TOPEKA, Kan. -- Due to field conditions Washburn will now host Northwest Missouri State for at minimum the first of three schedule games with the Bearcats in a series set to go through Monday. They will then host Augustana for games on Tuesday and Wednesday at Falley Field. 

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn will continue its busy schedule with five games in five days first against Northwest Missouri State then against Augustana. 

>> The Ichabods will face the Bearcats for three games beginning with game one in Topeka at Falley Field on Saturday due to field conditions at NWMSU. Games two and three of the series are set to be played back in Maryville but may be moved back to Topeka on Sunday and Monday. Games against Augustana will take place on Tuesday and Wednesady as scheduled in Topeka. 

>> After defeating William Jewell 13-5 on Monday night Washburn improved to 10-6 on the year and is 5-1 in MIAA play. 

>> 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.

>> In the latest NCBWA Central Region poll the Ichabods are ranked No. 8 as Washburn jumped into the top-10. 

>> Northwest Missouri is 6-8 on the year and 0-3 in the MIAA. Last time out they defeated Concordia St. Paul 14-4 on March 1. 

>> Augustana is 5-3 on the year and 2-2 inside the NSIC before facing Bemidji State in a weekend series prior to facing the Ichabods. 

BODS AND BITS

>> Washburn is scoring 7.93 runs per game while opponents are at 6.19.

>> The Ichabods are 6-1 at Falley Field this season while going 3-2 in road contests and 1-3 in neutral site games. 

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .301 with a .398 OB% and a .560 SLG%. They have hit 33 home runs with 41 doubles and drawn 75 walks while striking out 142 times. 

>> The pitching staff has a 5.98 ERA with 119 strikeouts across 140.0 innings with a 1.55 WHIP. They allowed 126 hits and issued 91 walks. 

>> Washburn has a .976 fielding percentage on the year, turning seven double plays with 14 total errors. 

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 14-20 in stolen base attempts while opponents are 16-19. 

STREAKS AND STATS

>> Hayden Priest carries a team-high 11 game hitting streak into the weekend series. Cash Jay is second on the team with a six-game active streak. 

>> Darian Duhon has reached base in all 16 games, the only player to do so. Easton Bruce is second on the team with a 13-game on-base streak. 

>> Bruce has a team-high five games with multiple RBI, Cash Jay and Jett Buck each have done it four times. 

>> When leading off an inning, Ichabod hitters are slashing .387 on the year. 

>> The pitching staff is holding left-handed hitting oppoonents to a .210 batting average. With two outs opponents are hitting just .212. 

>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 16-3 in the second inning and 6-0 in extra innings. 

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Easton Bruce is tied for the team lead hitting .367 while starting in all 16 games in left field. He has a team-high 16 RBI, six home runs and 1.194 OPS. He has also struck out just seven times in 60 at bats. He is 2nd in the MIAA and 22nd in the nation in home runs. He is also 2nd in the MIAA in runs and third in total bases. 

>> Cash Jay has played and started in all 16 games and is hitting .357 with a 1.157 OPS. He has three home runs and has driven in 15 RBI while working a team-high 15 walks for a .514 OB%. He was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week and NCBWA Player of the Week this last week. He is second in the MIAA in doubles and seventh in OB%. 

>> Darian Duhon has started all 16 games slashing .367 at the plate with a 1.1032 OPS. He has 22 total hits with a pair of home runs and a pair of triples.He has driven in 11 runs and has a .65 OB%. He is 10th in the MIAA in hits and 4th in triples. 

>> Hayden Priest is hitting .362 while starting in all 16 games. He is tied for a team-high with six home runs while leading the way with 25 total hits. The senior has driven in 16 runs and has a 1.118 OPS. He ranks fourth in the MIAA in hits, second in home runs and eighth in SLG%. 

>> Jackson Mervosh has started in 15 games and is hitting .310 with a .856 OPS. He has a team-high seven doubles with two home run and 13 RBI. He is 2-2 in stolen base attempts. 

>> Jett Buck is slashing .262 with a .883 OBS while starting in all 16 games. He has ten extra base hits with five home runs and 15 RBI. 

>> Payton McHarg is slashing .214 on the year while starting in all 16 games. He has three home runs and a .375 OB%. He set a program record with five walks in game one against Missouri Southern. 

>> Blake Scott is hitting .238 on the year while playing in 15 games and starting in 14. He has hit three home runs with seven RBI. He has a .396 OB% and a .896 OPS. 

>> Connor Scott has started in 15 of 16 games he has played in, hitting .224 with two home runs and seven RBI. He is 3-4 on stolen base attempts. 

