TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball heads to Wichita this weekend for a three-game series with Newman beginning on Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball stays in Kansas, heading to Wichita to take on Newman in a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 5 at 3 p.m.
>> Last time out the Ichabods won 15-7 in the series finale over Rogers State on Saturday to win the series 2-1.
>> Washburn is now 18-14 overall on the year and 12-8 inside the MIAA. They are 9-5 at Falley Field, 8-9 on the road and 1-0 in neutral field games.
>> WU is receiving votes in the latest NCBWA Central Region rankings.
>> The Jets enter the series with a 7-28 overall record and a 3-17 mark in the MIAA after being swept in a three-game series against Central Missouri.
>> 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 Falley Field hosting Northwest Missouri State on Tuesday, April 9 at 2 p.m.
>> In the 2024 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, the Ichabods were picked fourth after finishing 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 32 games Washburn is scoring 9.09 runs per game while allowing 7.25.
>> The Ichabods are 9-5 at Falley Field, 8-9 in road contests and 1-0 in neutral field games.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .327 with a .418 OB% and are slugging .578 as a team. They have 59 home runs and have drawn 152 walks.
>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 7.00 this season in 271.1 IP. They have struck out 241 batters while allowing 288 hits and issuing 179 walks.
>> The Ichabods have a .966 fielding percentage with 39 errors on the year and have turned 26 double plays.
>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen 37 bases on 48 attempts while opponents have 39 stolen bases and have been thrown out 11 times.
>> The Ichabod hitters have collected 655 total bases while opponents are at 503 this year.
>> Washburn is starting and finishing games strong, outscoring opponents 46-20 in the first inning and 21-12 in the ninth. In extras they also have a 4-1 run edge.
STACKING THE STATS
>> The Ichabods are fourth in the nation in home runs per game with an average of 1.84 balls leaving the yard per game on the year.
>> In overall long balls the Ichabods are third in the nation with 59 blasts.
>> The Ichabods are tied for 4th in the nation and are first in the conference in doubles with 88 hits going for two bases on the year.
>> Washburn is 15th in the nation in hits on the year with 370 total knocks, third most in the conference.
>> The Ichabods are 4th in the nation and second in the conference with a .578 SLG% on the year.
>> Scoring 9.1 runs per game WU is 21st in the nation and second in the MIAA in that department.
>> With a batting average of .327 as a team Washburn is 21st in the nation and second in the MIAA at racking up hits.
>> Washburn is fifth in the MIAA and 33rd in the nation turning 26 double plays on the year.
>> The Ichabod fielders are 81st in the nation and sixth in the conference with a .966 fielding percentage on the year.
AROUND THE ORDER
>> Payton McHarg has started and played in all 32 games for the Ichabods hitting .383 with a 1.395 OPS and a team-high 17 home runs and 42 RBI. He has scored 42 runs and has 46 total hits. He leads the nation in home runs and total bases and 4th in slugging percentage.
>> Cash Jay is third on the team hitting .357 in 30 games played with 29 starts. He leads the team with a 1.175 OPS and 15 doubles. He also has 10 home runs and has driven in 34. He is sixth in the MIAA in doubles, home runs and in slugging percentage.
>> Connor Scott is second the team hitting .381 on the year in 30 games played with 27 starts. He has a 1.021 OPS and a team-high 12 stolen bases to pair with three home runs. He is first in the conference in sacrifice bunts and 10th in stolen bases.
>> Cale Savage has the third highest OPS on the squad at 1.062 with 39 hits and seven home runs with starts in all 32 games this season. He leads the team drawing 29 walks on the year. He is 29th in the nation and fifth in the MIAA in walks.
>> Hayden Priest has started in 29 of the 30 games he has appeared in and is hitting .306 on the year with a .849 OPS. He has 34 hits driving in 34 runs and has only struck out 12 times in 111 at bats.
>> Jett Buck is hitting .351 in 29 appearances and 28 starts this season. He has 39 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, six home runs and five stolen bases. He is 10th in the conference in doubles.
>> Cal Watkins has played in 25 games and made 21 starts hitting .277 with 16 RBI and seven doubles.
>> 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.
>> Blake Scott has made 10 starts and played in 19 games this season hitting .342 with a 1.105 OPS and a pair of home runs.
ON THE MOUND
>> Seventeen players have taken the mound this season for Washburn.
