• The Washburn Ichabod softball team, fresh off a 5-1 home weekend at the Washburn Invitational, returns to the road for four games at the Midwest Classic in Shawnee, Kan.
• The Ichabods (12-5) will open with No. 5-ranked Augustana on Friday at 4 p.m. followed by a 6:30 p.m. contest with Maryville. Washburn returns to Shawnee on Sunday facing Minnesota State at 10 a.m. and then Rockhurst at 12:30 p.m.
• Washburn is coming off their sixth NCAA appearance in program history last season finishing the year with a 37-17 record placing fourth in the MIAA standings with a 17-9 record.
• The Washburn Ichabods have recorded 19 seasons with at least 30 wins with five coming under head coach Brenda  Holaday.
• The Ichabods were tabbed No. 4 in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Brenda Holaday is in her ninth season as the Ichabod softball head coach recording a 264-154 overall record going 113-59 in MIAA contests leading the Ichabods to two MIAA Regular Season titles (2018, 2022) and three NCAA Central Regional (2018, 2022, 2024). Holaday became Washburn's all-time winning coach with a 13-0 win over Illinois-Springfield on Feb. 8, 2025. • In the national rankings, the Ichabods are one of only three teams to turn a triple play this season joining Tusculum and Emory and Henry … the Ichabods are ranked 17th in total runs (109) and 14th in shutouts (4) … Washburn is also 16th in the nation in doubles with 32 … individually, Sadie Walker is second in games started (10) and 16th in strikeouts (55) … Kaylee Wagner is fourth in the nation in throwing would-be base stealers out with 6 … Jaden LaBarge is second in the nation in sacrifice flies with 4.
• #1 Makenzie Sais - Batted .500 last weekend with 8 hits in 16 at bats going 5 for 7 in stolen bases.
• #2 Kate Dolan - Had one hit last week in six plate appearances.
• #3 McKinley Kruger - Was 1 for 1 in 1 at bat last week scoring a run.
• #6 Karlyn Bowman - Did not appear in a game last week.
• #7 Dalaney Anderson - Had five putouts driving in one run last week with a hit and a run scored.
• #8 Maddie McGee - Had two hits and two walks last week with a team-high 12 assists in the field.
• #9 Ashlyn Gaughan - Scored two runs in four games stealing a base last week.
• #12 Jenna Sprague - Was 1-1 in the circle last week in two appearances striking out three.
• #13 Avery Wende - Made first appearance of the season last week tossing 1 2/3 innings not allowing a hit.
• #14 Danielle Schlader - Was 2 for 5 with an RBI last week in three games.
• #15 Ellington Hogle - Had five hits and scored three runs driving in three last week.
• #16 Erin Boles - Batted .3654 last week with eight hits and 3 RBI with five runs scored.
• #17 Kaylee Wagner - Went 6 for 19 batting last week with three doubles and 6 RBI.
• #18 Jaden LaBarge - Has 5 RBI playing in all 11 games.
• #19 Ava Bloyd - Went 2-0 last week in the circle in one start and four appearances striking out six.
• #20 Gracie Gallagher - Scored two runs in four games as a pinch runner.
• #21 Sadie Walker - Tossed third career no hitter against Northern State going 2-0 last week.
• #22 Madi Moore  - Will miss the season with an injury.
• #23 Mariah Wheeler - Batted .375 with three hits in eight at bats driving in two with a double.
• #24 Alexis Tanguma - Recorded two hits in three games last week with 2 RBI and a double.
• #25 Kate Ediger - Batted .412 last week with seven hits including two doubles and three runs scored driving in six overall.
  In 2025, Washburn is outscoring its opponents 20-10 in the sixth inning and 23-8 in the second inning but is being outscored 17-15 in the fourth inning and 16-14 int he third inning … Washburn is 3-0 in shutouts … the Ichabods are 9-0 when leading after four innings, 7-0 when leading after five innings and 9-1 when leading after six innings. (Feb. 25, 2025) TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team went 1-1 on the final day of the Ichabod Invitational falling in the opener 6-2 to Wayne State before riding a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Northern Stat in the nightcap. 
Game 1 – Wayne State 6, WU 2
The Ichabods dropped the opener 6-2 allowing all six runs in the fourth-fifth and sixth innings.
Washburn took the 1-0 lead on a Kate Ediger single that scored Makenzie Sais who singled in the third inning.
In the top of the fourth, the Wildcats scored four runs on four hits and added a solo run in the fifth and one more in the sixth leading to the 6-2 win.
Washburn stranded 11 on base against Wayne State. Five different players had a hit for the Ichabods.
Game 2 – WU 4, Northern State 0
Washburn junior pitcher Sadie Walker tossed her third career no-hitter striking out a career-high 13 in the 4-0 win.  Walker's previous high for strikeouts came against Texas A&M-Kingsville earlier this season when she struck out 11.
Washburn scored in its first at bat when Kate Ediger's sac fly scored Makenzie Sais who singled and then stole second baser and moved to third on Kaylee Wagner's single.
The Ichabods (12-5) added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth as Sais started the inning with a single and then scored on Wagner's triple to left. Ediger reached base with a single down the line and then with two outs, Ellington Hogle's infield single scored both Ediger and Ashlyn Gaughan who scored putting Washburn up 4-0.
Walker then put the Wolves down in order in the seventh striking out the final two batters giving her 13 on the day. Walker walked only one batter throwing a total of 81 pitches.
Sais had three singles and two stolen bases scoring a pair of runs and Hogle had two hits and 2 RBI in the win. AUGUSTANA
• The Vikings are 5-3 this season and ranked No. 5 in the latest NFCA Coaches poll.
• The Ichabods trail the all-time series 6-15 with the Vikings looking to snap a five-game losing streak.
 
MARYVILLE
• The Saints are 7-8 this season 1-5 at the Washburn Invitational picking up a win over Northwest Missouri.
• The Ichabods are 5-0 against the Saints all-time winning the last meeting 9-1 in O'Fallon, Ill. last season.
 
MINNESOTA STATE
• The Mavericks lead the all-time series 15-9 over the Ichabods entering the weekend with a 5-3 overall record this season.
• The Ichabods are looking for their first win over the Mavericks since a 6-3 win on Feb. 16, 2019 in Conway, Ark.
 
ROCKHURST
• The Hawks are 1-5 this season going 1-3 at the Washburn Invitational with a win over Northwest Missouri.
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 8-2 with the Hawks and have won the last seven games in the series including last season's 12-0 win on Feb. 25, 2024 in Topeka.
• Rockhurst's last win over the Ichabods came on April 3, 2013 in Kansas City.
  • is 264-154 in her ninth season as the Ichabod head softball coach and is the all-time winningest coach in program history.
• in nine seasons Holaday has gone 123-63 in MIAA contests leading the Ichabods to two MIAA regular season championships in 2018 and 2022 while leading the program to three of its six NCAA postseason in 2018, 2022 and 2024.
• In 2022, the Ichabods won their third MIAA Championship going 24-2 in the MIAA reaching the MIAA Tournament Championship game and the NCAA postseason as Holaday was named the MIAA Coach of the Year for the second time in her tenure at Washburn.
• Overall in nine 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 18 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. • The Ichabods are 1335-976-1 in their 55th year of softball.
• The Ichabods have made six NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008, 2018, 2022).
• Washburn won the 2002, 2018 and 2022 regular season MIAA titles.