• The Washburn Ichabod softball team, coming off a 3-1 MIAA opening weekend will step out of MIAA play for the final time this season with six games in Branson, Mo. starting on Tuesday.
• The Ichabods (17-8, 3-1 MIAA) will face four teams over three days facing McKendree and Minot State on March 11 and March 13 and Augustana and Northern State on March 12.
• Washburn opened MIAA play by sweeping Northeastern State 7-5 and 10-2 on March 7 before splitting with No. 6 Rogers State the following day falling 5-0 before winning the nightcap 4-2 in 11 innings.
• 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 269-157 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 10th in the NCAA D2 ranks drawing 96 walks … individually, the Ichabods' Kaylee Wagner is 10th in the nation in throwing runners out trying the swipe a base while Sadie Walker is fourth in the nation in games started with 14, 12th in the nation in innings pitched (78.0), fourth in pitching appearances (18), 19th in saves (2)  and seventh in strikeouts (90) … Erin Boles is ranked 17th in toughest to strike out at a 5.786 to 1 ratio …Jaden LaBarge is third in the nation in sac flies … Kate Ediger is 21st in the nation being hit by a pitch (6).
  In 2025, Washburn is outscoring its opponents 28-12 in the sixth inning and 48-18 in the second inning but is being outscored 23-18 in the fourth inning and 23-15 in the third inning … Washburn is 4-1 in shutouts … the Ichabods are 13-0 when leading after four innings, 10-0 when leading after five innings and 13-1 when leading after six innings … Erin Boles leads the Ichabods with nine multiple-hit games and Kaylee Wagner leads the team with nine multi-RBI games … Jaden LaBarge needs one more RBI for 100 in her Washburn career. (March 8, 2025) CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Washburn Ichabods played 18 innings on Saturday in a pair of games with No. 6-ranked Rogers State coming away with a twin bill split winning the nightcap in 11 innings in a 5-0 win. The Ichabods dropped the first game 4-2 to Rogers State.
Game 1 – Hillcats 5, Ichabods 0
The Hillcats scored all five runs in the third inning as each team was limited to three hits in the contest. A bases-loaded walk and a grand slam were the difference in the opener.
Sadie Walker tossed five innings striking out five scattering three hits.
Game 2 – WU 4, RSU 2
Washburn (17-8, 3-1 MIAA) broke open a scoreless game in the top of the eighth when Erin Boles started the inning with a single to center. After Kaylee Wagner walked, Alexis Tanguma doubled scoring both putting the Ichabods up 2-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Hillcats came back with two of their own tying the game.
After a scoreless ninth and 10th innings, Jaden LaBarge drew a two-out walk and moved to second on a single by Maddie McGee. The Boles cleared the bases with a triple down the right field line as the Ichabods took a 4-2 lead.
Washburn's Jenna Sprague, who started the game pitching the first six innings of the game, retired the final three outs for the win. Sprague tossed 9 2/3 innings allowing one earned run tossing 152 pitches in the victory improving to 3-2 on the season.
Boles, Alexis Tanguma, Mariah Wheeler and McGee all had two hits in the game and Boles and Tanguma each had 2 RBI.  Tanguma also pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief.
Harley Culie took her first loss of the season for the Hillcats (17-4, 3-1 MIAA) throwing 222 pitches in the game. MCKENDREE (15-6)
• The Ichabods will face the Bearcats twice in three days opening on March 11 at 11 a.m. then again on March 13 at noon.
• The Bearcats won the last meeting in a 2-1 win last season.
 
MINOT STATE (9-8)
• The Beavers and the Ichabods played on Feb. 23 at the Washburn Invitational winning 4-3 in Topeka.
• Washburn will face the Beavers on March 11 and March 13 in Branson.
 
AUGUSTANA (12-4)
• The Ichabods lost an 8-3 decision to the Vikings on Feb. 28 in Shawnee, Kan. at the Midwest Classic.
• Washburn will take on the Vikings on Wednesday in Branson.
 
NORTHERN STATE (4-5)
• The Ichabods topped Northern State on Feb. 25 at the Washburn Invitational in a 4-0 win.
• The two teams will face each other on Wednesday in Branson.
  • is 269-157 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 1338-977-1 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.