• The Washburn Ichabods softball will return to action this weekend at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Bentonville, Ark. with five games over three days including a pair of regional games on the docket.
• The Ichabods were 3-2 in their opening action last weekend in Louisiana including a win over preseason No. 12-ranked Mississippi College in a 10-7 win.
• 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 255-151 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 trails Lisa Carey as the all-time winningest coach by victories at 256. • The Ichabods are ranked 16th in the nation in fielding percentage after the first weekend of action.
• #1 Makenzie Sais - Leads the team with two stolen bases on two attempts.
• #2 Kate Dolan - Drew a walk in her only plate appearance this season.
• #3 McKinley Kruger - Appeared in one game this season.
• #6 Karlyn Bowman - Appeared in one game this season.
• #7 Dalaney Anderson - Has appeared in two games this season.
• #8 Maddie McGee - Batting 4 for 12 this season with a team-high two doubles.
• #9 Ashlyn Gaughan - Has appeared in four games this season.
• #12 Jenna Sprague - Has appeared in two games this season in the circle.
• #13 Avery Wende - Has not appeared in a game this season after the first weekend.
• #14 Danielle Schlader - Has three at-bats in three games this season.
• #15 Ellington Hogle - Second on the team with 6 RBI this season.
• #16 Erin Boles - Leads the team with seven runs scored batting 7 for 14 this season.
• #17 Kaylee Wagner - After the first weekend, she's ranked eighth in the NCAA D2 ranks in RBI with 8.
• #18 Jaden LaBarge - Moved from first to third base to start the 2025 season.
• #19 Ava Bloyd - Has struck out five in three appearances this season.
• #20 Gracie Gallagher - Has two runs scored and a hit in four games this season.
• #21 Sadie Walker - Ranked 11th in the nation in strikeouts and in complete games after first weekend.
• #22 Madi Moore  - Has not appeared in any games yet.
• #23 Mariah Wheeler - Has three hits in 13 at bats and 3 RBI this season starting all five games.
• #24 Alexis Tanguma - Has five hits with 2 RBI and a double batting .385 so far this season.
• #25 Kate Ediger - Hit Washburn's first home run of the season.
  In 2025, Washburn is outscoring its opponents 4-0 in the third inning, but is being outscored 9-1 in the fourth inning and 5-1 in the seventh inning … Washburn is 2-0 in shutouts … Kaylee Wagner has at least one hit in each game this season … Erin Boles, Kaylee Wagner and Alexis Tanguma have all reached base in each of the five games this season. (Feb. 2, 2025) YOUNGSVILLE, La. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team wrapped up the Mardi Gras Classic with an 11-3 loss to Southern Arkansas on Sunday. The Ichabods went 3-2 over the weekend and will return to action next week at the Alvy Early Memorial Invitational in Bentonville, Ark.
The Ichabods jumped on the board in the top of the first when Ellington Hogle's sac fly scored Makenzie Sais who reached on a single as Washburn took a 1-0 lead.
The Muleriders came back with a run of their own tying the score. In the second, Washburn pushed out to a 3-1 lead scoring a pair of runs on a Kaylee Wagner 2-RBI single scoring both Maddie McGee and Erin Boles who both reached on singles.
SAU put up one run in the second trimming the Washburn lead to 3-2. After a scoreless third inning, the Muleriders took advantage of five Ichabod walks in the frame scoring nine runs on five hits to go up 11-3 and Washburn was retired in order in the fifth ending the game.
Wagner had two of Washburn's six hits in the game while driving in two. Jenna Sprague took the loss falling to 0-1 on the season in the circle. UPPER IOWA
• Upper Iowa has been picked to finish 12th in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Peacocks went 0-5 last weekend at the Branson Lead-Off Classic 21-16.
• Serah Shafer and Taylor Sedam lead the team with a .429 batting average.
• Delaney Vetter is 0-2 with a team-best 2.25 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 18 2/3 innings pitched.
• Washburn leads the all-time series with Upper Iowa 11-3 and have won the last two.
• The two teams have not played since a 6-5 win over the Peacocks in Bentonville.
 
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
• Southeastern Oklahoma State is 3-2 after the first weekend of play after a pair of losses to the No. 1 and NO. 11-ranked teams in the country.
• The blue and gold showed their power at the plate across the five games, recording five home runs, led by two from India McMurray. The Dallas native is tied for the most hits on the team after the week with seven and holds a batting average of .412 with five RBIs. Iliana Olivares is also batting .412 with seven hits, including two doubles. Southeastern enters this weekend's tournament, hitting .316 with  43 hits and 22 runs scored.
• In the circle, Emily Simmons and Trinity Oden combined for three complete games. Simmons (2-0) went the distance twice against St. Mary's and TAMIU in her two starts and racked up 10 strikeouts and a 3.50 ERA in 14.0 innings of work. Oden made two appearances, including her first collegiate start against St. Edward's, and would throw a complete game for her first win while striking out eight in the 7-1 victory. The Southeastern pitching staff ERA after five games sits with a 5.42 through 31.0 innings of action.
• The Ichabods trail the all-time series 6-7 and have won the last four in a row including a 5-2 win last year in Bentonville in a 5-2 win.
 
ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD
• The Prairie Stars are 3-1 this season with their lone loss coming to No. 17-ranked Trevecca Nazarene in a 2-1 decision in extra innings.
• Jaden Watts leads the team with a .333 batting average and Ella Brinkley has a team-high 4 RBI along with Malia Bender.
• Addyson McClure is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 11 innings pitched with a 0.82 WHIP.
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 2-1  and have not played since Feb. 10, 2023 with the Ichabods taking a 3-0 win in Bentonville.
 
MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
• The Tritons are 1-3 to start the season.
• Gwyn Miller leads the team with a .467 batting average with a team-high seven hits.
• Lexi Sherrick is 1-0 in the cricle with a 3.00 EAR with five strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings pitched.
• Washburn leads the all-time series 11-5 winning the last five games in a row.
 
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
• The Cotton Blossoms are 3-1 this season after opening the season in Branson including a 6-1 loss to Missouri and a 4-2 win over Newman last weekend facing MIAA foes.
• Ashlynne Vote is batting .364 to lead the team with four hits.
• Ronning Johnson is 1-0 in three appearances and Kaylo Olthouse is 1-0 with a 1.56 ERA and eight strikeouts.
• Washburn trails in the all-time series 3-4, but won the last meeting on Feb. 19, 2017 in Bentonville in a 6-0 win.
  • is 255-151 in her ninth season as the Ichabod head softball coach.
• 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 1331-974-1 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.