>> Cooper Carlgren leads the Ichabods with 42.0 innings across nine starts this season. He has a 5.79 ERA and a 3-1 record along with a team-high 45 strikeouts. Hitters have only a .229 batting average against him. He is 7th in the MIAA in strikeouts and 8th in WHIP.
>> Caden Bressler has thrown 31.1 innings in 10 outings this season, with four starts and six bullpen calls. He has a team-low 3.73 ERA, 3-2 record and 16 strikeouts with 26 hits allowed. He leads the team with a pair of saves.
>> Griffin Huiatt is third on the Ichabods throwing 38.0 innings this season in 10 appearances with five starts. He has a 1-3 record and is second on the team with 43 strikeouts. He is ninth in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings.
>> Chase Torkelson has thrown 38.2 innings across nine starts this season with a 4-0 record for the most wins on the squad. He has a 6.75 ERA, has struck out 27 batters and walked 24 hitters.
>> Charlie Kiefer is 2-1 this season throwing in 10 games total with one start. He has a 5.94 ERA in 16.2 innings of work. He has struck out nine batters.
>> Grant Zwald has made five appearances in relief this season and has a team-low 3.75 ERA with 15 strikeouts, 12 walks and a save.
>> Fidel Hatch has thrown in 10 games this season making one start with a 6.75 ERA. In 22.2 innings he has struck out 20 while giving up 22 hits.
>> Cole Warner has thrown 10.1 innings in nine appearances out of the bullpen with a 6.97 ERA and a 1-0 record. He has struck out 12 on the year .
>> Max Clark has seven appearances and made two starts throwing 10.1 total innings with a 6.10 ERA. He has an 0-1 record and has struck out nine batters.
IN THE FIELD
>> Jett Buck leads the team with 68 assists, Cal Watkins is second with 61 and Cash Jay rounds out the infield with 44.
>> Excluding first basemen and catchers, Connor Scott leads the team with 69 putouts, Payton McHarg has 45.
>> 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 242-210 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
NEWMAN JETS
>> Newman is 7-28 on the year overall and 3-17 in the MIAA after being swept in a three-game series by No. 2 Central Missouri last weekend.
>> They are 2-13 in home games at McCarthy Field this season.
>> They went 23-30 overall a season ago, with a 14-19 record inside of the MIAA, advancing to the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
>> Newman's offense is hitting .284 on the year with a .385 OB%, 429 SLG% and 28 home runs.
>> Joe Kinneberg leads the Jets hitting .343 on the year and has a .953 OPS in 29 games played with 27 starts. He has a pair of home runs and has driven in 17 runs.
>> Garrett Arnold leads the team with a .980 OPS, four home runs and 28 RBI this year in 29 starts and 33 games played.
>> On the mound, Newman's staff has a 10.35 ERA in 280.0 innings with 220 strikeouts and 233 walks issued.
>> Jaret Granger has a team-low 3.92 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched across 12 appearances out of the bullpen. He has 19 strikeouts and has allowed 17 hits.
>> Colby Wilson has thrown a team-high 49.0 innings and has a 8.27 ERA and 1-5 record with nine starts and 10 appearances. He has struck out 27 batters and walked 24.
HEAD COACH DREW MAUS
>> enters his fifth year as the Head Baseball Coach at Newman University
>>In the 2023 season, Maus led the Jets to their first ever MIAA Tournament appearance
>> has served as a college assistant coach for seven years. He served a total of five seasons during two separate stints (2010-2013 and 2015-2019) on staff at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He also served as an assistant baseball coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for two years
SERIES HISTORY
>> This weekend's series will be games 52-54 between Washburn and Newman with the Ichabods leading the all-time series 27-22.
>> The first game between the two programs came on May 2, 1978 and was a 5-3 win for Washburn in a location unknown.
>> The Ichabods 8-15 against the Jets at McCarthy Field.
>> Last season Washburn swept the season series in Topeka. They have won the last eight games in the series.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> Cale Savage is four home runs away from 30 in his career, he is currently tied for fifth in program history in home runs hit and 20th in RBI.
>> Cal Watkins is tied for sixth in program history in doubles with 38 and 18th in program history in total hits with 166.
>> Payton McHarg is 5th in program history for the most home runs in a season and 3rd in single season slugging percentage.
>> Connor Scott is one RBI from 50 runs batted in at Washburn.
WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY
>> The 2024 season will be the 72nd year of Washburn Baseball.
>> The Ichabods have gone 1345-1281-3 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 Topeka for one game taking on Northwest Missouri State at 2 p.m. on April 9.
>> 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.
