TOPEKA, Kan. -- The 74th season of Washburn Ichabod baseball begins in the Sunshine State with four games in four days against SSC opponents. The Ichabods take on Lynn, Palm Beach Atlantic, Nova Southeastern and Barry.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn baseball begins the 74th season in program history heading to Florida for four games in four days to open 2026.
>> The Ichabods begin the season on Friday, Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. against Lynn University. They take on Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday at 12 p.m. and Nova Southeastern at 12 p.m. on Sunday. They wrap up the trip against Barry on Monday at 12:30 p.m.
>> Washburn is coming off a fourth straight winning season in 2025 going 28-25 overall and 18-18 inside the MIAA. They finished 7th in the regular season and won two games in the MIAA Tournament before falling in the semifinal round.
>> They were picked to finish fifth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll for a second straight year.
FOLLOW ALONG
>> All games in Florida will be streamed on the Sunshine State Conference network for free. Go to sunshinestateconference.tv and select Washburn's opponent for the day to view.
>> Live stats can be found through the Washburn Athletics website.
BODS AND BITS
>> Last season Washburn scored 8.47 runs per game while allowing 7.55.
>> They went 15-7 at Falley Field, 11-14 in road games and 2-4 in neutral field meetings.
>> At the plate the Ichabods hit .313 with a .409 OB% and a .530 SLG%. They hit 89 home runs with 121 doubles and drew 232 walks.
>> The pitching staff had a 6.96 ERA with 370 strikeouts across 456.1 innings. They allowed 498 hits and issued 323 walks.
>> Washburn had a .963 fielding percentage last year with 72 errors and turned 38 double plays.
>> On the basepaths the Ichabods were 48-64 in stolen base attempts while opponents were 85-98.
>> Washburn will return 19 players from the 2025 roster with eight of them as seniors, four juniors and seven freshmen.
OPENING DAY
>> The Ichabods are 7-4 in the very first game of the season since Harley Douglas became the head coach in 2015.
>> Washburn is 36-37 all-time in the season opener.
ALL-MIAA RETURNERS
>> Washburn had nine players earn All-MIAA honors a season ago and will return a pair of them in 2026.
>> Jackson Mervosh returns to the Ichabod infield after earning All-MIAA second team and All-Region honors last season. As a junior last season he started in 52 games and played in all 53 hitting .356 with 77 total hits and 10 home runs. He set a program record with 24 doubles and had a 1.017 OPS. In the field he made 119 assists and 103 putouts and was part of 30 double plays. He had eight games with three or more hits.
>> Caleb Lunnon returns for his senior season after earning All-MIAA third team recognition last season. In his first season with Washburn he appeared in 14 games making 12 starts tossing 65.0 innings, second most on the team. He finished with a 5-1 record, a team-high in victories, and a 1.48 WHIP with 51 strikeouts. Lunnon tossed five or more strikeouts in seven outings last season.
OUTFIELD
>> Washburn returns just two players who made starts in the outfield a season ago. Owen Laessig started in seven games in the outfield, five in left and two in right. Chase Littrell started four games in left field and once in right.
>> Appearing in 18 games and making 11 starts as a freshman last season Owen Laessig hit .367 in his 49 at-bats with a 1.058 OPS. He tallied 18 hits with three home runs and 12 RBI. He had a pair of games with three hits. In the field he made 18 putouts with four assists.
>> Chase Littrell made 23 appearances last season and made five starts. He returns as a junior after hitting .318 in 22 at-bats with five RBI and one home run. He was 2-2 on stolen base attempts as well. In the field he made seven putouts with one assist.
INFIELD
>> Aside from Mervosh the Ichabods only return one start in the infield from a season ago which came from Laessig at second base.
>> As the lone everyday returner, Mervosh made 51 starts at second base and one at third.
>> Jace Cattoor and Kolby Wheeler also join the group. Last season Cattoor redshirted while Wheeler appeared in three games with one at-bat.
CATCHER
>> Washburn will return two starts from behind the plate a season ago which came from Garrett Springer who returns as a sophomore.
>> Last year Springer appeared in 18 contests making eight starts in total. He hit .233 in 43 at-bats with a home run and 10 RBI. In the field he added 23 putouts with one assist.
>> Brooks Richardson also returns after appearing in four games a season ago with one start. He had five hits in seven at-bats with a pair of RBI.
STARTING PITCHERS
>> Along with Lunnon's 12 starts the Ichabods return nine total starts from three other players.
>> Among that group Griffin Huiatt has the most as he made a team-high 21 total appearances with six starting on the mound. He will be a senior after throwing 42.2 total innings with 34 strikeouts to register a 3-5 record and 9.28 ERA. He led the team with three saves and had three games with 5+ innings pitched.
