•    The Washburn Ichabods will open their sixth NCAA postseason appearance with a familiar foe as they will take on No. 12-ranked Central Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9 at 2 p.m. in Claremore, Oklahoma.
•    Washburn enters the postseason with a 37-15 record after going 1-1 at the MIAA Tournament in Edmond last weekend.
•    The Ichabods and the Bronchos have not met since the opening weekend of MIAA play on March 8 falling to UCO 6-2 and 2-1.
•    The Ichabods trail the all-time series with UCO 30-17 losing the last nine games in a row.
•    The Ichabods' last win over the Bronchos was on April 20, 2019 in a 5-1 win in Edmond.
•    The Washburn Ichabods have secured their 19th season with at least 30 wins and their fourth under head coach Brenda Holaday.
•    Hitting the 30-win mark for the third-straight season is the longest streak since the Ichabods won at least 30 games in six-straight seasons from 2002-07.
•    The Ichabods finished the 2023 season with a 37-16 record going 15-11 in MIAA play.
•    Washburn was picked in the No. 4 spot in the MIAA preseason coaches poll trailing Central Oklahoma, Rogers State and Missouri Southern.
•    The 2024 Washburn schedule features seven teams who reached their NCAA Regional, two more NCAA Super Regional teams, and two teams who reached the NCAA D2 Softball World Series … Ichabods open their home slate on Feb. 23 with the Washburn Invitational.
•    Brenda Holaday is in her eighth season as the Ichabod softball head coach recording a 252-147 overall record going 113-59 in MIAA contests leading the Ichabods to two MIAA Regular Season titles (2018, 2022) and NCAA Central Regional berths in those years as well, the fourth and fifth in school history. Holaday trails Lisa Carey as the all-time winningest coach by victories at 256. •    The Ichabods are ranked 13th in the nation with 96 doubles … Washburn is also ranked 14th in the nation in doubles per game (1.85), 70th in hits (421), 10th in earned run average (1.79) and third in shutouts (18).
•    The Ichabods need three more doubles to tie the Washburn single season record of 99 set in 2022.
•    Individually, Sadie Walker is 28th in the nation in wins and leading the MIAA with 20 wins … she is  20th in games started (28) and 19th in shutouts (7) and 43rd in ERA at 1.58.
•    #1 Marrit Mead - Will become Washburn's all-time leader in at bats this weekend (currently sits at 703) passing Mandy Tarbutton (706).
•    #2 Autymn Schreiner - Will record her 500th career at bat this weekend … has started 186 of 195 career games at Washburn.
•    #3 Hailey Neira - Has 10 multi-hit games this season and has reached base in six-straight games.
•    #4 Molly Gilbert - Has gone 4 for 5 in five games this season.
•    #5 Ashlynn Wolff - Has scored five runs appearing in 19 games.
•    #7 Riley Stephens - Has scored four runs adding four hits in 17 games played.
•    #8 Sheyenne Cheek - Has a 1.11 ERA in 13 appearances.
•    #10 Zoe Quinn - Has six runs scored in 14 games this season.
•    #11 Rylee Moore - Has appeared in one game this season.
•    #12 Jaycee Ginter - Faced her 3,000th batter in the circle last weekend in Edmond … has started 206 of 207 career games … has gone 3 for 6 against UCO this season with a double.
•    #14 Danielle Schlader - Has 11 hits and 7 RBI in 31 games this season.
•    #15 Ellington Hogle - Tied for team lead with 11 doubles.
•    #16 Erin Boles - Has seven multi-hit games this season and four multi-RBI games this year.
•    #17 Kaylee Wagner - Batting .294 with 32 hits scoring 16 runs with nine doubles this season.
•    #18 Jaden LaBarge - Second on the team with four home runs.
•    #19 Allie Stipsits - Has scored a run in eight games played this season.
•    #20 Gracie Gallagher - Has 12 runs scored in 35 games going 5 for 6 in stolen bases.
•    #21 Sadie Walker - Struck out seven Bronchos in the first meeting.
•    #22 Madi Moore - Has six doubles in 92 at bats this season.
