TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball begins its final week of regular season action facing Northwestern Oklahoma State at home on Tuesday at 3 p.m. before heading on the road to face No. 3 Central Missouri at 4 p.m.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn plays its final mid-week and non-conference contests of the year as they take on Northwestern Oklahoma State and No. 3 Central Missouri.
>> The Ichabods will face the Rangers on Tuesday, April 22 at Falley Field beginning at 3 p.m. before heading on the road to face the No. 3 Mules at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in Warrensburg, Mo.
>> Washburn fell to 22-23 overall and 15-17 inside the MIAA after losing 17-16 to No. 19 Pittsburg State on Friday, April 18.
>> 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.
>> Northwestern Oklahoma State fell to 27-19 overall, losing its fifth straight game in a 10-0 loss to Outachita Baptist last time out.
>> Central Missouri won a seventh straight game and improved to 32-9 overall and 23-6 in the MIAA after defeating Missouri Southern 18-2 last time out.
BODS AND BITS
>> Washburn is scoring 8.68 runs per game while opponents are at 8.07.
>> The Ichabods are 11-7 at Falley Field this season while going 10-13 in road contests and 1-3 in neutral site games.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .311 with a .409 OB% and a .537 SLG%. They have hit 83 home runs with 103 doubles and drawn 200 walks while striking out 311 times.
>> The pitching staff has a 7.39 ERA with 308 strikeouts across 389.2 innings with a 1.85 WHIP. They allowed 435 hits and issued 285 walks.
>> Washburn has a .962 fielding percentage on the year, turning 31 double plays with 62 total errors.
>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 40-54 in stolen base attempts while opponents are 78-88.
>> Washburn is 7-4 in games against NCBWA nationally ranked opponents this season.
STREAKS AND STATS
>> With a 15-game hitting streak, Jackson Mervosh carries the longest current streak into the weekend. Cash Jay had the longest of any player this season at 17 games.
>> Jackson Mervosh also has the highest on-base streak on the team at 26 games currently. Cash Jay and Hayden Priest each had 27 game streaks earlier in the season.
>> Jett Buck leads the team with 15 games of recording multiple RBI, he has two games with five or more driven in. Easton Bruce and Jackson Mervosh are second with 13 games.
>> When leading off an inning, Ichabod hitters have a .429 OB%, the number is at .419% when the bases are loaded.
>> With two outs the Ichabod pitching staff is holding opponents to just a .260 average. With runners on base the average is .282.
>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 61-32 in the fifth inning and 6-3 in extra innings.
AROUND THE ORDER
>> Jett Buck is slashing .349 with a 1.137 OBS, a team-high, while starting in all 45 games. He has a team-high 19 home runs on the year with 60 RBI, also tops on the team. He ranks 2nd in the MIAA and 5th nationally in home runs. He is also second in total bases, 3rd in RBI and fourth in the conference in SLG%.
>> Hayden Priest is hitting .342 while starting in all 45 games. He has slashed eight home runs with 66 total hits for a .940 OPS. He has driven in 42 total and scored 42 runs. The senior ranks 4th in the MIAA in hits while ranking 11th in total bases.
>> Jackson Mervosh has played in all 45 games making 44 starts and is hitting a team-high .353 with a 1.017 OPS. He has nine home runs and has driven in 48 RBI along with going 6-6 on stolen base attepts. His 20 doubles are a team-high and lead the MIAA while ranking 4th nationally. He is 5th in the MIAA in hits and 6th in total bases.
>> Payton McHarg is slashing .309 on the year while starting in all 45 games. He has 13 home runs along with a team-high 32 walks for a .460 OB%. He has driven in 40 total and has a 1.060 OPS. He is 5th in the MIAA in home runs and walks while ranking 10th in runs.
>> Darian Duhon has played in 42 games, making 41 starts and is slashing .291 at the plate with a .886 OPS. He has 44 total hits with five home runs and a trio of triples. He has driven in 24 runs and has a .403 OB%.
>> Cash Jay has played and started in all 38 games and is hitting .315 with a .972 OPS. He has five home runs and has driven in 36 while working 25 walks for a .448 OB%.
>> Easton Bruce has started 37 games all in left field with a .943 OPS. He is hitting .306 with nine home runs and 43 RBI. He has also scored 42 runs, most on the team while going 3-4 on stolen base opportunities.
>> Blake Scott is hitting .270 on the year while playing in 43 games and starting in 41. He has hit seven home runs with 21 RBI. He has a .440 OB% and a .916 OPS. His 32 walks are tied for most on the team and he is 4-5 in stolen base attempts. He ranks fifth in the MIAA in walks.
>> Connor Scott has started in 44 of 45 games he has played in, hitting .265 with four home runs and 28 RBI. He has a team-high nine stolen bases.
>> Owen Laessig is hitting .382 with two home runs and nine RBI across 13 games with seven starts. He has a 1.093 OPS and has scored 11 runs.
>> Chase Littrell has appeared in 19 games, making five starts. He is hitting .318 and scored 10 runs with one home run and five RBI.
