• The Washburn Ichabods will open an eight-game roadtrip beginning Thursday at Nebraska-Kearney followed by a doubleheader at Fort Hays State the following day. The original schedule of FHSU first has been adjusted for potential weather issues on Saturday.
• The Ichabods enter the weekend with a 24-15 record with a 1-9 MIAA mark after being swept by No. 7 Pittsburg State last time out.
• With the eight-game roadtrip, the Ichabods will not return to Topeka for a home game until April 17 for their final regular season home games hosting the Griffons and Bearcats.
• The Ichabods are looking for their fifth 30-win season in a row …Washburn has 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 307-187 overall record going 136-79 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 58 stolen bases, 20 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' 58 stolen bases are second on the MIAA top-10 single season chart …Sais' 75 career stolen bases at Washburn are trailing on Torrie Beauchamp's 87 from 1996-1999 and Marrit Mead's 96 from 2021-24 … Sais is also ranked 18th in the nation in hits with 53.
• Aspen Burgardt is 30th in the nation in walks per game at 0.74 per contest and 25th in the nation in assists with 82.
• Sadie Walker is seventh in the nation in shutouts with five and she is 20th in strikeouts with 108 … Jenna Sprague is 28th in the nation in saves with two.
• Makenzie Sais leads the Ichabods this season with 16 multi-hit games and Dalaney Anderson has 11 … Anderson leads the Ichabods with 11 multi-RBI games.
• The Ichabods are outscoring their opponents 218 to 136 this season including 52 to 18 in the 3rd inning … the only two innings the Ichabods are being outscored are the seventh (17 to 10) and the ninth (1 to 0).
• Dalaney Anderson leads the team with a .684 batting average with a runner on third and less than two out (13 of 19).
• As a team, the Ichabods are ranked 11th in the NCAA with 59 doubles while also ranking 16th in hits (288), 18th in RBI (189), 14th in shutouts (8), 11th in stolen bases per game (2.77), 15th in total runs (212) and third in stolen bases (97) and third in walks (145).
  TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team dropped a MIAA doubleheader on Saturday afternoon to No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State, falling 6-0 and 11-3.
Game 1 – PSU 6, WU 0
The Ichabods (24-15, 1-9 MIAA) managed five hits in the opener but were unable to push a run across against Gorillas, losing 6-0 in the first game of the doubleheader.
Washburn threatened early and late but could not find a breakthrough. Makenzie Sais led off the first inning with a bunt single, while Aspen Burgardt rifled a double to right-center in the second. The Ichabods put runners in scoring position again in the fifth when Erin Boles and Maddie McGee posted consecutive singles, but Pittsburg State worked out of the jam each time.
Sadie Walker went the distance, giving up 12 hits and six runs (five earned) while striking out six in seven innings of work. She retired nine of ten hitters from the fourth through sixth frames.
Pittsburg State opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single before putting the game out of reach in the third. The Gorillas plated four runs in the frame, taking advantage of a leadoff single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch before delivering three straight run-scoring hits.
McGee, Burgardt, Erin Boles, Taylor Brees, and Sais each recorded a hit for the Ichabods.
Game 2 – PSU 11, WU 3
Washburn softball totaled eight hits plating three runs but fell 11–3 to No. 7 Pittsburg State in the second game of the MIAA doubleheader.
The Ichabods showed early fight at the plate and erased a shutout with a run in the third inning before adding two more in the fifth. Pittsburg State (34-1, 8-0 MIAA), however, used a series of big innings to pull away and remain unbeaten in conference play.
Makenzie Sais paced the Washburn offense, going 3-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Danielle Schlader added two hits and drove in both Washburn runs on a two-run single in the fifth, while Taylor Brees also crossed the plate in the inning.
Washburn broke through in the third when Aspen Burgardt reached on an error, allowing Sais to score and cut the deficit to 3–1. The Ichabods mounted their biggest rally in the fifth scoring two unearned runs, pulling within 8–3.
In the circle, Jenna Sprague made the start and worked 4.2 innings before Kendra Cook finished the game in relief. NEBRASKA-KEARNEY LOPERS
• The Lopers are 13-22 this season and 2-4 in MIAA play and will host Emporia State prior to facing the Ichabods.
• The Lopers split a doubleheader with Missouri Western last time out on March 28 falling 10-2 in five innings before winning the nightcap 5-1.
• Zaria Brigham is batting .325 tying for the team lead with 20 runs scored while leading the team with 37 hits.
• Chloe Odle is 7-6 with a 2.70 ERA and Teilar Fry is 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA.
 
FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS
• The Tigers are 17-18 this season and 3-7 in the MIAA after sweeping Northwestern Oklahoma 8-0 and 10-2 on March 31 in Hays.
• Hannah Green leads the team with a .433 batting average with a team-high 55 hits scoring 35 runs with 22 stolen bases … Peyton Shepard is batting .395 with 45 hits and 18 RBI stealing 28 bases.
• Solana Carpenter is 7-8 in the circle 3.90 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP.
  • is 307-187 in her 10th season as the Ichabod head softball coach and is the all-time winningest coach in program history.
• she has gone 137-83 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  1371-1004-1 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.