•    #23 Mariah Wheeler - Batting .337 this season with 30 hits and eight doubles.
•    #24 Alexis Tanguma - Three for three against UCO this season.
•    #25 Kinlei Boley - Has appeared in give games adding two hits and three runs scored.
  •    Marrit Mead, who broke the Ichabod program stolen bases record earlier this year of 87 (raising her career total of 95 entering the weekend) and her 271 career hits is also tops in school history … earlier this season she broke the program record of 188 runs scored (now has 198)… she is also first in career doubles with 59 … needs three career at bats to tie the school record of 706.
•    Jaycee Ginter is one RBI from tying the school's all-time record of 167 entering the weekend with 166 … her 85 career wins is the most all-time at Washburn … Ginter also needs two saves to break the career mark and her 144 career pitching appearances are tops at Washburn breaking the record against Missouri Western earlier this season … Ginter already holds the Ichabods record for career strikeouts with 791, which sits 341 more than the second-place holder.
•    With one more sac fly, Alexis Tanguma will tie the Washburn single season record with six in a year breaking Ashton Friend's season record set in 2021 … Autymn Schreiner has four sac flies this season.
•    The Ichabods' .385 on base percentage this season is the second-best on the Ichabod single-season chart trailing the 2022's team batting average of .394.
•    The Ichabods' 96 doubles this season is second on the Ichabod team charts trailing the 2022's team total of 99.
•    Washburn has drawn 151 walks this season, which is second on the single-season chart behind the 2022 team total of 153.
•    The 18 sac flies by the Ichabods this season is tied for the most in a season by an Ichabod team with the 2021 squad. Washburn is … 14-4 in neutral site games … 6-5 in one-run games and 5-2 in two-run games and 19-2 in games decided by more than five runs … 20-2 when scoring in the first inning and 31-4 when scoring first in games … 28-3 when leading after four innings, 18-1 when leading after five innings and 21-0 when leading after six innings and undefeated when outscoring its opponents … is 32-4 when outhitting its opponent … 23-0 when scoring at least five runs … outscoring its opponents 58-14 in the first inning, 49-17 in the third inning, 56-8 in the fourth inning and 1-0 in the ninth inning … 18-5 in games that have a shutout.
  •    The Washburn Ichabods are 0-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with appearances coming during the 1999,  2006, 2008, 2018, 2022 and now 2024 seasons.
•    In the South Central Regional Tournament in Kearney, Neb., in 1999 Washburn entered the four-team tourney as the No. 4 seed and fell to Nebraska-Kearney 4-0. In the second game, the Lady Blues fell to No. 2 seeded Truman State 6-3.
•    In the 2006 Regional in Emporia, Kan. The Lady Blues were the No. 8 seed in the eight-team tournament and fell to top seeded Emporia State 9-0 and the No. 4 seed Northwest Missouri 11-5.
•    In 2008, the Lady Blues fell to the top-seeded Hornets 5-3 and the lost to Minnesota State 4-2 the following day.
•    In 2018 as the No. 6 seed, the Ichabods fell to No. 3-seeded Augustana 2-1 in Magnolia, Ark. in the first game and then dropped a 10-6 decision to the No. 7 seed, Minnesota State-Mankato.
•    In 2022, the Ichabods were the No. 5 seed and lost to No. 4 seed Minnesota State 1-0 and then to Winona State 6-1 in the elimination game.
•    Against foes in this year's NCAA Central Regional, the Ichabods have never faced UCO in the NCAA Regional. The Ichabods are 0-1 against Rogers State and they have never faced Southern Nazarene in the NCAA Tournament.

LAST TIME OUT
(May 3, 2024) - EDMOND, Okla. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team fell 4-0 to Rogers State in the MIAA Tournament semifinals on Friday afternoon. 
The top-seeded and No. 12-nationally ranked Hillcats (42-10) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on four hits in the frame.
RSU added solo runs in the fourth and fifth going up 4-0 and Hillcat hurler Jade Sander struck out seven allowing a first-inning hit to Jaycee Ginter and a seventh-inning double by Ellington Hogle for the only two hits for the Ichabods.
