• The Washburn Ichabod softball team is back at home for the first time since Feb. 22 as they will open MIAA play hosting Northeastern State and Rogers State on Friday and Saturday at Gahnstrom Field.
• The Ichabods enter the weekend with a 23-6 record after going 2-2 at the Grand Slam Classic in Branson, Mo. last weekend.
• 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 before the season started by the MIAA office
• Brenda Holaday is in her 10th season as the Ichabod softball head coach recording a 306-176 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. • Makenzie Sais became the Ichabod single-season leader in stolen bases against Montana State Billings with her 34th … she enters the weekend with a nation-best 51 stolen bases, 24 ahead of the No. 2-ranked player on the chart … the MIAA single season record is 65 by Becca Alt from Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) set in 1997 as a junior … Sais' 51 stolen bases have already tied Heather Arnet from Pitt State recorded in 2024.
• Makenzie Sais is also second in the nation in hits with 40 and third in runs scored with 31.
• Dalaney Anderson leads the nation in RBI with 40 and she is 11th in home runs with eight …Anderson also ranks 11th in hits with 37.
• Aspen Burgardt is eighth in runs scored with 29 and she is 18th in the nation in home runs with seven.
• Sadie Walker is second in the nation in shutouts with four and she is sixth in strikeouts with 85 … Jenna Sprague is 13th in the nation in saves with two.
• As a team, the Ichabods are ranked third in the NCAA with 54 doubles while also ranking second in hits (261), third in RBI (118), eighth in shutouts (6), 12th in stolen bases per game (2.87) and third in total runs (203) and first in stolen bases (86).
  Game 1 - WU 11, UIS 10
Washburn rallied with four runs in the seventh inning to secure an 11-10 win over Illinois Springfield on March 7 in Branson, Missouri.
The Ichabods erased a late 9-6 deficit in the final frame. Aspen Burgardt delivered a two-run single to tie the game at 8-8 before Kierra Goos followed with a two-run single to center field, giving Washburn the lead for good.
Dalaney Anderson paced the Washburn offense with two hits and two RBI, while Burgardt drove in a team-high three runs. Goos also contributed two hits and two RBI and Kate Dolan added two hits and two runs scored.
Jenna Sprague worked five innings in relief to earn the win in the circle, allowing three runs while striking out three as Washburn improved to 23-5 on the season.
Illinois Springfield finished with 12 hits, led by Rosie Bartletti's two hits and two RBI, but the Prairie Stars could not hold the late lead as Washburn completed the comeback victory.
Game 2 – Truman 3, WU 1
Washburn held a late lead, but Truman State scored three unanswered runs over the final two innings to hand the Ichabods a 3-2 loss.
Washburn (23-6) took the lead in the fourth inning when Aspen Burgardt launched a solo home run to left field for the game's first run. The Ichabods finished with six hits in the game, led by Maddie McGee, who went 2-for-3 and later stole second in the seventh inning. Taylor Brees, Dalaney Anderson, Burgardt, and Kate Dolan each added a hit.
Sadie Walker (11-4) took the loss for Washburn, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out three in a complete-game effort. Truman State's Jayda Long earned the win in relief.
Washburn finished with six hits while Truman State collected eight in the contest. NORTHEASTERN STATE
• The RiverHawks are 13-8 this season winning five of their last seven games.
• Korynn Tindel leads the team with a .478 batting average leading the team in hits (32), runs (25), doubles (9), home runs (6) and RBI (27).
• The RiverHawks are batting .305 as a team and have a team ERA of 4.09 led by Jensyn Elder who is 7-4 with a 3.36 ERA.
 
ROGERS STATE
• The Hillcats are 15-5 this season falling last time out 5-3 to Truman.
• Raylin Morgan leads the team with a .419 batting average  with a team-high 23 RBI followed by Jaden Jrodan with a .415 average.
• Kinsley Hill is 5-0 in the circle with a 1.77 ERA.
  • is 306-176 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  1370-997-1 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.