TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball will finally take the field at the new Falley Field as they host Central Oklahoma for three games beginning on Sunday. They finish out the opening stretch against Winona State on Wednesday at 2 p.m. 

LEADING OFF

>> After two separate delays, Washburn baseball will open the 2025 season at Falley Field with a doubleheader against Central Oklahoma.

>> The Ichabods will face the Bronchos on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. with game two set for 4 p.m. The three-game series will conclude on Monday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.

>> The homestand continued with a midweek meeting with Winona State as Washburn hosts the Bulldogs for one game on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.

>> Washburn is 3-5 on the year after finishing out the South Florida Baseball Jamboree with two straight 5-3 wins over No. 22 Nova Southeastern and Barry on Sunday and Monday. 

>> The Ichabds are coming off a third straight 30-win season in 2024. They finished the campaign 32-21 overall and 21-12 in the MIAA, finishing fifth in the regular season and advancing to the MIAA Championship Tournament. 

>> They were picked to finish fifth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

>> Central Oklahoma enters MIAA play 9-2 overall and on a nine-game winning streak. Winona State will begin its 2025 season against the Ichabods in Topeka. 

BODS AND BITS

>> Washburn is scoring 4.63 runs per game while opponents are at 5.75.

>> The Ichabods are 2-2 in road games this season while going 1-3 at neutral sites, they have not played a home game so far. Last season they went 15-7 at Falley Field, 15-12 in road games and 2-2 in neutral field games. 

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .258 with a .356 OB% and a .443 SLG%. They have hit ten home runs with 17 doubles and drawn 36 walks while striking out 79 times. 

>> The pitching staff has a 5.56 ERA with 52 strikeouts across 68.0 innings with a 1.44 WHIP. They allowed 59 hits and issued 39 walks. 

>> Washburn has a .985 fielding percentage on the year, turning five doublee plays with four total errors. 

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 10-14 in stolen base attempts while opponents are 7-7. 

STREAKS AND STATS

>> Jackson Mervosh carries a team-high four-game hitting streak into the next game. 

>> Darian Duhon had a six-game hitting streak this season, a team-long streak.

>> Duhon and Cash Jay have reached base in all eight games this season. 

>> When leading off an inning, Ichabod hitters are slashing .380 (27-71) on the year. 

>> The pitching staff is holding left-handed hitting oppoonents to a .189 (10-53) batting average.

>> Washburn has been outscored 12-1 over the last two innings of games but has outscored teams 2-0 in extra innings. 

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Darian Duhon started all eight games for the Ichabods and leads the team with a .414 batting average and a .500 OB%. He has driven in three RBI with 12 hits. He ranks fourth in the MIAA and 45th in the nation in total hits, in batting average he is 12th in the conference.

>> Hayden Priest is hitting .314 on the year while hitting a team-high four home runs and also leading with eight RBI. He carries a 1.028 OPS and has scored seven runs while starting all eight games. He is tied for the MIAA lead in home runs and 6th nationally in bombs. He is 20th in the nation and 3rd in the MIAA in total bases and 14th in SLG%. 

>> Easton Bruce is hitting .333 on the year starting and playing all eight games. He has a team-high 1049 OPS OPS with a pair of home runs and seven RBI. Six of his ten hits are extra base knocks. He is 4th in the MIAA and 19th nationally in doubles with four. 

>> Cash Jay has played and started in all eight games hitting .217 with a .775 OPS. He leads the team with eight walks for a .471 OB%. 

>> Jackson Mervosh has started in all eight games and is hitting .297 with a .740 OPS. He has three doubles and has driven in four runs. On the bases he is 2-2 in stolen base opportunities. 

>> Payton McHarg is slashing .219 on the year with three total extra base hits for a .375 SLG%. He has one home run with four RBI. 

>> Blake Scott is hitting .211 on the year while playing in eight games and starting in seven. He has walked six times for a .423 OB%. 

>> Jett Buck has started all eight games at shortstop and is hitting .167 with a .665 OPS. Three of his five hits have been for extra bases, with two home runs and six RBI. 

>> Connor Scott has started in seven of eight games he has played in, hitting .136 with one home run and one RBI. 

>> Garrett Springer has played in four games, making two starts, and is hitting .222 with two RBI. 

ON THE MOUND

>> Caleb Lunnon has tossed a team-high 12.1 innings in his two start, allowing two earned runs for a 1.46 ERA and a .81 WHIP. He has a 1-0 record and is second on the team with nine strikeouts while opponents are hitting just .175. He is sixth in the MIAA and 68th nationally in WHIP, his ERA is the 7th best in the conference.

>> Cooper Carlgren has started two games and thrown 11.0 innings with a 4.09 ERA and 0-1 record. He has eight strikeouts and a 1.18 WHIP while opponents are hitting .175. He is 12th in the MIAA in hits allowed per nine innings. 

