TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn begins the month of April with three games against Missouri Western opening on Thursday before coming home to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State on April 7 at 3 p.m. 
 

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn continues its road swing for three games against Missouri Western before coming home to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State for the start of a four-game homestand. 

>> The Ichabods take on the Griffons beginning Thursday, April 2 at 3 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo. Game two is set for Friday at 2 p.m. with the finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. They will face the Rangers on Tuesday, April 7 at 3 p.m. in Topeka.

>> Washburn fell to 12-20 overall with a 9-10 record in MIAA play with a 11-14 loss to Wichita State on Tuesday in Wichita.

>> 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 7.94 runs per game on the year while opponents are scoring 8.75 runs per game. 

>> They are 5-6 playing at home at Steve Anson Stadium, 6-12 in road games and 1-2 in neutral field meetings.

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .288 with a .405 OB% and a .441 SLG%. They have tallied 23 home runs with 169 total walks.

>> The pitching staff has a 7.29 ERA with 250 strikeouts across 279.0 innings. They have allowed 350 hits and issued 187 walks. 

>> Washburn has a .964 fielding percentage as a team with 44 errors and 16 turned double plays.

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 70-84 in stolen base attempts while opponents have gone 50-68. 

>> 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 11 games heading into the weekend, it is the longest hitting streak of any player this season.

>> Ian Luce has reached base in all 32 games, the only player to do so. Trenton Barry's seven game streak of reaching base is the second longest current streak on the team.

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

>> Washburn is reaching base at a .420 clip to lead off the inning. 

>> The Ichabods are hitting 9-29 (.310) when pinch hitting this season.

>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 30-13 in the ninth inning of games and 3-2 in extra innings this season.

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Ian Luce has started in all 32 games hitting .404 with a 1.137 OPS, both team-highs. He has 21 total extra-base hits including four home runs with 31 RBI and is 12-14 in stolen base attempts. He is 2nd in the MIAA and 16th nationally in hits, 6th in the MIAA in total bases while ranking 8th in the conference in runs.

>> Levi Risenhoover is hitting .317 while starting in all 30 games he has appeared in. He leads the team with seven home runs and 36 RBI while carrying a 1.015 OPS. He is 8-11 in stolen base attempts. He is 8th in the MIAA in doubles, 9th in RBI and 11th in home runs.

>> Brandt Beeby has played in 23 games making 16 starts and is hitting .319, second best on the team with a .949 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 31 games making 28 starts. He is hitting .282 with three home runs and 21 RBI to give him a .926 OPS. He is 10-11 in stolen base attempts and leads the team with 28 walks for a .460 OB%. He ranks 5th in the MIAA and 34th nationally in walks. 

>> Trenton Barry has played in 31 games making 29 starts hitting .300 with a .869 OPS. He has hit two home runs with a team-high three triples for 19 RBI. He has a .424 OB% while going 11-13 in stolen base attempts. He ranks 4th in the MIAA and 40th nationally in triples.

>> Jackson Mervosh has played and started in all 32 games and is hitting .265 with a .748 OPS. He has 13 doubles while driving in 15 runs on the year. He has a .384 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 24 games making 20 starts. He is hitting .277 with a .765 OPS. He has driven in 17 runs with two home home run and has a .355 OB%.

>> Brooks Richardson has played in 28 games making 27 starts. He is hitting .218 with nine RBI and one home run with a .367 OB%.

>> Owen Laessig has started in 27 games and played in 29. He is hitting .270 and has driven in 16 runs and is 2-3 in stolen base attempts.

>> Jarrett Herrmann has played in 18 games making eight starts. He is hitting .243 with a .417 OB%. He is 4-5 in stolen base attempts.

>> Eli Dean has appeared in 13 games making six starts. He is hitting .308 with five RBI and one home run while going 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 9th 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.

>> Fidel Hatch has played in 12 games out of the bullpen throwing 26.2 innings. He has struck out 18 batters and has a team-best 4.72 ERA and one save, tied for a team-high.

>> Mark Hoffmann has pitched in 13 games making five starts. He has thrown 29.0 innings with 22 strikeouts and a 6.52 ERA. He has a 2-2 record on the year.

>> Max Strash has appeared in 13 games out of the bullpen for the Ichabods throwing 12.0 innings. He has 12 strikeouts and has a 6.75 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. 

>> Braden Cork has made eight appearances with two starts throwing 14.1 innings. He has 10 strikeouts with a 9.42 ERA. 

>> Griffin Huiatt has made 11 appearances with one start tossing 14.2 innings. He has 11 strikeouts, a 2-1 record and 8.59 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 ten appearances out of the bullpen throwing 9.2 innings. He is 0-1 on the year with 11 strikeouts and a 9.31 ERA.

IN THE FIELD

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Chase Littrell leads the team with 59 putouts, Levi Risenhoover is second on the team with 54.

>> Jackson Mervosh leads the team with 79 assists, Trenton Barry is second on the team with 77.

