TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball is set to host Northwest Missouri State in the final midweek contest between the two teams this season at 4 p.m. on Tuesday after Wednesday's road contest against Drury was canceled.
 

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn baseball returns home for its final midweek game of the season with the Bearcats on Tuesday at a new time with first pitch being moved to 4 p.m. 

>> The road contest with Drury scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled. 

>> Last time out the Ichabods won 21-16 in the series finale against Newman on the road but fell 2-1 in the series overall. 

>> Washburn is now 19-16 overall on the year and 13-10 inside the MIAA. They are 9-5 at Falley Field, 9-11 on the road and 1-0 in neutral field games. 

>> WU is receiving votes in the latest NCBWA Central Region rankings. 

>> The Bearcats enter the game with a 17-20 overall record and a 9-14 mark in the MIAA after winning a three game series with Fort Hays State 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 stays at Falley Field hosting Fort Hays State in a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 12 at 5 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 35 games Washburn is scoring 9.48 runs per game while allowing 7.71. 

>> The Ichabods are 9-5 at Falley Field, 9-11 in road contests and 1-0 in neutral field games. 

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .327 with a .422 OB% and are slugging .588 as a team. They have 71 home runs and have drawn 177 walks. 

>> Washburn's pitching staff has an ERA of 7.47 this season in 297.2 IP. They have struck out 264 batters while allowing 333 hits and issuing 193 walks. 

>> The Ichabods have a .965 fielding percentage with 44 errors on the year and have turned 27 double plays. 

>> On the basepaths Washburn has stolen 41 bases on 54 attempts while opponents have 42 stolen bases and have been thrown out 11 times. 

>> The Ichabod hitters have collected 736 total bases while opponents are at 587 this year. 

>> Washburn is starting and finishing games strong, outscoring opponents 54-20 in the first inning and 27-18 in the ninth. In extras they also have a 4-2 run edge. 

STACKING THE STATS 

>> The Ichabods are second in the nation in home runs per game with an average of 2.03 balls leaving the yard per game on the year. 

>> In overall long balls the Ichabods are second in the nation with 71 blasts. 

>> The Ichabods are tied for 5th in the nation and are first in the conference in doubles with 93 hits going for two bases on the year. 

>> Washburn is 13th in the nation in hits on the year with 410 total knocks, second most in the conference. 

>> The Ichabods are 4th in the nation and second in the conference with a .588 SLG% on the year. 

>> Scoring 9.5 runs per game WU is 10th 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 45th in the nation turning 27 double plays on the year. 

>> The Ichabod fielders are 91st in the nation and sixth in the conference with a .965 fielding percentage on the year. 

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Payton McHarg has started and played in all 35 games for the Ichabods hitting .378 with a 1.350 OPS and a team-high 18 home runs and 47 RBI. He has scored 48 runs and has 51 total hits. He leads the nation in home runs, is second on total bases, fourth in slugging and 21st in RBI. 

>> Cash Jay leads the team hitting .379 in 33 games played with 32 starts. He has the second highest OPS at 1.248 with a team-high 17 doubles. He also has 12 home runs and has driven in 44.  He is fourth in the nation in doubles, 23rd in home runs and in slugging while ranking inside the top-10 of the conference in all three categories. 

>> Connor Scott is third on the team hitting .351 on the year in 33 games played with 30 starts. He has a .942 OPS and a team-high 13 stolen bases to pair with three home runs. He is second in the conference in sacrifice bunts and 10th in stolen bases. 

>> Cale Savage has the third highest OPS on the squad at 1.049 with 43 hits and eight home runs with starts in all 35 games this season. He leads the team drawing 33 walks on the year. He is 19th in the nation and 3rd in the MIAA in walks and is 10th in the conference in home runs. 

>> Hayden Priest has started in 32 of the 33 games he has appeared in and is hitting .323 on the year with a .926 OPS. He has 40 hits driving in 43 runs and has only struck out 14 times in 124 at bats. 

>> Jett Buck is hitting .349 in 32 appearances and 31 starts this season. He has 44 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and five stolen bases. He is 10th in the conference in doubles. 

>> Cal Watkins has played in 28 games and made 24 starts hitting .287 with 18 RBI and eight doubles and three home runs.  

