TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball heads on the road for four games beginning with the first meeting against Wichita State in the 21st century taking on Wichita State in Wichita, Kan., beginning at 11:05 on Tuesday, March 31. 

 

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn heads on the road to take on Wichita State for the first time since 1991.

>> The Ichabods take on the Shockers at 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31 at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan.

>> The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and on the air via Wichita State radio.

>> Washburn improved to 12-19 overall and 9-10 in MIAA play with a 11-2 win over Northeastern State to take the series on Sunday afternoon.

>> 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 7.84 runs per game on the year while opponents are scoring 8.58 runs per game. 

>> They are 5-6 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 .288 with a .407 OB% and a .440 SLG%. They have tallied 22 home runs with 166 total walks.

>> The pitching staff has a 7.07 ERA with 245 strikeouts across 271.0 innings. They have allowed 336 hits and issued 245 walks. 

>> Washburn has a .964 fielding percentage as a team with 43 errors and 14 turned double plays.

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 66-80 in stolen base attempts while opponents have gone 48-66. 

>> 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 ten games heading into the weekend, it is the longest hitting streak of any player this season.

>> Ian Luce has reached base in all 31 games, the only player to do so. Trenton Barry and Chase Littrell have each reached base in six straight, the second longest streak on the team.

>> Luce has a team-high 18 games with multiple hits. 

>> Washburn is reaching base at a .423 clip to lead off the inning. 

>> The Ichabods are hitting 9-25 (.360) when pinch hitting this season.

>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 25-13 in the ninth inning of games and 3-2 in extra innings this season.

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Ian Luce has started in all 31 games hitting .406 with a 1.126 OPS, both team-highs. He has 20 total extra-base hits including four home runs with 30 RBI and is 10-12 in stolen base attempts. He is 2nd in the MIAA and 17th nationally in hits 5th in the MIAA in total bases while ranking 9th in the conference in runs.

>> Levi Risenhoover is hitting .319 while starting in all 29 games he has appeared in. He leads the team with seven home runs and 35 RBI while carrying a 1.034 OPS. He is 7-10 in stolen base attempts. He is 7th in the MIAA in doubles, 10th in RBI and 11th in home runs.

>> Brandt Beeby has played in 22 games making 15 starts and is hitting .324, second best on the team with a .947 OPS. He has driven in 18 runs with a pair of triples and a home run. He is also 5-6 in stolen base attempts.

>> Jack Borgmann has played in 30 games making 27 starts. He is hitting .293 with three home runs and 21 RBI to give him a .955 OPS. He is 10-11 in stolen base attempts and leads the team with 27 walks for a .470 OB%. He ranks 6th in the MIAA and 37th nationally in walks. 

>> Trenton Barry has played in 30 games making 28 starts hitting .295 with a .873 OPS. He has hit two home runs with a team-high three triples for 19 RBI. He has a .425 OB% while going 10-12 in stolen base attempts, tied for a team-high. He ranks 4th in the MIAA and 37th nationally in triples.

>> Jackson Mervosh has played and started in all 31 games and is hitting .252 with a .723 OPS. He has 12 doubles while driving in 14 runs on the year. He has a .377 OB% and is 3-3 in stealing bases. He is 7th in the conference in doubles.

>> Chase Littrell is hitting .243 with a .740 OPS while playing in 27 games and making 23 starts. He has hit one home run with 22 RBI and is 8-9 stealing bases. He has worked 20 walks with a .416 OB%.

>> Easton Wasinger has played in 23 games making 20 starts. He is hitting .280 with a .774 OPS. He has driven in 17 runs with two home home run and has a .359 OB%.

>> Brooks Richardson has played in 27 games making 26 starts. He is hitting .224 with eight RBI and one home run with a .379 OB%.

>> Owen Laessig has started in 26 games and played in 28. He is hitting .278 and has driven in 16 runs and is 2-3 in stolen base attempts.

>> Jarrett Herrmann has played in 17 games making eight starts. He is hitting .257 with a .435 OB%. He is 4-5 in stolen base attempts.

>> Eli Dean has appeared in 12 games making five starts. He is hitting .238 with three RBI and is 5-5 stealing bases.

ON THE MOUND

>> Kai Bennett has thrown 36.1 innings over his eight starts. He is tied for the team lead with 35 strikeouts and has a 5.20 ERA. He is 1-4 on the year with a 1.71 WHIP. He is 10th in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings.

>> Maclane Finley leads team throwing 42.0 innings across his eight starts this season. He has struck out 31 batters and has a 6.86 ERA and 3-3 record,  a team-high in victories. He has thrown into the fifth inning in every start.