Sadie Walker took the loss in the circle dropping to 20-8 on the season.
LaBarge finished with three of Washburn's 10 hits in the game while Boles and Schreiner each had two. Ginter struck out six in the loss falling to 16-7 on the season. CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
•    UCO will be making its 11th national tournament appearance in 13 years – including the fifth straight – for UCO. The Bronchos are the No. 3 seed in the eight-team Central Region.
•    UCO has a 43-33 record in 15 previous appearances in the Division II national tournament. The Bronchos captured regional titles in 2006, 2012, 2013 and 2023 in advancing to the World Series, winning the national championship in 2013 and making to the semifinals last year.
•    Central Oklahoma's Terin Ritz and Shayleigh Odom claimed two of the top individual awards on the All-MIAA Softball Teams that were released Tuesday, with Ritz named Co-Player of the Year and Odom selected Defensive Player of the Year. Ritz was joined on the first-team All-MIAA squad by shortstop Emily Deramus and outfielder Rylee Lemos, with outfield Jacee Minter and pitcher Jordyn Pipkin picking up second-team accolades. Odom, second baseman Rylee Anglen and first baseman Tatum Long garnered honorable mention recognition.
•    UCO is 42-12 overall and went 21-5 in the MIAA.
•    Rylee Lemos leads the team with a .400 batting average starting all 54 games collecting 70 hits and 63 runs scored.
•    Terin Ritz is batting .377 with a 1.318 OPS driving in 57 runs with 18 homes runs scoring 49 runs going 20-6 in the circle with a 1.54 ERA and a .99 WHIP.
 
SOUTHERN NAZARENE
•    Southern Nazarene won its first GAC Tournament Title after knocking off Southern Arkansas 5-1.
•    The Storm enter the weekend with a 38-15 record.
•    The Crimson Storm collected four First Team honors and four Honorable Mention honors after the team's best season in the DII era. Earning first-team honors were Janie Worthington, Hailey Evans, Kristen Mullendore and Emma Green. Liana Heshiki, Sydney Sundbye, Kenedi Morelock and Emma Swearingen were honorable mention selections.
 
ROGERS STATE
•    This is RSU's third-straight trip to the postseason and the second time hosting a regional in that span, last hosting in 2022.
•    For the second time in three years, Roger State softball (43-10) captured the MIAA Tournament Championship with a 2-1 walk-off win in a thrilling, extra inning game over Pittsburg State (51-6) last time out.
•    Six Hillcats earned spots on the All-Tournament team including Sara Llamas-Howell, Callie Yellin, McKayla Carney, Jade Sanders and Kaylee Lyon. Lyon was also named Tournament MVP after she was responsible for six runs in the tournament, including four RBI, leading all players.
  •    is 252-147 in her eighth season as the Ichabod head softball coach.
•    in seven seasons, Washburn has had 39 all-MIAA picks, one MIAA Player of the Year, one MIAA Pitcher of the Year, two MIAA Freshmen of the year and 17 all-region selections and six All-American picks and five members of the MIAA Gold Glove team.
•    coached 19 seasons at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka compiling a 351-93 record.
•    led the Junior Blues to three 6A state championships as well as winning 14 league championships earning 16 6A state tournament berths, five second-place state finishes and three third-place state finishes and was inducted into the Washburn Rural High School Hall of Fame in 2018.
•    was named the Centennial League Coach of the Year and City Coach of the Year nine different times earning the Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year in 2011 and the 6A Kansas Coach of the year two times in 2008 and 2011 and was named the overall Kansas Coach of the Year in 2011.
•    while at Washburn Rural, she coached more than 40 players who have gone on to play college softball including three at the NCAA Division I level including former Ichabod head softball coach Lisa Carey, the winningest coach by wins in program history. •    The Ichabods are 1328-970-1 in their 54th year of softball.
•    The Ichabods have made five NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008, 2018, 2022).
•    Washburn won the 2002, 2018 and 2022 regular season MIAA titles.