PITTSBURG, Kan. -- Washburn baseball will cross state lines as they continue the MIAA Tournament in the semifinal round against Northwest Missouri State at 4 p.m. on Friday in Joplin, Mo.  

LEADING OFF 

>> Washburn keeps on dancing in the MIAA Championship Tournament taking on the No. 6 seed Northwest Missouri State.  

>> The No. 6 seed Ichabods take on the Bearcats in Joplin, Mo. at Warren Turner Field in the MIAA Tournament semifinals with first pitch at 4 p.m.  

>> Washburn improved to 28-24 overall with a 2-1 win over No. 15 nationally ranked and the tournament's No. 3 seed, Pittsburg State on Thursday afternoon.  

>> The Ichabods 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. 

>> Northwest Missouri State improved to 26-24 on the year with a 6-5 extra-inning win over Fort Hays State in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.  

>> With a win in the semifinals, Washburn would face the winner of the other semifinal game between No. 4 Central Oklahoma and No. 8 Missouri Southern at 1 p.m. on Saturday.  

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS 

>> Nine Ichabods earned All-MIAA honors earlier in the week led by first team selection Jett Buck at shortstop.  

>> The second team included three players from Washburn with Hayden Priest getting a nod at catcher, Payton McHarg in a utility role and Jackson Mervosh at second base.  

>> On the third team are Caleb Lunnon at starting pitcher and Easton Bruce in the outfield.  

>> Cash Jay earned an honorable mention nod at third base as did Cooper Carlgren at starting pitcher.  

>> Caden Bressler was also selected as the lone pitcher in the conference to the Gold Glove Team.  

BODS AND BITS 

>> Washburn is scoring 8.48 runs per game while opponents are at 7.52. 

>> The Ichabods are 15-7 at Falley Field this season while going 11-14 in road contests and 2-3 in neutral site games.  

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .312 with a .409 OB% and a .532 SLG%. They have hit 88 home runs with 121 doubles and drawn 228 walks while striking out 351 times.  

>> The pitching staff has a 6.94 ERA with 363 strikeouts across 447.2 innings with a 1.79 WHIP. They allowed 487 hits and issued 315 walks.  

>> Washburn has a .964 fielding percentage on the year, turning 37 double plays with 69 total errors.  

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 45-61 in stolen base attempts while opponents are 84-97.  

>> Washburn is 8-5 in games against NCBWA nationally ranked opponents this season.  

STREAKS AND STATS 

>> Jett Buck leads the team with 17 games of recording multiple RBI, he has two games with five or more driven in. Easton Bruce and Jackson Mervosh are second with 14 games each.  

>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 72-37 in the fifth inning and 6-3 in extra innings.  

AROUND THE ORDER 

>> Jett Buck is slashing .367 with a 1.173 OBS, a team-high, while starting in all 52 games. He has a team-high 20 home runs on the year with 66 RBI, also tops on the team. He ranks 1st in the MIAA and 31st nationally in hits he is 2nd in the conference and 9th in the nation in home runs. He is also third in the MIAA in RBI and fourth in SLG%.  

>> Hayden Priest is hitting .330 while starting in all 52 games. He has slashed nine home runs with 73 total hits for a .912 OPS. He has driven in 45 total and scored 46 runs. The senior ranks 8th in the MIAA in hits. 

>> Jackson Mervosh has played in all 52 games making 51 starts and is hitting .358 with a 1.024 OPS. He has ten home runs and has driven in 55 RBI along with going 7-7 on stolen base attempts. His 24 doubles are a team-high and lead the MIAA while ranking 3rd nationally. He is 4th in the MIAA in hits, 5th in total bases and 7th in RBI.  

>> Payton McHarg is slashing .298 on the year while starting in all 52 games. He has 13 home runs along with a team-high 35 walks for a .443 OB%. He has driven in 43 total and has a 1.003 OPS. He is 5th in the MIAA in walks, sixth in home runs and 13th in runs.  

>> Darian Duhon has played in 49 games, making 48 starts and is slashing .291 at the plate with a .888 OPS. He has 51 total hits with six home runs and a trio of triples. He has driven in 31 runs and has a .402 OB%. 

>> Cash Jay has started in all 40 games he has played in and is hitting .333 with a 1.011 OPS. He has five home runs and has driven in 42 while working 27 walks for a team-high .464 OB%. He is 8th in the MIAA in doubles.   

>> Easton Bruce has started 43 games with a .915 OPS. He is hitting .302 with nine home runs and 46 RBI. He has also scored 47 runs while going 3-5 on stolen base opportunities.  

>> Blake Scott is hitting .262 on the year while playing in 50 games and starting in 48. He has hit seven home runs with 24 RBI. He has a .421 OB% and a .857 OPS. His 34 walks are second most on the team and he is 4-5 in stolen base attempts. He ranks seventh in the MIAA in walks.  

>> Connor Scott has started in 51 of 52 games he has played in, hitting .249 with four home runs and 29 RBI. He has a team-high 11 stolen bases.  

>> Owen Laessig is hitting .367 with three home runs and 12 RBI across 18 games with 11 starts. He has a 1.058 OPS and has scored 14 runs.  

>> Chase Littrell has appeared in 23 games, making five starts. He is hitting .318 and scored 10 runs with one home run and five RBI.  