>> Caleb Lunnon has made eight starts for the Ichabods throwing 32.2 innings on the year. He has struck out 35 batters, tying him for the team lead. He  is 1-1 on the year with a 8.82 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 12 games making four starts. He has thrown 27.0 innings with 21 strikeouts and a 5.67 ERA. He has a 2-2 record on the year.

>> Fidel Hatch has played in 11 games out of the bullpen throwing 24.2 innings. He has struck out 17 batters and has a 5.11 ERA and one save.

>> Braden Cork has made seven appearances with two starts throwing 14.1 innings. He has 10 strikeouts with a 7.53 ERA. 

>> Gavin Wilhelm has pitched in eight games out of the bullpen. He has a 1-0 record across 14.1 innings with 14 strikeouts and an ERA of 7.53.

>> Blake Priest has pitched in nine games out of the bullpen throwing 11.0 innings. He has one save with 12 strikeouts and has a 5.73 ERA. 

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

IN THE FIELD

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Chase Littrell leads the team with 59 putouts, Levi Risenhoover is second on the team with 51.

>> Jackson Mervosh leads the team with 77 assists, Trenton Barry is second on the team with 75.

>> Brooks Richardson has a team-high 190 putouts from behind the plate while Jack Borgmann has 184 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  - 166 (6th MIAA / 44th nationally)

Doubes per game - 2.55 (1st MIAA / 9th nationally) 

Sacrifice bunts - 18 (4th MIAA / 42nd nationally)

Stolen bases - 66 (3rd MIAA / 41st nationally)

Triples per game  - 0.32 (4th MIAA / 48th nationally)

Sacrifice flies - 17 (6th MIAA / 55th nationally)

Scoring - 7.8 runs per game (8th MIAA / 72nd nationally) 

Hits - 315 (6th MIAA / 61st nationally)

Strikeouts per nine innings - 8.1 (4th MIAA / 90th nationally)

Fielding percentage - .964 (10th MIAA / 95th 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 296-261 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

WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS

>> Wichita State is 19-10 on the year and 4-2 inside the American Conference after winning two out of three on the road against Memphis last weekend.

>> Last season the Shockers went 20-36 overall with an 11-16 record in conference play. They fell in two games in the American Championship Tournament.

>> Brian Green is in his 3rd season at the helm of the Wichita State program where he has a 71-75 career record with the Shockers.

>> Wichita State is scoring 9.17 runs per game while opponents are scoring 5.38.

>> The Shockers offense is hitting .314 as a team with a .420 OB% and a .503 SLG%. They have 37 home runs with 142 total walks and 200 strikeouts as a team.

>> They rank 1st in the American in SLG% and total runs while ranking second in the conference in batting average and OB%.

>> Jayson Jones is hitting a team-high .378 with a 1.052 OPS while starting all 29 games. He has nine home runs with a team-high 36 RBI. He is 12th in the nation in hits and 65th in RBI.

>> Owen Washburn is second on the team hitting .375 with a 1.021 OPS. He has played in 26 games making 27 starts. He has smashed four home runs with 32 RBI and a pair of stolen bases. He leads the American conference with 10 doubles and is 6th in the conference in hits.

>> The pitching staff has a 4.80 ERA as a team across 241.2 innings. They have struck out 275 batters while walking 105 and allowing 248 total hits.

>> The Shockers are 2nd in the American in strikeouts per nine innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio while ranking 4th in ERA.

>> Brady Pacha has appeared in 13 games out of the bullpen throwing 22.2 innings. He has a 1.59 ERA, 2-0 record and .66 WHIP. He leads the team with four saves and has 28 strikeouts. He is 32nd in the nation in saves.

>> Johnny Nuanez has made six starts tossing 25.0 total innings. He has a 3-0 record with a 1.80 ERA while striking out 24. 

>> Wichita State leads the all-time series between the two teams 16-7. They have won the last 14 meetings.

>> The series began between the two teams on May 10, 1960 with a 19-4 win for Wichita State at home.

>> The last meeting between the two teams came on February 28, 1991 and was a 27-5 win for the Shockers in Wichita.

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Griffin Huiatt is 2nd in program history with 63 career appearances. He ranks tied for 5th among all players with seven career saves. 

>> Jackson Mervosh is tied for 12th in Washburn history with 36 doubles. 

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

>> Ian Luce's current .406 batting average is the 13th 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 1399-1332-3 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 stays on the road for three games against Missouri Western beginning Thursday, April 2 at 3 p.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.