>> Gavin Wilhelm made three appearances and two starts a season ago, missing most due to injury. He threw 5.0 total innings with four strikeouts and a 14.40 ERA.
>> Fidel Hatch also made one start but primarily pitched out of the bullpen.
RELIEF PITCHERS
>> Nine players who made at least one appearance out of the bullpen a season ago return for the Ichabods in 2026.
>> Aside from Hewitt's 21 total appearances the most come from Kai Bennett who made 19 appearances out of the bullpen. He threw 28.0 total innings going 4-2 on the year with a 5.79 ERA and 31 strikeouts. He held opponents to a .234 batting average.
>> Fidel Hatch returns as a senior after playing in 15 games and making one start last season. He threw 19.2 innings with 11 strikeouts and a 6.41 ERA.
>> Max Clark is back for a senior season after appearing in 14 games last season. He threw 14.2 innings with 15 strikeouts, a 1-1 record and 5.52 ERA.
>> Keegan McDonald appeared in 15 games out of the bullpen a season ago as a junior. He threw 13.2 innings striking out 14. He compiled a 1-1 record with a 7.24 ERA and one save.
>> Blake Priest played in 11 games out of the bullpen last season with eight strikeouts and a 1-1 record. He also tallied one save.
>> Kuyper Kendall made the switch to pitcher last season appearing in seven games throwing 6.0 innings. He struck out four batters in those outings.
>> Kyle Snyder pitched in seven games out of the bullpen last season as a junior. He threw 4.0 total innings with six strikeouts in that time.
>> Owen Blaine and Wyatt Moorwood both redshirted last season as true freshmen and will work into the pitching staff in 2026.
NEW FACES
>> Washburn is adding 28 newcomers to the 2026 roster with nine freshmen and 19 transfers joining the team.
>> The group of transfers features a pair of seniors, 15 juniors, one sophomore and a redshirt freshman.
>> Transfers joining the group of hitters are #4 Trenton Barry (UTL/Wahoo, Neb.), #7 Jack Borgmann (INF/Norfolk, Neb.), #10 Ian Luce (OF/Manhattan, Kan.), #12 Levi Risenhoover (OF/Euless, Tex.), #14 Brandt Beeby (C/Tulsa, Okla.), #17 Mark Hamre (UTL/Arvada, Colo.), #26 Jarrett Herrmann (OF/Iola, Kan.) and #40 Easton Wasinger (INF/Overland Park, Kan.).
>> Transfers joining the pitching staff are #5 Mark Hoffman (LHP/Clay Center, Kan.), #11 Brian Wamsher (RHP/Springfield, Mo.), #22 Zach Sharshel (RHP/Topeka, Kan.), #23 Maclane Finley (RHP/Topeka, Kan.), #29 Trey Kates (LHP/Lee's Summit, Mo.), #30 Carter Poole (RHP/Kansas City, Mo.), #31 Scout Jellison (RHP/Topeka, Kan.), #33 Max Strash (RHP/Kenosha, Wis.), #41 Braden Cork (RHP/Omaha, Neb.), #47 Jake Wolcott (RHP/Manhattan, Kan.) and #54 Cooper Tessendorf (LHP/Columbus, Neb.).
>> The freshman class includes: #2 Eli Dean (OF/Perry, Kan.), #18 Trey West (UTL/Basehor, Kan.), #20 Sean Kingston (RHP/Kansas City, Mo.), #21 Luke Sahrmann (OF/Olathe, Kan.), #38 Eli Helberg (RHP/Holt, Neb.), #39 Stone Chism (RHP/Weatherford, Okla.), #50 Sam SPiegel (RHP/Manhattan, Kan.), #51 Cal Clark (UTL/Kansas City, Kan.) and Mason Rohr (C/Russell, Kan.).
ICHABODS AROUND THE COUNTRY
>> Washburn's 47-man roster consists of players from eight different states.
>> There are 21 players on the roster who are from the Sunflower State.
>> Nebraska and Missouri are producing the second most Ichabods with seven each coming from the two bordering states.
>> Washburn has five players from Oklahoma and four from Colorado moving one state to join the Ichabod roster.
>> One player comes from each of Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin to round out the roster.
MIAA PRESEASON POLL
>> In the 2026 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, the Ichabods were picked fifth, the same place they were picked to finish in the 2025 preseason poll as well. They earned 93 total points in the poll.
>> Central Missouri was picked to repeat as the regular season champion, earning 12 of 13 first-place votes with 144 total points.
>> Pittsburg State and Central Oklahoma are picked to finish second and third respectively.
>> Missouri Southern was slotted at No. 4 and earned the final first-place nod.
NUMBERS AROUND THE NATION
>> As a team in 2025 Washburn put up a strong season in several categories to finish near the top in the conference and national ranks including...