>> Garrett Springer has played in eight games, making three starts, and is hitting .278 with a home run and six RBI. 

>> Chase Littrell has appeared in nine games, making one start. He has scored five runs while hitting .286. 

ON THE MOUND

>> Caleb Lunnon has tossed a team-high 21.1 innings in his four starts, allowing five earned runs for a 2.11 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He has a 2-0 record and is third on the team with 14 strikeouts. He ranks fifth in the MIAA in ERA and is 8th in hits allowed per nine.  

>> Cooper Carlgren has started four games and thrown 20.0 innings with a 5.40 ERA and 0-1 record. He has 15 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP while opponents are hitting .213. 

>> Caden Bressler is 1-1 on the year after throwing 16.1 innings across four appearances with one start and has a 3.31 ERA. He has struck out six and opponents have a batting average of just .170 when facing him. He is third in the MIAA in hits allowed per nine innings. 

>> Piercen McElyea has thrown 15.0 innings across four starts. He leads the team with 17 strikeouts and has a 5.40 ERA and an 0-1 record. 

>> Keegan McDonald has a 3.38 ERA across 5.1 innings in five appearances. He has a 0.56 WHIP and has struck out 10 batters with opponents hitting just .118.

>> Cal Leonard has thrown in three games, tossing 4.1 innings with a 1-0 record and 2.08 ERA while striking out three. 

>> Kai Bennett is 2-0 on the year in four appearances throwing 8.1 innings. He has a 4.32 ERA with 11 strikeouts and a 1.32 WHIP. 

>> Fidel Hatch has appeared in five games out of the bullpen and tossed 6.0 IP. He has a 7.50 ERA and struck out a pair. 

>> Chase Torkelson has appeared in four games, making one start, he has thrown 8.0 innings with a 7.88 ERA and seven strikeouts.  

>> Griffin Huiatt has a team-high six appearances, including one start, throwing 11.0 innings with a 8.18 ERA and five strikeouts.

IN THE FIELD

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Jett Buck leads the team with 40 putouts in the field. He also leads with 48 assists and has turned a team-high six double plays. 

>> Jackson Mervosh is second on the team with 29 assists and has been part of five double plays. 

>> Hayden Priest leads the team with 100 total putouts from behind home plate while Blake Scott has 89 at first base. 

>> Priest has also thrown out a team-high two would be base-stealers.

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...

Home runs - 33 (1st MIAA / 2nd nationally)

Slugging percentage - .560 (1st MIAA / 7th nationally)

Fielding percentage - .976 (5th MIAA / 28th nationally)

Doubles - 41 (4th MIAA / 16th nationally)

Hits allowed per nine innings - 8.10 (4th MIAA / 33rd nationally)

Scoring 7.9 - (5th MIAA / 50th nationally)

Batting average .301 (6th MIAA / 55th nationally)

Runs - 127 (2nd MIAA / 56th nationally)

Walks - 75 (5th MIAA / 79th 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 266-223 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

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS

>> Northwest Missouri is 6-8 on the year and 0-3inside the MIAA. Last time out they defeated Concordia, St. Paul 14-4 in Maryville on March 1. 

>> Last season the Bearcats went 21-30 overall and 12-21 inside the MIAA. They fell in the first round of the MIAA Tournament losing to Missouri Southern in two games. 

>> In 2025, they are 2-1 when playing at the Bearcat Baseball Field, 4-7 on the road and have not played a neutral field game. 

>> Northwest Missouri is hitting .262 as a team with a .409 OB% and a .393 SLG%. They have 11 home runs with 103 strikeouts and 82 walks. 

>> They are 2nd in the MIAA in walks and on base percentage while ranking sixth in stolen bases. 

>> Ryan Williams leads the team with a .370 batting average having started in all 14 games. He has driven in 20 runs with a .964 OPS. He is fifth in the MIAA in RBI and 10th in walks. 

>> Dylan Hufft has played and started in all 14 games hitting .351 with six doubles and 14 RBI. He is also 2-2 in stolen base attempts. 

>> Kaehukai Young leads the team with five home runs, 22 RBI and a 1.111 OPS starting in all 14 games. He is hitting .333 and worked 12 walks. He is fourth in the MIAA in home runs and third in RBI. 

>> The pitching staff has a 9.53 ERA across 107.2 innings with 85 strikeouts and 66 walks.

>> They are tied for first in the MIAA with one complete game and one shutout. 

>> Brock Steggall has a team-best 2.31 ERA across three appearances out of the bullpen. He is 3-0 in 11.2 innings with six strikeouts. 

>> Ben Haug has thrown a team-high 19 innings across four starts. He is 2-1 on the year with a 8.53 ERA and has struck out a team best 15. 

