>> Fidel Hatch has thrown in seven games this season making one start with a 5.72 ERA. In 16.0 innings he has struck out 13 while giving up 17 hits.
>> Cole Warner has throw 9.0 innings in eight appearances out of the bullpen with a 6.00 ERA and a 1-0 record. He has struck out 10 on the year and allowed 10 hits.
IN THE FIELD
>> Cal Watkins and Jett Buck are tied for the team lead with 45 assists this season while Cash Jay rounds out the top three with 32.
>> Excluding first basemen and catchers, Connor Scott leads the team with 41 putouts, Trevor McCollum has 33.
>> Hayden Priest has thrown out eight 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 238-206 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
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE SAVAGE STORM
>> The Savage Storm are 9-16 on the year overall after a 3-2 in over Henderson State in the second game of a doubleheader on March 16.
>> They have not played a neutral field game and are 1-10 away from home overall.
>> A season ago they went 28-25 overall with a 17-16 record inside of the GAC.
>> Southeastern Oklahoma's offense is hitting .283 on the year with a .399 OB%, .466 SLG% and 31 home runs.
>> Damon Burroughs leads the Savage Storm with 28 hits on the year and is batting .364 with a 1.157 OPS. He has four home runs and has stolen 14 bases in 15 attempts.
>> Nick Hill has played in 20 games, starting 17 while hitting .348 with a team-high 19 RBI with three home runs.
>> Cache Stone leads SEOSU hitting .424 playing in just 14 games while making nine starts.
>> On the mound, Southeastern Oklahoma's staff has a 8.14 ERA in 195.2 innings with 155 strikeouts and 93 walks issued.
>> Jackson Sioson has thrown 32.1 innings with a team-low 5.01 ERA and a 2-2 record. He has struck out 28 batters and walked just three batters.
>> Cameron Hauch has made seven starts this season throwing a team-high 37.1 innings with a 6.27 ERA and a 2-4 record.
HEAD COACH ZACH CRABTREE
>> Is in his 7th season as the head coach at Southeastern Oklahoma State.
>> served as head baseball coach and athletic director at Murray State College for seven years where his teams amassed a 281-134 record for a .677 winning percentage.
>> spent nine successful years at the high school level and seven years of coaching Larry Dyson Motors American Legion baseball team in Durant.
>> receive both his Bachelor's degree in Recreation and his Master's degree in Education Administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University
SERIES HISTORY
>> Tuesday's contest will be the 12th meeting all-time between the two programs with Washburn leading the series 8-3.
>> The first game between the two programs came on April 26, 2017 and was a 3-0 win for the Ichabods in Durant in seven innings.
>> Washburn is 3-0 against the Savage Storm in neutral field games.
>>Last season the Ichabods won both games between the two teams, both on neutral fields. WU has won the last three contests in the series.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> Cale Savage is three RBI away from 100 in his career, he is currently tied for fifth in program history with 25 home runs.
>> Connor Scott needs two more hits to reach 100 at Washburn, he is also two RBI away from 50.
WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY
>> The 2024 season will be the 72nd year of Washburn Baseball.
>> The Ichabods have gone 1341-1277-3 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 to MIAA action with a three-game road series against Missouri Southern beginning on Friday at 6 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.
