TOPEKA, Kan. -- After one game on the road Washburn returns to home facing Northeastern State for three games beginning Friday, March 27 at 4 p.m. at Steve Anson Stadium. 

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn is back at home for another weekend series hosting Northeastern State. 

>> The Ichabods take on the RiverHawks beginning Friday, March 27 taking on Northeastern State beginning 4 p.m. at Steve Anson Stadium. Game two will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday in the series finale.

>> Washburn fell to 10-18 overall and 7-9 in MIAA play with a 13-0 loss to No. 6 Central Missouri last time out on March 24.

>> The Ichabods are 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.

BODS AND BITS

>> Washburn is scoring 7.64 runs per game on the year while opponents are scoring 8.78 runs per game. 

>> They are 3-5 playing at home at Steve Anson Stadium, 6-11 in road games and 1-2 in neutral field meetings.

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .280 with a .402 OB% and a .434 SLG%. They have tallied 20 home runs with 154 total walks.

>> The pitching staff has a 7.36 ERA with 217 strikeouts across 242.0 innings. They have allowed 297 hits and issued 162 walks. 

>> Washburn has a .966 fielding percentage as a team with 36 errors and ten turned double plays.

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 46-59 in stolen base attempts while opponents have gone 47-65. 

>> Washburn has returned 19 players from the 2025 roster with eight of them as  seniors, four juniors and seven sophomore. 

STREAKS AND STATS

>> Ian Luce has the longest current hitting streak at seven games heading into the weekend. The longest of the season has been eight games set by four different players.

>> Ian Luce has reached base in all 28 games, the only player to do so. Jackson Mervosh and Chase Littrell has the second longest current streak at five games each.

>> Luce has a team-high 15 games with multiple hits. 

>> Washburn is reaching base at a .414 clip to lead off the inning. 

>> The Ichabods are hitting 5-20 (.250) when pinch hitting this season.

>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 22-10 in the ninth inning of games and 34-31 in the eighth inning. 

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Ian Luce has started in all 28 games hitting .392 with a 1.113 OPS, both team-highs. He has 18 extra-base hits including four home runs with 25 RBI and is 7-9 in stolen base attempts. He is 5th in the MIAA and 16th nationally in doubles. He also ranks 5th in the conference in total hits and 9th in runs.

>> Levi Risenhoover is hitting .314 while starting in all 26 games he has appeared in. He leads the team with six home runs and 30 RBI while carrying a 1.029 OPS. He is 5-7 in stolen base attempts. He is 7th in the MIAA in doubles, 10th in home runs and 11th in RBI.

>> Jackson Mervosh has played and started in all 28 games and is hitting .274 with a .771 OPS. He has 11 doubles while driving in 14 runs on the year. He has a .399 OB% and is 2-2 in stealing bases. He is 7th in the conference in doubles and 11th in walks with 21. 

>> Brandt Beeby has played in 19 games making 13 starts and is hitting .305, third best on the team with a .936 OPS. He has driven in 16 runs with a pair of triples and a home run. He is also 3-4 in stolen base attempts.

>> Chase Littrell is hitting .243 with a .731 OPS while playing in 26 games and making 22 starts. He has hit one home run with 20 RBI and is 7-8 stealing bases. He is third on the team with 19 walks and has a .417 OB%.

>> Trenton Barry has played in 27 games making 25 starts hitting .289 with a .903 OPS. He has hit two home runs with a team-high three triples for 17 RBI. He has a .436 OB% while going 9-11 in stolen base attempts, a team-high. He ranks 2nd in the MIAA and 24th nationally in triples.

>> Jack Borgmann has played in 27 games making 24 starts. He is hitting .276 with two home runs and 17 RBI while going 5-6 in stolen base attempts. He leads the team with 24 walks and has a .458 OB%. He ranks 8th in the MIAA in walks.

>> Easton Wasinger has played in 20 games making 19 starts. He is hitting .273 with a .772 OPS. He has driven in 16 runs with two home home run and has a .356 OB%.

>> Brooks Richardson has played in 24 games making 23 starts. He is hitting .229 with nine RBI and a home run with a .379 OB%.

>> Owen Laessig has started in 23 games and played in 25. He is hitting .267 and has driven in 12 runs.

>> Jarrett Herrmann has played in 14 games making seven starts. He is hitting .258 with a .425 OB%. He is 3-4 in stolen base attempts.

ON THE MOUND

>> Kai Bennett has thrown 31.1 innings over his seven starts. He is leading the team with 32 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .237 batting average. He has a 4.60 ERA and is 1-4 on the year. He is 8th in the MIAA in hits allowed per nine innings and strikeouts per nine. 

>> Maclane Finley leads team throwing 36.0 innings across his seven starts this season. He has struck out 25 batters and has a 7.50 ERA and 2-3 record, tied for a team-high in victories. He has thrown into the fifth inning in every start.

>> Caleb Lunnon has made seven starts for the Ichabods throwing 28.2 innings on the year. He has struck out 28 batters with a 1-1 record and 9.42 ERA. 

>> Max Strash has appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen for the Ichabods throwing 11.2 innings. He has 11 strikeouts and has a team-best 3.86 ERA.

