• The Washburn Ichabod returns to MIAA play this weekend opening with Missouri Southern on Friday at Pittsburg State on Saturday.
• The Ichabods (21-10, 3-1 MIAA) are coming off a 4-2 weekend last week at the Branson Spring Break.
• Washburn opened MIAA play the weekend of March 7-8 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 273-159 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 2025, Washburn is outscoring its opponents 33-13 in the sixth inning and 47-19 in the second inning but is being outscored 26-19 in the fourth inning and 26-16 in the third inning … Washburn is 6-3 in shutouts … the Ichabods are 16-0 when leading after four innings, 13-0 when leading after five innings and 17-1 when leading after six innings … Erin Boles leads the Ichabods with nine multiple-hit games and Kaylee Wagner and Ellington Hogle lead the team with nine multi-RBI games. (March 13, 2025) BRANSON, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team finished off its six-game trip to Missouri splitting a pair of 1-0 games on the final day of the Spring Break in Branson trip. Washburn topped No. 20 McKendree 1-0 before falling in the second game 1-0 to Minot State.
Game 1 – WU 1, McKendree 0
The Ichabods broke a 0-0 score in the bottom of the fourth when Alexis Tanguma started the inning with a walk. Ashlyn Gaughan entered the game as a pinch runner and then scored on a double by Kaylee Wagner putting the Ichabods up with what would be the winning run.
Washburn starting pitcher Jenna Sprague scattering five hits in the game striking out three as the Ichabods topped the Bearcats for the second time in three days.
Ellington Hogle and Makenzie Sais had the other two hits for the Ichabods.
Game 2 – MSU 1, WU 0
The Ichabods were limited to one hit in the second game of the day, a sixth inning lead off single by Maddie McGee. Sadie Walker pitched the complete game for the Ichabods striking out three allowing just four hits in the contest. Missouri southern
• The Lions are 23-9 this season and 3-1 in the MIAA and have won nine in a row entering the weekend.
• Katie Gray leads the team with a .405 batting average with 34 hits and has scored 25 runs.
• Kiki Pickens is 11-3 in the circle with a 1.83 ERA.
• Washburn trails in the all-time series 47-51.
• The Ichabods have won the last two in the series.
 
PITTSBURG STATE
• Pittsburg State enters the weekend 21-9 and ranked 25th in the latest NFCA Coaches Poll.
• Heather Arnett leads the team with 58 hits and has scored 42 runs going 26 of 27 in stolen bases.
• Aydenne Brown is 9-4 as is Ava Laurent in the circle.
• Washburn leads the all-time series 77-60.
• The Ichabods have lost the last two games to the Gorillas.
  • is 273-159 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 1342-979-1 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.