>> Brooks Richardson has a team-high 195 putouts from behind the plate while Jack Borgmann has 194 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  - 169 (7th MIAA / 42nd nationally)

Doubes per game - 2.53 (1st MIAA / 11th nationally) 

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

Stolen bases - 70 (3rd MIAA / 36th nationally)

Triples per game  - 0.34 (4th MIAA / 39th nationally)

Sacrifice flies - 19 (4th MIAA / 39th nationally)

Scoring - 7.9 runs per game (8th MIAA / 68th nationally) 

Hits - 326 (5th MIAA / 53rd nationally)

Strikeouts per nine innings - 8.1 (4th MIAA / 92nd nationally)

Fielding percentage - .964 (10th 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 296-262 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

MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS

>> Missouri Western fell to 15-17 overall and 10-11 inside the MIAA after losing 8-3 on the road to Emporia State on Tuesday. 

>> Last season the Griffons went 14-33 overall and 12-24 in conference play, missing out on the MIAA Tournament.

>> Michael Keeran is in his first season as the head coach at Missouri Western State.

>> The Griffons score 8.63 runs per game while opponents are plating 7.47.

>> As a team the offense is hitting .301 with a .413 OB% and a .494 SLG%. They have 38 home runs with 152 total walks and 213 strikeouts as a team.

>> They rank 4th in the MIAA in doubles and triples, ranking top-40 nationally in both. 

>> Miguel Cantu has played and started in 30 games hitting .256 with a 1.130 OPS, a team-high. He has hit eight home runs with a team-high 38 RBI while going 5-5 in stolen base attempts. He ranks 6th in the MIAA in home runs, SLG% and 7th in RBI.

>> Ben Waliczek leads the team hitting .364 with a 1.023 OPS. He has played in 28 games while starting in 19 and has driven in 10 runs while going 7-8 in stealing bases. He is 1st in the MIAA and 12th nationally with a .568 OB%.

>> The pitching staff has a 6.88 ERA as a team across 266.2 innings. They have struck out 203 batters while walking 165 and allowing 323 total hits.

>> The Griffons are 4th in the MIAA in double plays turned and 5th in the MIAA with two shutouts this season.

>> Cole Evans has appeared in 10 games making nine starts throwing a team-high 58.2 innings. He has a 6-1 record and 3.37 ERA with 47 strikeouts, all team-highs. He ranks 4th in the MIAA in strikeouts and 5th in ERA.

>> Cale Coursey has appeared in nine games making four starts throwing 21.2 innings. He has struck out 11 batters with a 1-2 record and 5.40 ERA. 

>> Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 79-74. The Ichabods are 39-36 against the Griffons on the road.

>> The first meeting between the two teams began on March 31, 1970 with a 5-2 win for Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo.

>> The Griffons took two out of three games in the season series last season in Topeka.

NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE RANGERS

>> Northwestern Oklahoma State won a fourth straight game moving to 18-18 overall and 9-12 in the GAC with a three-game sweep of Southern Nazarene at home last weekend.

>> Last season the Rangers went 30-22 overall and 17-16 in the GAC. They lost two games and were knocked out in the GAC tournament.

>> Ryan Bowen is in his 9th season leading the Northwestern Oklahoma State baseball program where he has a 205-194 career record.

>> NWOSU is scoring 6.89 runs per game while opponents are scoring 6.53 runs per game against them. 

>> The Rangers offense is hitting .301 as a team with a .399 OB% and a .430 SLG%. They have 24 home runs and have tallied 151 total walks with 199 strikeouts.

>> They lead the GAC with 74 stolen bases and are 3rd in the conference in total hits.

>> Alex Dabrowski has played and started in 35 games hitting .308 with a .866 OPS. He is tied for a team-high four home runs while driving in 23 runs. He has gone 33-37 in stolen base attempts. He is 2nd in the nation in stolen bases and is 4th in the GAC in runs. 

>> Joel Lindahl has played and started in 33 games hitting a team-high .344 with a .825 OPS. He has driven in 14 runs with a home run and has a .401 OB%. He is the second toughest in the GAC to strike out.

>> The pitching staff has a 6.05 ERA as a team across 296.0 innings. They have struck out 240 batters while walking 135 and allowing 349 total hits.

>> The Rangers are third in the GAC in strikeout-to-walk ratio while ranking 4th in the conference in WHIP.

>> Logan Sandoval has made nine starts throwing a team-high 53.0 innings. He has a 5-4 record and 3.74 ERA while striking out 32 and has thrown three complete games.He leads the GAC in victories, complete games and is third in ERA.

>> Ryan McClaskey has made 12 appearnces out of the bullpen throwing 18.1 innings. He has struck out 18 with a 3.93 ERA,1-1 record and team-high three saves. He is 4th in the GAC in saves. 

>> The all-time series between the two teams is tied 3-3. Washburn is 1-0 against the Rangers in Topeka. 

>> The first meeting of the series came on Feb. 6, 2020 with a 6-3 win for the Ichabods. Northwestern Oklahoma State won the first meeting between the two teams this season 6-4 in Alva, Okla. on March 4.

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Griffin Huiatt is 2nd in program history with 64 career appearances. He ranks tied for 5th among all players with seven career saves. 

>> Jackson Mervosh is tied for 10th in Washburn history with 37 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 1399-1333-3 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 at home hosting Arkansas-Fort Smith for a three game series beginning Friday, April 10.

>> 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.