>> Mark Hoffmann has pitched in 11 games making four starts. He has thrown 25.0 innings with 19 strikeouts and a 6.12 ERA. He is tied for a team-high two wins with a 2-1 record.

>> Fidel Hatch has played in ten games out of the bullpen throwing 22.2 innings. He has struck out 13 batters and has a 5.56 ERA with a team-high one save. 

>> Braden Cork has made six appearances with two starts throwing 12.2 innings. He has nine strikeouts with a 8.53 ERA. 

>> Gavin Wilhelm has pitched in seven games out of the bullpen. He has a 1-0 record across 11.1 innings with 12 strikeouts and an ERA of 7.94.

>> Carter Poole has made six appearances out of the bullpen throwing 3.1 innings. He has three strikeouts and a 5.40 ERA.

>> Keegan McDonald has appeared in eight games out of the bullpen throwing 8.0 innings with seven strikeouts and a 7.88 ERA.

>> Max Clark has made 11 appearances out of the bullpen throwing 9.0 innings. He is 0-1 on the year with 11 strikeouts.

>> Blake Priest has pitched in eight games out of the bullpen throwing 8.0 innings. He has struck out nine with a 7.88 ERA.

IN THE FIELD

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Chase Littrell leads the team with 56 putouts, Levi Risenhoover is second on the team with 48.

>> Trenton Barry has the most assists on the team with 67, while Jackson Mervosh is second with 66. 

>> Brooks Richardson has a team-high 168 putouts from behind the plate while Jack Borgmann has 162 playing mostly at first base.

>> Richardson has thrown out a team-high 13 would-be base stealers this season.

NUMBERS AROUND THE NATION

>> As a team in 2026 Washburn stacks up to the rest of the nation and conference well in several areas...

Walks  - 154 (5th MIAA / 33rd nationally)

Doubes per game - 2.54 (2nd MIAA / 11th nationally) 

Sacrifice bunts - 17 (5th MIAA / 40th nationally)

Triples per game  - 0.32 (5th MIAA / 56th nationally)

Sacrifice flies - 16 (6th MIAA / 47th nationally)

Fielding percentage - .966 (9th MIAA / 79th nationally) 

Scoring - 7.6 runs per game (8th MIAA / 84th nationally) 

Hits - 272 (6th MIAA / 74th nationally)

Strikeouts per nine innings - 8.1 (5th MIAA / 98th 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 his eleven plus season, Douglas carries an all-time record of 294-260 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

NORTHEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS

>> Northeastern State is 10-19 on the year and 5-12 inside the MIAA after defeating Central Oklahoma 5-3 last time out on March 24.

>> Last season the RiverHawks went 16-35 and 13-23 in the MIAA, falling in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.

>> Kyle Williams is in his first season as the head coach in Tahlequah, Okla. 

>> Northeastern State is scoring 7.28 runs per game while opponents are scoring 10.28.

>> The RiverHawks offense is hitting .278 as a team with a .403 OB% and a .456 SLG%. They have 34 home runs and have tallied 155 total walks with 273 strikeouts.

>> They rank 4th in the MIAA and 29th nationally in home runs while ranking 4th in the conference with 49 stolen bases.

>> Klete Finley has played and started in 27 games hitting .350 with a team-high 1.122 OPS. He has five home runs with 21 RBI and is also leading the team with 15 stolen bases in 16 tries. He is 4th in the MIAA in stolen bases and 5th in walks. 

>> Xavier Sanchez has played in 25 games making 22 starts while hitting a team-high .363. He has two home runs with 24 RBI and is 9-12 in stolen base opportunities. 

>> The pitching staff has a 8.92 ERA as a team across 233.0 innings. They have struck out 210 batters while walking 175 and allowing 334 total hits.

>> The RiverHawks are 4th in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings and are 2nd in double plays turned. 

>> Thomas Brownfield has made seven starts throwing 30.2 innings with a 5.58 ERA. He has struck out 24 batters and is 0-1 on the year. He is 9th in the MIAA in hits allowed per nine innings. 

>> Evan Schuelke has appeared in nine games out of the bullpen throwing 10.2 innings. He has struck out 13 with a 0.84 ERA and one save.

>> Northeastern State leads the all-time series between the two teams 23-22. Washburn is 11-6 against the RiverHawks in Topeka. 

>> The first meeting of the series came on March 19, 1990 with a 8-2 win for Northeastern State in Tahlequah. 

>> The season series last season was split 2-2 with the RiverHawks winning a home series two games to one and the Ichabods winning 16-6 in the MIAA Tournament.

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Griffin Huiatt is 2nd in program history with 62 career appearances. He ranks tied for 5th among all players with seven career saves. 

>> Jackson Mervosh is 13th in Washburn history with 35 doubles. With a .328 batting average his career number ranks 48th best in program history.

>> Fidel Hatch is tied for 16th in program history with four career saves. 

>> Ian Luce's current .393 batting average is the 20th best in a single-season in program history.

WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY

>> The 2026 season will be the 74th year of Washburn Baseball.

>> The Ichabods have a 1397-1331-3 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 goes on the road for a midweek meeting with Wichita State in Wichita on Tuesday, March 31 at 11 a.m.

>> 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.