>> Trevor McCollum is hitting .229 with six RBI while playing in 18 games and starting in five.
>> Garrett Springer has played in 18 games, making eight starts, and is hitting .233 with a home run and 10 RBI.
ON THE MOUND
>> Across ten starts Caleb Lunnon has thrown 54.2 innings. He is 4-0 with a 4.61 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He has 37 strikeouts on the year and has thrown just one wild pitch with one hit batter.
>> Caden Bressler has made 14 appearances with six starts throwing 52.2 innings on the year. He is 3-3 with a 4.44 ERA, best on the team. He has struck out 23 and allowed just 52 hits.
>> Cooper Carlgren has started 11 games, throwing a team-high 56.0 innings with 53 strikeouts, also a team high. He is 1-4 with a 6.91 ERA on the year. He is 12th in the MIAA in strikeouts.
>> Max Clark has made 14 appearances out of the bullpen, throwing 14.2 innings with 15 strikeouts and a 5.52 ERA. He is 1-1 on the year.
>> Piercen McElyea has thrown 18.1 innings across five starts. He has19 strikeouts with an 0-1 record and a 5.40 ERA.
>> Kai Bennett is 3-2 on the year in 15 appearances throwing 22.2 innings. He has a 5.96 ERA with 27 strikeouts and a 1.54 WHIP.
>> Logan Bartlett has made 12 appearances out of the bullpen throwing 14.0 innings. He has struck out 10 and is 1-0 with a 7.07 ERA and one save.
>> Keegan McDonald has a 7.43 ERA across 13.1 innings in 14 appearances with a 1-1 record. He has a 1.35 WHIP and has struck out 14 batters with one save.
>> Griffin Huiatt has made 17 appearances, including four starts. He has thrown 35.2 innings with a 8.58 ERA and 26 strikeouts for a 3-4 record. He leads the team with two saves.
>> Cal Leonard has thrown in 11 games, tossing 13.1 innings with a 2-0 record and a 7.43 ERA. He has struck out eight.
>> Chase Torkelson has appeared in ten games, making four starts. He has thrown 24.0 innings with a 7.88 ERA and 15 strikeouts.
>> Fidel Hatch has appeared in 14 games with one start and tossed 17.2 IP. He has a 7.13 ERA and struck out ten.
IN THE FIELD
>> Excluding first basemen and catchers, Connor Scott leads the team with 113 putouts in the field.
>> Jett Buck has a team-high 129 assists from shortstop while also making 98 putouts, fourth most on the squad. He has also been part of 26 double plays.
>> Jackson Mervosh is second on the team with 103 assists and has been part of 25 double plays.
>> Blake Scott has a team-high 304 putouts while Hayden Priest is second at 282.
>> Priest has also thrown out a team-high eight 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 - 84 (1st MIAA / 3rd nationally)
Slugging percentage - .537 (2nd MIAA / 19th nationally)
Hits - 500 (1st MIAA / 9th nationally)
Runs - 391 (1st MIAA / 19th nationally)
Doubles - 103 (1st MIAA / 11th nationally)
Scoring 8.7 - (3rd MIAA / 30th nationally)
Walks - 200 (5th MIAA / 64th nationally)
Batting average .311 (3rd MIAA / 53rd 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 278-240 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
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE RANGERS
>> Northwestern Oklahoma State fell to 27-19 overall and lost a fifth straight game after dropping a 10-0 contest to Ouachita Baptist on Friday, April 18 last time out.
>> Last season the Rangers went 31-20 overall with a 19-13 record in the GAC. They fell in the first round of the GAC Tournament.
>> In 2025, they are 15-8 playing at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium with a 11-11 road record and 1-0 in neutral field games.
>> Northwestern Oklahoma State is hitting .313 as a team with a .410 OB% and a .494 SLG%. They have 53 home runs with 336 strikeouts and 221 walks.
>> Connor Green is hitting a team-high .358 while playing in 45 games and starting in 44. He has five home runs with 41 RBI for a .946 OPS. He is fourth in the GAC in total hits.
>> Carson Wright is slashing .340 with a 1.021 OPS after playing in 46 games with 45 starts. He has a team-high 11 home runs and 50 RBI along with two stolen bases. He is third in the GAC in both hits and RBI while ranking seventh in home runs.
>> Dylan Bradford is hitting .355 while starting in all 43 games he has appeared in He has one home run with 25 RBI and is 8-11 in stolen base attempts.
>> The pitching staff has a 5.85 ERA across 370.2 innings with 312 strikeouts and 179 walks.
>> Will Kates has made 12 starts throwing 71.2 total innings. He has a 2.51 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a 6-2 record and 54 strikeouts with opponents hitting .216. He is 2nd in the GAC in ERA and hits allowed per nine innings while ranking top-50 nationally in both.
>> Kyle Holzer has mad 10 appearances out of the bullpen throwing 16.0 innings with 15 strikeouts. He has a 4.50 ERA.