>> Trevor McCollum is hitting .216 with six RBI while playing in 21 games and starting in six.  

>> 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 12 starts and one bullpen appearances Caleb Lunnon has thrown 62.1 innings. He is 5-0 with a 4.62 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP, best both on the team for pitchers making at least one start. He has 48 strikeouts on the year and has thrown just two wild pitches.  

>> Caden Bressler has made 16 appearances with eight starts throwing 62.1 innings on the year. He is 3-3 with a 4.62 ERA, tied for the best on the team among starters. He has struck out 28 and allowed just a .267 batting average.  

>> Cooper Carlgren has started 13 games, throwing a team-high 72.2 innings with 68 strikeouts, also a team high. He is 3-4 with a 5.57 ERA on the year. He is 14th 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.  

>> Kai Bennett is 4-2 on the year in 18 appearances throwing 25.2 innings. He has a 5.26 ERA with 29 strikeouts and a 1.48 WHIP.  

>> Piercen McElyea has thrown 19.0 innings across five starts and six appearances. He has 20 strikeouts with an 0-1 record and a 6.16 ERA.  

>> Logan Bartlett has made 13 appearances out of the bullpen throwing 14.1 innings. He has struck out 10 and is 1-0 with a 6.91 ERA and one save.  

>> Keegan McDonald has a 7.24 ERA across 13.2 innings in 15 appearances with a 1-1 record. He has a 1.32 WHIP and has struck out 14 batters with one save.  

>> Griffin Huiatt has made 20 appearances, including five starts. He has thrown 41.0 innings with a 8.78 ERA and 34 strikeouts for a 3-5 record. He leads the team with three saves.  

>> Cal Leonard has thrown in 14 games, tossing 16.0 innings with a 3-0 record and a 6.19 ERA. He has struck out nine.  

>> Chase Torkelson has appeared in 12 games, making four starts. He has thrown 29.0 innings with a 7.14 ERA, 20 strikeouts and one save.  

>> Fidel Hatch has appeared in 15 games with one start and tossed 19.2 IP. He has a 6.41 ERA and struck out 11.  

IN THE FIELD 

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Connor Scott leads the team with 127 putouts in the field. 

>>  Jett Buck has a team-high 142 assists from shortstop while also making 109 putouts, fourth most on the squad. He has also been part of 29 double plays.  

>> Jackson Mervosh is second on the team with 116 assists and has been part of 29 double plays.  

>> Blake Scott has a team-high 355 putouts while Hayden Priest is second at 336.  

>> Priest has also thrown out a team-high eleven 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 Iowa and Louisiana each to round out the roster.  

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 284-241 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 improved to 26-24 on the year with a 6-5 10-inning win over Fort Hays State in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.  

>> 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 14-7 when playing at the Bearcat Baseball Field, 11-17 on the road and are now 1-0 in neutral field games.  

>> Northwest Missouri is hitting .281 as a team with a .400 OB% and a .451 SLG%. They have 56 home runs with 381 strikeouts and 258 walks.  

>> Dylan Hufft leads the team with a .358 batting average while starting in all 50 games. He has one home run with 44 RBI for a .899 OPS. He is 8-11 in stealing bases.  

>> Ashton Neuman has played and started in all 50 games hitting .295. He has a team-high 1.062 OPS and .496 OB% thanks to a nation-high 59 walks. He also has 12 home runs with 50 RBI.  

>> The pitching staff has a 6.72 ERA across 416.1 innings with 323 strikeouts and 211 walks. 

>> Jaren Guck has started in 10 games and made 11 appearances throwing 54.0 innings with 39 strikeouts. He has a 2-1 record and a 4.17 ERA.  

>> Brock Stegall has made 13 appearances with three starts throwing 45.2 inning. He has struck out 26 and has a team-high three saves. He is 6-2 on the year with a 2.76 ERA.  

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 77-69.  

>> The teams have never faced one in a neutral field game.  

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

>> Earlier in the season the Bearcats sweep a three-game home series winning games 8-7, 15-12 and 11-6 between March 8-10.  

>> The Ichabods average 6.05 runs per game against NWMSU. 

MILESTONE MARKERS 

>> Cash Jay holds the 23rd highest career batting average in program history at .350. In home runs he is tied for 13th with 20 and in doubles he is tied for 8th with 38 career two-bag hits.  

>> Payton McHarg is tied for 3rd in Washburn history with 34 home runs, with 110 RBI he is alone at 20th.  

>> Griffin Huiatt is tied for 5th in program history with seven saves and is 9th in Ichabod history with 52 total appearances.  

>> With ten career triples Connor Scott is tied for fourth in program history. After sealing 47 career bags he is tied for 12th among all Ichabods. He also ranks tied for sixth with 39 doubles.  

>> Jett Buck is tied for 3rd in program history with 34 home runs. With 118 RBI he is 14th in program history.  

>> Chase Torkelson is tied for 12th in program history with 14 career wins.  

>> Easton Bruce is tied for 13th in program history with 20 home runs and is tied for 15th with 115 RBI. 

>> With 24 doubles this season Jackson Mervosh set a new program record for most in a single season.  

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 1387-1312-3 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 

>> With a win, Washburn would advance into the MIAA Championship game and take on the winner of the other semifinal game between No. 4 Central Oklahoma and No. 8 Missouri Southern at 1 p.m. on Saturday.