Home runs per game - 1.68 (1st MIAA / 7th nationally)
Doubles per game - 2.28 (2nd MIAA / 13th nationally)
Slugging percentage - .530 (2nd MIAA / 18th nationally)
Runs per game - 8.5 (3rd MIAA / 27th nationally)
Hits - 586 (3rd MIAA / 33rd nationally)
Batting average - .313 (3rd MIAA / 41st nationally)
Walks - 232 - (5th MIAA / 84th nationally)
On an individual level multiple returning Ichabods had strong seasons in multiple categories:
Jackson Mervosh - doubles - 24 (1st MIAA / 5th nationally)
Jackson Mervosh - hits - 77 (6th MIAA / 85th nationally)
Jackson Mervosh - total bases - 131 (7th MIAA / 81st nationally)
HEAD COACH HARLEY DOUGLAS
>> Former Washburn All-MIAA outfielder Harley Douglas enters his 12th season at the helm of the Washburn baseball program in 2025.
>> In eleven full seasons, Douglas carries an all-time record of 284-242 with seven appearances in the MIAA Tournament and led the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2022.
>> He has also coached a total of 72 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 eighth season with the Ichabods on the coaching staff.
>> He began his coaching career 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 third 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
>> Caden Bressler moves from the starting rotation to the coaching staff for the 2026 season in his first as a coach.
>> He finished his three-year career with the Ichabods in 2025where he appeared in 62 games as a hitter and 32 on the mound. He throw 113.2 total innings with a 6-6 record and three saves.
>> Bressler graduated with his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Washburn in 2025.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
LYNN FIGHTING KNIGHTS
>> Lynn is 1-3 to begin the 2026 season after falling 7-5 to No.5 Catawba last time out on Feb. 5.
>> Last season the Fighting Knights were 30-18 overall, 19-11 inside the SSC and fell after two games in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
>> Rudy Garbalosa is in year 26 leading the Lynn baseball program where he has a 689-551-4 record.
>> Lynn is averaging 6.0 runs per game while opponents are scoring 8.25 so far on the year.
>> The Fighting Knights offense is hitting .273 as a team with a .363 OB% and .439 SLG%. They have five home runs and 16 total walks on the year.
>> So far this season Lynn is 2nd in the SSC in home runs and triples while leading the conference and are 13th in the nation in double plays.
>> Bryant Zayas has started all four games and lead sthe team with a pair of home runs and nine RBI. He is hitting .294 with a 1.133 OPS.
>> Jason Lashley is hitting .467 on the year while starting in all four games. He has a 1.033 OPS with seven total hits and four RBI.
>> The pitching staff has a 5.91 ERA across 35.0 innings pitched. They have fanned 34 total batters and allowed 17 walks while allowing four home runs.
>> They rank fourth in the conference in WHIP and 36th nationally while ranking 4th in walks per nine innings.
>> Sebastian Beimel has thrown 4.0 innings in relief in one appearance without allowing a run. He has struck out two and earned the win.
>> Chase Wills has also thrown 4.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He struck out six and did not allow a hit with just two walks.
>> Washburn is 1-3 all-time against Lynn with all of them on the road. The first meeting came on Feb. 7, 2022.
>> The first meeting came on Feb. 7, 2022 with the most recent coming last season with a 3-1 win for the Fighting Knights on Feb. 7.
PALM BEACH ATLANTIC SAILFISH
>> Palm Beach Atlantic is off to an 0-3 start to the season after falling 18-9 to Cal State East Bay last time out on Feb. 1.
>> Last season the Sailfish went 19-28 overall and 11-19 inside the SSC, they missed out on the SSC Tournament.
>> Kent Bottenfield is in his 15th season as the head coach at Palm Beach Atlantic where he has a 279-345 career record.
>> Palm Beach Atlantic is averaging 7.67 runs per game while opponents are scoring 13.67 per game.
>> The Sailfish offense is hitting .331 as a team with a .404 OB% and .471 SLG%. They have four home runs and 11 total walks on the year.
>> In the short season Palm Beach Atlantic is 2nd in the conference in both home runs per game and total hits while ranking 3rd in the SSC in slugging percentage.
>> Patrick Rakes has started all three games and is hitting .600 with a 1.814 OPS. He has one home runs and is tied for the team lead with four RBI.
>> Ian Pennington has also started every game while hitting .462 with a 1.225 OPS. He has a home run and three RBI.
>> The pitching staff has a 12.00 ERA across 27.0 innings pitched. They have fanned 22 total batters and allowed 20 walks while allowing three home runs.
>> They rank 10th in the conference in both WHIP and walks allowed per nine innings.
>> Elijah Budiac has a team-high 4.0 innings while making one start allowing eight runs with one strikeout.
>> Jack Mischke has thrown 2.2 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits out of the bullpen.