HEAD COACH
>> Ryan Bowen is in his eighth season as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State in 2025.
>> In his seven years at Northwestern, his team has compiled a record of 159-154.
>> Before arriving at Northwestern, Bowen was the lead assistant at Great American Conference foe, Southeastern Oklahoma State for five seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
>> Washburn and Northwestern Oklahoma State are tied in the all-time series 2-2.
>> All four games have been road contests for the Ichabods.
>> The series began on February 6, 2020 with a 6-3 win for Washburn in Alva.
>> The Rangers won a 10-7 game in Alva, Okla. on April 2 this season.
CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES
>> Central Missouri won a seventh straight game to improve to 32-9 overall and 23-6 inside the MIAA after defeating Missouri Southern 18-2 on Friday, April 18.
>> They are ranked No. 3 in the latest NCBWA national poll.
>> Last season the Mules went 52-10 overall and 29-4 inside the MIAA, falling in the MIAA Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA World Series before falling 4-3 to Inidna (Pa.).
>> In 2025, they are 15-4 at Thompkins Field, 14-3 on the road and 3-2 in neutral field games.
>> Central Missouri is hitting .324 as a team with a .418 OB% and a .538 SLG%. They have 62 home runs with 268 strikeouts and 191 walks.
>> They are 1st in the MIAA in stolen bases while ranking second in batting average, OB% and runs per game.
>> Vance Tobol is hitting .357 with a team-high 1.179 OPS on the year while starting all 40 games. He has 16 home runs and 53 RBI while carrying a .744 SLG%. On the bases he is also 15-17 in stolen base attempts. He is 4th in the MIAA and 19th nationally in home runs, is third in the conference in SLG% and 4th in RBI.
>> Jacob Steele leads the team hitting .398 while starting all 40 games. He has a 1.091 OPS with eight home runs and 44 RBI. Working 21 walks his OB% is .465, second on the team. He leads the MIAA in batting average and hits.
>> Dayvin Johnson is slashing .357 in 38 starts with a 1.102 OPS. He has 11 home runs to go along with 48 RBI. He is 9-9 in stolen base attempts as well. He is sixth in the MIAA in SLG% and seventh in total bases.
>> The pitching staff has a 4.58 ERA across 359.2 innings with 378 strikeouts and 165 walks.
>> They are first in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings while ranking second in WHIP.
>> Jack Scott has made 12 appearances with ten starts throwing 53.0 innings. He has a 4-1 record and 3.06 ERA with 48 strikeouts. He is fourth in the conference in ERA.
>> JD McReynolds has appeared in 14 games with one start throwing 32.2 total innings. He has a 6-0 record and 1.38 ERA and .80 WHIP while striking out a team-high 52. He also has three saves. He ranks sixth in the MIAA in saves.
>> Evan O'Toole has started 10 games and made 11 appearances throwing 50.1 innings. He is 5-0 with a 3.93 ERA and has struck out 49.
HEAD COACH
>> Kyle Crookes enters his 11th season as head coach of Mules Baseball in 2025 and his 13th season overall with the program after serving his first two seasons as the team's top assistant.
>> He has compiled a 398-133 overall record in 10 seasons, including a 253-70 mark in MIAA play. He has led the Mules to six MIAA Regular Season and six MIAA Tournament championships, and four NCAA Central Region crowns. In 2021, Crookes led the Mules to a runner-up finish at the 2021 NCAA-II College World Series.
>> Prior to coming to Warrensburg, Crookes spent the previous eight seasons as the head coach at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan.
SERIES HISTORY
>> Central Missouri leads the all-time series with Washburn 94-30.
>> The Ichabods are 12-46 against the Mules in Warrensburg.
>> The series began on March 14, 1985 with a 8-7 win for Washburn in Topeka.
>> Both teams have split the season series so far with each team winning at home.
>> The Ichabods average 4.55 runs per game against UCM.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> Cash Jay holds the 30th highest career batting average in program history at .343. In home runs he is tied for 13th with 20 and in doubles he is tied for 11th with 36 career two-bag hits.
>> Payton McHarg is 3rd in Washburn history with 34 home runs, with 107 RBI he is 22nd.
>> Griffin Huiatt is tied for 10th in program history with six saves and is 14th in Ichabod history with 49 total appearances.
>> With nine career triples Connor Scott is tied for fifth in program history. After sealing 45 career bags he is 13th among all Ichabods.
>> Jett Buck is 4th in program history with 33 home runs. With 112 RBI he is tied for 18th in program history.
>> Chase Torkelson is tied for 17th in program history with 13 career wins.
>> Easton Bruce is tied for 13th in program history with 20 home runs and is tied for 18th with 112 RBI.
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 1381-1311-3 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 wraps up the regular season with a three-game series against Newman beginning on Friday, April 25 at 5 p.m.
>> Senior day for the Ichabods will be on Sunday, April 27 against the Jets with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
>> The single elimination MIAA Tournament will begin in Joplin, Mo. at Warren Turner Field on May 7 and run through May 10.