>> Caden Bressler is 1-0 on the year after throwing 8.2 innings across two appearances with one start and has a 3.12 ERA. He has struck out four and opponents have a batting average of just .138. He is 6th in the MIAA and 53rd nationally in hits allowed per nine innings. 

>> Kuyper Kendall has thrown 1.2 innings without allowing a run in two appearances out of the bullpen. 

>> Grant Zwald has not allowed a run through 3.1 innings to begin the season. He has struck out three batters in two appearances and has a 0.60 WHIP. 

>> Gavin Wilhelm has made one start throwing 3.0 innings with a 6.00 ERA. He has struck out one  with no walks. 

>> Keegan McDonald has made three appearances throwing 3.0 innings with a 3.00 ERA and six strikeouts strikeouts. 

>> Fidel Hatch has thrown 1.2 innings across two appearances without allowing a run. 

>> Griffin Huiatt has a team-high four appearances, throwing 4.0 innings with a 11.25 ERA and two strikeouts.

>> Piercen McElyea has started two games and thrown 7.1 innings. He is 0-1 with a team-high 10 strikeouts and a 2.18 WHIP. 

IN THE FIELD

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Jett Buck leads the team with 22 putouts in the field. He also leads with 21 assists and leads the team with five double plays. 

>> Jackson Mervosh is second on the team with 18 assists and has been part of four double plays. 

>> Blake Scott has made 52 putouts at first base and Hayden Priest has 45 putouts from behind the plate. 

ICHABODS AROUND THE COUNTRY

>> Washburn's 45-man roster consists of players from nine different states.

>> There are 17 players on the roster who are from the Sunflower State.

>> The state producing the second most Ichabods is Oklahoma with 9. 

>> Washburn has four players coming from each of the remaining three border states, Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri. 

>> Two players each come from Texas and Illinois. Two Ichabods also utilize their passports coming south from Canada. 

>> One Ichabod hails from Iowo and Louisiana each to round out the roster. 

NUMBERS AROUND THE NATION

>> As a team in 2025 Washburn has had strong seasons in several categories to be near the top in the conference and national ranks including...

Fielding Percentage  - .985 (4th MIAA / 14th nationally)

Home runs per game  - 1.25 (3rd MIAA / 24th nationally)

Hits allowed per nine innings - 7.81 (4th MIAA / 24th nationally)

Double Plays - 5 (3rd MIAA / 41st nationally) 

Hits - 67 (6th MIAA / 48th nationally)

Walks - 36 (4th MIAA / 45th nationally) 

WHIP - 1.44 (7th MIAA / 46th nationally) 

Slugging Percentage - .439 (7th MIAA / 63rd nationally)

Stolen Bases - 10 (8th MIAA / 63rd nationally) 

Earned Run Average - 5.56 - (7th MIAA / 76th nationally) 

HEAD COACH HARLEY DOUGLAS

>> Former Washburn All-MIAA outfielder Harley Douglas enters his 11th season at the helm of the Washburn baseball program in 2025.

>> In nine seasons, Douglas carries an all-time record of 259-222 with six appearances in the MIAA Tournament and led the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2022.

>> He has also coached a total of 63 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 seventh 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 is in his second season on the coaching staff after finishing his playing career with the Ichabods 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 OKLAHOMA BRONCHOS

>> Central Oklahoma is 9-2 on the year and on a nine-game winning streak after sweeping Colorado Christian last time out on Feb. 16. 

>> Last season the Bronchos went 37-16 overall and 22-11 inside the MIAA. They lost to Washburn in the first round of the conference tournament and were knocked out of the NCAA Central Regional in three games. 

>> They are 5-2 when playing at Wendell Simmons Field, 2-0 on the road and 2-0 in neutral field contests. 

>> Central Oklahoma is hitting .281 as a team with a .409 OB% and a .524 SLG%. They have 15 home runs with 96 strikeouts and 66 walks. 

>> They are 1st in the MIAA in doubles, walks and home runs per game.

>> Grant Randall has played and started in all 11 games hitting a team-high .395 with a 1.108 OPS. He has a .527 OB% with nine walks and has driven in eight runs. His 10 stolen bases also lead the team. He leads the MIAA in runs and stolen bases while ranking second in hits. 

>> Caden Robertson is hitting .353 with a team-high 1.271 OPS while starting in 10 games. He leads the team with four home runs and 12 RBI. He is tied for the conference lead in home runs and is first in total bases. 

>> Ty Chapman is second on the team with a .375 average while starting in all 11 games. He has six doubles and has driven in four runs with a pair of stolen bases. 

>> The pitching staff has a 5.12 ERA across 95.0 innings with 103 strikeouts and 47 walks.