>> 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 22 games this season hitting .350 with a 1.109 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 46.0 innings across ten starts this season. He has a 6.46 ERA and a 3-2 record along with a team-high 48 strikeouts. Hitters have only a .244 batting average against him. He is 8th in the MIAA in strikeouts.

>>  Caden Bressler has thrown 36.1 innings in 11 outings this season, with five starts and six bullpen calls. He has a 4.46 ERA, lowest among starting pitchers, a 3-2 record and 19 strikeouts with 31 hits allowed. He leads the team with a pair of saves.

>>  Griffin Huiatt is third on the Ichabods throwing 40.0 innings this season in 11 appearances with five starts for a 6.98 ERA. He has a 1-3 record and is second on the team with 43 strikeouts. He is seventh in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings. 

>>  Chase Torkelson has thrown 42.2 innings across ten starts this season with a 4-0 record for the most wins on the squad. He has a 7.38 ERA, has struck out 31 batters and walked 25 hitters.

>>  Charlie Kiefer is 2-1 this season throwing in 11 games total with one start. He has a 6.11 ERA in 17.2 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 11 games this season making one start with a 7.61 ERA. In 23.2 innings he has struck out 21 while giving up 26 hits. 

>>  Cole Warner has thrown 11.2 innings in nine appearances out of the bullpen with a 7.71 ERA and a 1-0 record. He has struck out 13 on the year .

 >>  Max Clark has eight appearances and made two starts throwing 10.1 total innings with a 6.97 ERA. He has an 0-1 record and has struck out nine batters. 

IN THE FIELD

>>  Jett Buck leads the team with 75 assists, Cal Watkins is second with 65 and Cash Jay rounds out the infield with 47. 

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Connor Scott leads the team with 78 putouts, Payton McHarg has 51. 

>>  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 243-212 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

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS

>> The Bearcats are 17-20 on the year overall and are 9-14 in the MIAA after winning two games to one in last weekend's series with Fort Hays State. They fell in the final game 13-4.

>> They have gone 9-14 away from Bearcat Baseball Field. 

>> A season ago they went 13-34 overall with a 10-23 record inside of the MIAA, missing out on the conference tournament. 

>> Northwest Missouri's offense is hitting .296 on the year with a .412 OB%, 441 SLG% and 33 home runs. 

>> Ryan Williams leads the team hitting .396 and with a 1.180 OPS in 37 starts and appearances. He has driven in 32 runs with a team-high 30 walks. 

>> Trey Morris has driven in a team-high 50 RBI and blasted eight home runs, also tops on the team. He is hitting .359 annd started all 37 games. 

>> On the mound, Northwest Missouri State's staff has a 6.77 ERA in 312.1 innings with 299 strikeouts and 185 walks issued. 

>> Jacob Gajic has a 5.59 ERA in 37 innings pitched across 15 appearances. He has a 2-4 record with a team-high five saves and has struck out 40 batters. 

>> Casey Stalzer has made ten starts for a team-high 52.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 73 batters while giving up 63 hits. He has a 4-3 record and a 5.85 ERA. 

HEAD COACH DARIN LOE

>> Is in his 25th season at the helm of the Northwest Missouri State baseball program 

>> guided the Bearcats to the MIAA regular season title in 2018. It marked the first MIAA title for Northwest since the 1983 season

>> served three seasons as the head coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. There, he led the Wildcats to HAAC tournament championships in 1997 and 1998

>> first head coaching gig came at Missouri Valley College in Marshall back in 1994. He spent three years there and led the Vikings to their first HAAC tournament appearance in the process.

SERIES HISTORY

>> Tuesday's game will be the 143 game between Northwest Missouri State and Washburn all-time with the Ichabods leading the series 76-66. 

>> The first game between the two programs came on April 6, 1971 and was a 6-1 win for Washburn in Maryville, Mo. 

>> The Ichabods are 39-31 against Northwest Missouri at Falley Field. 

>> Two two teams have split the first two games of the season series with Washburn winning 11-0 at home in the first round and the Bearcats winning a 7-6 game on March 27. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Cale Savage is three home runs away from 30 in his career, he is currently fifth in program history in home runs hit and 15th in RBI. 

>> Cal Watkins is tied for fifth in program history in doubles with 39 and is 15th in program history in total hits with 170.

>> Payton McHarg is tied for 4th 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 1346-1283-3 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 stays in the capital city for three more games beginning on Friday against Fort Hays State at 5 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.