>> The all-time series between the two teams is tied 2-2. All four meetings have come in West Palm Beach, Fla.
>> The first meeting came on Feb. 6, 2022. Last season the Sailfish won 4-2 over the Ichabods on Feb. 8.
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN SHARKS
>> Nova Southeastern is off to a 1-2 start on the year after losing 14-4 to Wingate last time out on Feb. 1.
>> Last season the Sharks went 26-22 overall and 17-13 inside the SSC. They missed out on the SSC Tournament.
>> Adrian Morales is in his 3rd season at the helm of the Nova Southeastern program where he has a 55-42 record.
>> Nova Southeastern is averaging 3.33 runs per game while opponents are scoring 7.33 so far on the year.
>> The Sharks offense is hitting .211 as a team with a .321 OB% and .295 SLG%. They have one home run and 13 total walks on the year.
>> So far this season Nova Southeastern is 1st in the SSC in sacrifice bunts and fourth in sacrifice flies. In the field they are 2nd in fielding percentage nad lead the conference in double plays.
>> Dakota Jones leads the team hitting .571 while playing in all three games and starting in two. He has four hits and one RBI.
>> Jack Cue has the only home run on the year and is hitting .231 overall with a .901 OPS. He has started all three games.
>> The pitching staff has a 6.75 ERA across 28.0 innings pitched. They have struck out 23 total batters and allowed 17 walks while now allowing a single home run.
>> They rank fourth in the SSC in hits allowed per nine innings, are 6th in the conference in WHIP and 7th in ERA.
>> Christopher Perez has made one start and thrown a team-high 6.0 innings allowing just one run. He has struck out five batters with a .67 WHIP.
>> Miguel Diaz and Frank Billisi have each thrown 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with four and three strikeouts each respectively.
>> Nova Southeastern leads the all-time series between the two teams 3-1. All four games have been played on the road for Washburn.
>> The first meeting came on Feb. 4, 2022. The most recent meeting came last year and was a 5-3 win for the Ichabods on Feb. 9.
BARRY BUCS
>> Barry is undefeated on the year at 4-0 after defeating Catawba 8-7 last time out on Feb. 2.
>> Last season the Bucs finished 24-26 overall and 12-18 inside the SSC, they missed out on the SSC Tournament.
>> D.J. Price is in his second season leading the Barry baseball program where he has a 28-26 record.
>> Barry is scoring 10.25 runs per game this season while opponents are scoring 6.25.
>> The Bucs offense is hitting .374 as a team with a .486 OB% and .604 SLG%. They have eight home runs and 22 total walks on the year.
>> So far this season Barry is leading the SSC and 4th in the nation in home runs. They are 2nd nationally in hits and 8th in batting average.
>> Brady Blanks has started in all four games and is hitting .526 with a 1.255 OPS. He is tied for a team-high with seven RBI and has 10 total hits.
>> Blake Opie has also started all four games with a team-high three home runs and seven RBI. He is hitting .333 with a 1.500 OPS.
>> The pitching staff has a 4.75 ERA across 36.0 innings pitched. They have fanned 37 total batters and allowed 24 walks while allowing three home runs.
>> They ranks third in the SSC in ERA and are 5th in the conference in both WHIP and strikeouts per nine innings.
>> Sean Driscoll has made one start and leads the team with 5.0 innings pitched. He has a 3.60 ERA and has struck out three batters.
>> Tyler Venegas has appeared out of the bullpen twice throwing 4.0 scoreless innings. He has a 1-0 record and six strikeouts.
>> Barry leads the all-time series between the two teams 3-2. Every game in the series has been on the road for the Ichabods.
>> The first meeting came on Feb. 5, 2022. Washburn has won the last two games including a 5-3 win last season on Feb. 10.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> Griffin Huiatt is tied for 5th in program history with seven career saves. He is tied for 7th in Washburn history with 53 career appearances.
>> Jackson Mervosh has the 18th highest batting average in program history at .356. He is tied for 47th among all Ichabods with 24 doubles.
WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY
>> The 2026 season will be the 74th year of Washburn Baseball.
>> The Ichabods have a 1387-1313-3 record in program history.
>> There have been 35 seasons with 20+ wins; 25 seasons with 25+ wins; and 13 seasons with 30+ wins.
>> Washburn has earned 34 All-Region selections and 14 All-America awards.
ON DECK
>> Washburn will open its home schedule at the Steve Anson Classic on Friday, Feb. 13 against the University of Sioux Falls.
>> MIAA play will begin with a three-game series against Newman in Wichita from Feb. 20-22.
>> Senior day for the Ichabods will be on the regular season finale May 2 against Pittsburg State at 1 p.m.
>> The single elimination MIAA Tournament will be held in Edmond, Okla. at Wendell Simmons Field between May 6-10.
