• The Washburn softball team continues its second week in a row on the road with five games at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Bentonville, Ark. facing opponents from the GLVC and the GAC conferences.
• Washburn opened the season with a 4-1 weekend at the Lone Start Classic in Mansfield, Texas.
• The Ichabods have hit the 30-win mark for four-straight seasons dating back to the 2022 season …that is longest streak of 30 wins since a run between the 2002-07 seasons when the Ichabods recorded 30 wins six seasons in a row.
• The Washburn Ichabods were tabbed sixth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches poll that was released Friday by the MIAA office
• Brenda Holaday is in her 10th season as the Ichabod softball head coach recording a 287-171 overall record going 136-74 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. • After the first weekend of action, the Ichabods are ranked eighth in hits (50), eight in on base percentage (.472), seventh in stolen bases per game (3.20), 10th in batting average (.376) and 10th in RBI (33).
• Individually Kate Ediger and Makenzie Sais are tied for seventh in hits (10) and Sais is second in stolen bases (10) and first in stolen bases per game (2.00) … Sadie Walker with 11th in strikeouts with 16 and Kierra Goos is 19th in strikeouts with 14.
  (Feb.  1, 2026) MANSFIELD, Texas – The Washburn Ichabod softball team wrapped up a 4-1 weekend at the Lone Star Classic with a pair of run-rule wins winning 11-3 over Lubbock Christian and 10-2 over Texas A&M-Kingsville, both in five innings.
Washburn 11, LCU 3 (5 innings)
Washburn exploded for a nine-run third inning and never looked back, powering past Lubbock Christian 11-3 in five innings Saturday morning at the Lone Star Classic in Mansfield. The Ichabods pounded out 12 hits, capitalized on defensive miscues and got a steady effort in the circle to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Washburn struck first in the opening frame when Makenzie Sais singled, stole second and eventually scored as Dalaney Anderson reached on an error, giving the Ichabods a 1-0 lead. Lubbock Christian answered in the third on an RBI triple from Alexis Clark and an RBI single by Ava Castillo to briefly move in front 2-1.
The lead lasted only moments. Anderson tied the game with a solo home run to left-center to start the bottom half, igniting Washburn's decisive rally. Maddie McGee followed with a two-run single up the middle, Sais added an RBI single and Erin Boles brought home another run on a fielder's choice. A wild pitch plated a run before Kate Ediger capped the outburst with a two-run single, pushing the margin to 10-2 by the end of the inning.
The Lady Chaps scratched across a run in the fifth on an RBI double from Brianna Chambers-Lee, but Washburn answered immediately. Anderson drew a walk and scored from first when Aspen Burgardt ripped an RBI double to deep left, ending the game via run rule.
Anderson finished 2 for 3 with three RBI, a home run and three runs scored, while Sais went 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI. Ediger added two hits and four RBI, and McGee drove in two as part of the Ichabods' balanced attack.
Kierra Goos earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits with four strikeouts over four innings. Sadie Walker closed the final frame, striking out three while surrendering one run. Washburn did not commit an error defensively and stole multiple bases to keep pressure on throughout the contest.
Washburn 10, TAMUK 2 (5 innings)
Washburn erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning and rode a dominant relief outing from Sadie Walker to a 10–2 win over Texas A&M–Kingsville on Saturday afternoon in Mansfield, Texas. The Ichabods collected 12 hits in the victory, improving to 3–1 on the season.
Texas A&M–Kingsville grabbed the early lead in the first when Victoria Vargas doubled and later scored on an RBI single up the middle from Alexis Soliz. Washburn pulled even in the third after Taylor Brees singled, moved around the bases, and scored on Dalaney Anderson's RBI single through the left side.
The Javelinas went back in front 2–1 in the fourth on Kennia Chong's RBI double to left center, but that advantage didn't last long as Washburn exploded in the bottom half of the inning. Danielle Schlader tied the game with an RBI single to shallow left, and Brees put Washburn ahead for good with an RBI fielder's choice. Two defensive miscues by the Javelinas allowed three more runs to score, and the Ichabods kept rolling. Madi Moore delivered the biggest swing of the inning with a two-run double to left center, and Kate Ediger followed with an RBI single to finish off an eight-run frame that put Washburn up 10–2.
Walker was lights-out in relief, tossing four innings while allowing only two hits and one run and striking out seven. She retired 12 of the 16 batters she faced to earn the win. Offensively, Ediger went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Anderson added two hits and an RBI, and Brees scored three times while stealing two bases.
Texas A&M–Kingsville's offense was led by Chong, who went 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Soliz, who drove in a run in the first inning. MISSOURI S&T
• The Lady Miners were 3-1 last weekend including a win over No. 11 Central Oklahoma in a 5-4 victory.
• Their only loss came in a 10-0 setback to Northwestern Oklahoma State.
• Missouri S&T enters the 2026 season after finishing the 2025 campaign with a 19–34 overall record and a 14–14 mark in Great Lakes Valley Conference play, highlighted by a run to the third day of the GLVC Tournament. The Miners averaged 4.2 runs per game last season while producing 40 home runs and 61 doubles, and posted a .248 team batting average with a .386 slugging percentage.
• At the plate, S&T featured a balanced offensive attack, led by Taylor Nelson (Hailey, ID/Phillips Exeter Academy) (.320 AVG, eight home runs, 30 RBIs). In the circle, the Miners logged a 4.43 team ERA, led by All-GLVC Third Team selection Mia Miller (Waterloo, IL/Waterloo), who recorded 10 wins and 142 strikeouts across 182.1 innings.
 
HARDING
• Harding went 2-2 at the Lone Star Classic with wins over Maryville and Texas Woman's.
• Harding picked up the last remaining first-place vote was picked third in the GAC preseason poll. The Lady Bisons finished third in the poll. Last year they secured their third NCAA Tournament appearance. They return 2025 GAC Newcomer of the Year Zoey Neal and GAC Freshman of the Year Brooklyn Gobble. Neal hit .408 and drove in a league-leading 62 runs. Gobble went 17-8 with 175 strikeouts in 170.0 innings. She added four saves. Avery Booker, who won nine games, and Emaline Pearson, who hit .345, also return.
 
WILLIAM JEWELL
• The Cardinals are seeing their first action this weekend.
• William Jewell was picked 13th in the GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
• Southeastern Oklahoma was 2-3 last weekend at the D2 First Pitch Invitational.
• Southeastern was picked to finish tied for fifth in the Great American Conference Preseason Poll ahead of the start of the season. Head coach Mackenzie Sher and the Storm finished 2025 with a 26-27 overall record and a 17-16 mark.
 
TRUMAN
• The Bulldogs are playing their first games of the season in Arkansas.
• The Bulldogs bring back a veteran-laden roster featuring several key contributors from last season's squad. Leading the way is senior outfielder Emily Wood, who earned First Team All-GLVC honors in 2025 after posting a .399 batting average with 22 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs while driving in 45 RBI. Her .722 slugging percentage and 16 stolen bases demonstrated her ability to impact the game in multiple ways. Wood also excelled defensively, posting a .989 fielding percentage in the outfield.
  • is 283-169 in her 10th season as the Ichabod head softball coach and is the all-time winningest coach in program history.
• she has gone 136-74 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 (.791) 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  1360-993-1 in their 56th 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.