>> Jaren Guck is second on the team with three starts tossing 14.0 innings. He has a 5.79 ERA and is 1-1 with 11 punchouts. 

HEAD COACH

>> Tony Jandron is in his first season as the head coach of the Northwest Missouri State baseball program. 

>> This is the first head coaching job for Jandron after previously serving as an assistant coach at Illinois State, Central Michigan, Northwood and the College of DuPage.

>> At Illinois State in 2024, Jandron served as the third base coach and ran the offense for the Redbirds

>> Jandron is a 2011 graduate of St. Norbert College in DePere, Wis., with a degree in business administration. Jandron was a two-sport athlete in college as he competed in baseball and basketball.

SERIES HISTORY

>> Washburn leads the all-time series with Northwest Missouri 77-66. 

>> The Ichabods are 37-35 against the Bearcats in Maryville. 

>> The series began on April 6, 1971 with a 6-1 win for Washburn in Maryville in the first of two games.

>> Last season the Ichabods took two of three games against Northwest Missouri split between Topeka and Maryville. Each team won every game at home. 

>> The Ichabods average 6.01 runs per game against NWMSU. 

AUGUSTANA VIKINGS

>> Augustana is 5-3 on the year and 2-2 inside the NSIC. Last time out they fell 8-5 to St. Cloud State in the final game of a four-game series. They will face Bemidji State for four games before taking on the Ichabods. 

>> Last season the Vikings went 47-10 overall with a 32-6 mark inside the NSIC. They won the NSIC Tournament and two games in the NCAA Central Regional before losing to Central Missouri. 

>> They are receiving votes in the national poll and are ranked No. 4 in the Central Region by the NCBWA.  

>> As a team they hit .286 with a .412 OB% and a .429 SLG%. They have tallied seven home runs with 42 walks and 59 strikeouts. 

>> Joshua Koskie leads the team with a .409 batting average starting in seven games. He has a 1.309 OPS with a pair of home runs and six RBI. 

>> Jack Hines is hitting .345 while playing and starting in all eight games. He has driven in eight runs and has gone 3-3 in stolen base attempts. 

>> Jason Axelberg is hitting .304 playing in all eight games with seven starts. He has two home runs and a team-high two home runs. 

>> The Vikings pitching staff has a 4.43 ERA across 65.0 innings with a 1.49 WHIP. They have 82 strikeouts while allowing 63 hits and 34 walks. 

>> Mariana Gomez has a team-best 1.64 ERA while throwing 11.0 innings. He has a 1-0 record and has struck out 16 across two starts. 

>> Ashton Michek has started in two games with a team-high 17 strikeouts. He is 1-1 on the year with a 3.75 ERA across a team-high 12.0 innings. 

>> Ethan Cole has started a pair of games throwing 11.0 innings and striking out 12. He is 2-0 on the year with a 2.45 ERA. 

HEAD COACH

>> Tim Huber is in his 17th season as the head coach of Augustana where he has a 597-267-1 all-time record. 

>> Led the Vikings to the 2018 National Championship, winning 52 games and going 4-0 in the DII College World Series. 

>> Has made the NCAA Tournament eight times at Augustana, with ofur NSIC Tournament Championships. 

>> Huber enjoyed a stellar playing career at Minnesota State from 1997 to 2001. The outfielder was a two-time All-North Central Conference selection.

>> A native of Belle Plaine, Minn., Huber graduated from MSU in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in sport management. He earned a master's degree in educational leadership with a physical education emphasis from SMSU in 2004.

SERIES HISTORY

>> Washburn leads the all-time series over Augustana 1-0.

>> The Ichabods are 1-0 at Falley Field in the series. 

>> The only game of the series came on March 28, 1999 and was a 13-7 win for the Ichabods in Topeka. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Griffin Huiatt is tied for 15th in program history with four saves and is tied for 26th in Ichabod history with 38 total appearances. 

>> Cash Jay holds the 15th highest career batting average in program history at .361. In home runs he is 15th with 18. 

>> Payton McHarg is 9th in Washburn history with 24 home runs. 

>> With eight career triples Connor Scott is tied for seventh in program history. After sealing 39 career bags he is tied for the 16th among all Ichabods. 

>> Chase Torkelson has the 16th lowest opponent batting average in Washburn history at .264. In wins he is tied for 18th with 12. 

>> Jett Buck is tied for 13th among all Ichabods with 19 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 is the 73rd year of Washburn Baseball.

>> The Ichabods have a 1369-1294-3 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 head south next weekend taking on Northeastern State for three games in Tahlequah, Okla. beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 14. 

>> 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.