>> They lead the nation with a pair of shutouts and are second in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings. 

>> Caleb Burchfield leads the team with 15.0 innings across three starts. He is 2-0 on the year with a 5.40 ERA and has 10 strikeouts. 

>> Brett Pense leads the team with 16 strikeouts while starting three games and tossing 11.0 innings. He has a 1-0 record with a 7.36 ERA. 

>> Valek Cisneros has thrown 5.1 innings out of the bullpen across five appearances. He has 12 strikeouts with four saves. He leads the MIAA and is second in the nation in saves. 

HEAD COACH

>> John Martin is in his 10th season leading the Bronchos where he has a 290-166 record. 

>> Martin took over the UCO reigns in July of 2015 after four years as head coach at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College

>> A native of Kansas City, Mo., Martin played one year at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College before going to ESU and putting together a sensational three-year starting career at catcher.

>> Capped his college career by leading the Hornets to the NCAA Division II World Series as a senior and was a 24th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006. He played two years in the Dodgers organization and also played one season each for independent professional teams in Kansas City and Wichita.

SERIES HISTORY

>> Central Oklahoma leads the all-time series over Washburn 33-25. 

>> The Ichabods are 8-8 against the Bronchos at Falley Field. 

>> The series began on March 21, 1986 with an 8-6 win for Washburn in Oklahoma City, Okla. 

>> The teams played five total games last season, with Central Oklahoma taking two out of three from the Ichabods at home during the regular season. In the first round of the MIAA Tournament Washburn won two games in Edmond to eliminate the Bronchos. 

>> The Ichabods average 5.86 runs per game against UCO. 

WINONA STATE WARRIORS

>> Winona State will open its 2025 season in Topeka.  

>> Last season the Warriors went 21-28 overall with a 18-21 mark inside the NSIC. They missed out on the Northern Sun Tournament. 

>> As a team in 2024 they hit .274 with a .373 OB% and a .426 SLG%. They tallied 41 home runs with 385 strikeouts and 194 walks. 

>> The pitching staff compiled a 5.89 ERA across 394 innings with 366 strikeouts and 158 walks. 

HEAD COACH

>> Seth Wing is in his third season as the head coach at Winona State. 

>> Wing comes to the Warriors having most recently served as the head baseball coach and athletic director at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Wing has served as the head baseball coach of the Rams since 2012 and had been the AD since July 2020. 

>> Wing has eight years of collegiate coaching experience at Winona State where he served as an assistant coach between 2003 and 2011.

>> Wing earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Winona State and played both football and baseball for WSU between 1999 and 2003.

SERIES HISTORY

>> Winona State leads the all-time series with Washburn 6-3. 

>> The Ichabods are 3-5 against the Warriors at Falley Field. 

>> The series began on April 4, 1980 with a 6-4 win for Winona State in Topeka. 

>> The last meeting came at a neutral location on March 15, 2002 and was a 6-5 win for the Warriors. 

>> Washburn averages 4.44 runs per game against Winona State. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Griffin Huiatt is tied for 15th in program history with four saves and is tied for 30th in Ichabod history with 36 total appearances. 

>> Cash Jay holds the 22nd highest career batting average in program history at .348. In home runs he is tied for 22nd with 15. 

>> Payton McHarg is 10th in Washburn history with 22 home runs. In batting average he ranks 40th slashing .336 in his career. 

>> With eight career triples Connor Scott is tied for seventh in program history. With 37 stolen bases he is tied for the 20th most bags swiped. 

>> Chase Torkelson has the 14th lowest opponent batting average in Washburn history at .262. In wins he is tied for 18th with 12. 

>> Jett Buck is tied for 17th among all Ichabods with 16 career home runs. 

PRO BODS

>> Washburn baseball has a presence in the pro ranks with 2023 All-MIAA second-team pitcher Casey Steward being in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system. In 2024 he split time at the A and A+ level finishing the year with an 8-5 record and 3.42 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 102.2 innings. 

>>Steward became the second Ichabod to have his name called under head coach Harley Douglas after being selected in the 19th round with the 583rd pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. 

WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY

>> The 2025 season will be the 73rd year of Washburn Baseball.

>> The Ichabods have a 1362-1293-3 record in program history. 

>> There have been 34 seasons with 20+ wins; 24 seasons with 25+ wins; and 13 seasons with 30+ wins.

>> Washburn has earned 30 All-Region selections and 11 All-America awards.

ON DECK

>> Washburn will stay at home for one more series hosting Missouri Southern beginning Friday, Feb. 28 at 23 p.m.

>> Senior day for the Ichabods will be on Sunday, April 27 against Newman with first pitch set for 1 p.m. 

>> The double elimination MIAA Tournament will begin in Joplin, Mo. at Warren Turner Field on May 7 and run through May 11.