TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball plays Fort Hays State for the final time this regular season heading back on the road on Tuesday, April 14 with first pitch at 3 p.m. 

 

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn begins its final regular season road trip taking on Fort Hays State in a mid-week meeting.

>> The Ichabods take on the Tigers at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 in Hays, Kan.

>> Washburn is on a season-long four-game winning streak after sweeping Arkansas-Fort Smith to improve to 16-23 overall and 12-13 in the MIAA.

>> 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 8.05 runs per game on the year while opponents are scoring 8.15 runs per game. 

>> They are 9-6 playing at home at Steve Anson Stadium, 6-15 in road games and 1-2 in neutral field meetings.

>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .289 with a .409 OB% and a .445 SLG%. They have tallied 29 home runs with 213 total walks.

>> The pitching staff has a 6.90 ERA with 303 strikeouts across 337.2 innings. They have allowed 403 hits and issued 223 walks. 

>> Washburn has a .966 fielding percentage as a team with 50 errors and 17 turned double plays.

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 79-97 in stolen base attempts while opponents have gone 61-80. 

>> 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 18 games heading into the weekend, it is the longest hitting streak of any player this season.

>> Ian Luce has reached base in all 39 games, the only player to do so. Jack Borgmann's 11 game on-base streak is the second longest on the team.

>> Luce has a team-high 20 games with multiple hits. 

>> Washburn is reaching base at a .412 clip to lead off the inning. 

>> The Ichabods are hitting 9-34 (.265) when pinch hitting this season. Opponents are just 4-30 (.133) when pinch-hitting.

>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 81-50 over the eighth and ninth innings of games this season. They are 3-2 in extra innings this season.

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Ian Luce has started in all 39 games hitting .402 with a .500 OB% for a 1.146 OPS, all team-highs. He has 25 total extra-base hits including five home runs and five triples. He has driven in 37 runs and is 14-17 in stolen base attempts. He is 1st in the MIAA and 13th nationally in hits, 1st in the MIAA in triples, 4th in total bases and 5th in runs.

>> Levi Risenhoover is hitting .325 while starting in all 37 games he has appeared in. He leads the team with nine home runs and 49 RBI while carrying a 1.039 OPS. He is 9-12 in stolen base attempts. He is 5th in the MIAA in RBI, 7th in doubles and 8th in home runs. The junior was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week for the last week.

>> Jack Borgmann has played in 38 games making 35 starts. He is hitting .312 with four home runs and 28 RBI to give him a 1.009 OPS. He is 13-14 in stolen base attempts and leads the team with 39 walks for a .497 OB%. He is 1st in the MIAA and 7th in the nation in walks. 

>> Brandt Beeby has played in 28 games making 21 starts and is hitting .318 with a .958 OPS. He has driven in 21 runs with three triples and a home run. He is also 7-9 in stolen base attempts.

>> Trenton Barry has played in 38 games making 36 starts hitting .291 with a .819 OPS. He has hit two home runs with three triples while driving in 19. He has a .408 OB% while going 12-14 in stolen base attempts. He ranks 7th in the MIAA and 60th nationally in triples.

>> Jackson Mervosh has played and started in all 39 games and is hitting .253 with a .709 OPS. He has 14 doubles while driving in 17 runs on the year. He has a .367 OB% and is 3-3 in stealing bases. He is 7th in the conference in doubles.

>> Easton Wasinger has played in 29 games making 25 starts. He is hitting .303 with a .863 OPS. He has driven in 27 runs with three home home runs and has a .388 OB%.

>> 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%.

>> Brooks Richardson has played in 35 games making 34 starts. He is hitting .240 with 12 RBI and one home run with a .365 OB%.

>> Owen Laessig has started in 28 games and played in 31. He is hitting .260 with 16 RBI and is 2-3 in stolen base attempts.

>> Eli Dean has appeared in 19 games making 12 starts. He is hitting .244 with seven RBI and one home run while going 5-6 stealing bases.

>> Jarrett Herrmann has played in 22 games making nine starts. He is hitting .205 with a .364 OB%. He is 4-5 in stolen base attempts.

ON THE MOUND

>> Kai Bennett has thrown 48.2 innings over his ten starts. He leads the team with 48 strikeouts and has a 5.36 ERA. He is 2-4 on the year with a 1.60 WHIP. He is 8th in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings.

>> Maclane Finley leads team throwing 53.0 innings across his ten starts this season. He has struck out 39 batters and has a 6.11 ERA and 4-3 record,  a team-high in victories. He has thrown into the fifth inning in every start.

>> Fidel Hatch has pitched in 14 games out of the bullpen throwing 30.2 innings and striking out 22. He has a 5.58 ERA to go along with a 2-2 record and is tied for a team-high with one save.

>> Mark Hoffmann has pitched in 15 games making five starts. He has thrown 34.1 innings with 27 strikeouts and a 6.03 ERA. He has a 2-3 record on the year with one save.

>> Caleb Lunnon has made nine starts for the Ichabods throwing 33.2 innings on the year. He has struck out 35 batters, tied for second most on the team. He  is 1-1 on the year with a 10.16 ERA.

>> Blake Priest has pitched in 11 games out of the bullpen throwing 14.2 innings. He has one save with 18 strikeouts and has a 4.30 ERA. 

>> Max Strash has appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen for the Ichabods throwing 14.0 innings. He has 13 strikeouts and has a 5.79 ERA.

>> Gavin Wilhelm has pitched in ten games while making one start. He has a 2-0 record across 20.0 innings with 18 strikeouts and a 5.85 ERA.

>> Griffin Huiatt has made 15 appearances with two starts tossing 20.1 innings. He has 16 strikeouts, a 2-2 record and 6.64 ERA.

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

>> Keegan McDonald has appeared in nine games out of the bullpen throwing 8.1 innings with seven strikeouts and a 9.72 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.

>> Sean Kingston has a team-best 1.50 ERA across five appearances out of the bullpen throwing 6.0 innings with four strikeouts.

IN THE FIELD

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Levi Risenhoover leads the team with 70 putouts, Ian Luce is second on the team with 61.

>> Jackson Mervosh leads the team with 95 assists, Trenton Barry is second on the team with 91.

>> Brooks Richardson has a team-high 248 putouts from behind the plate while Jack Borgmann has 212 playing mostly at first base.

>> Richardson has thrown out a team-high 14 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  - 213 (4th MIAA / 25th nationally)

Doubes per game - 2.44 (1st MIAA / 13th nationally) 

Sacrifice bunts - 19 (7th MIAA / 65th nationally)

Stolen bases - 79 (3rd MIAA / 40th nationally)

Triples per game  - 0.38 (2nd MIAA / 21st nationally)

Sacrifice flies - 23 (4th MIAA / 39th nationally)

Scoring - 8.1 runs per game (8th MIAA / 67th nationally) 

Hits - 394 (4th MIAA / 51st nationally)

Strikeouts per nine innings - 8.1 (4th MIAA / 75th nationally)

Fielding percentage - .966 (10th MIAA / 77th 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 300-265 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

FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS

>> Fort Hays State improved to 12-26 overall and 9-19 in MIAA play after defeating No. 16 Central Missouri 14-13 last time out on Sunday, April 12.

>> Last season the Tigers went 32-16 overall and 26-10 inside the MIAA. They lost in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament to Northwest Missouri.

>> Justin Wichert is in his fourth season as the head coach for Fort Hays State where he has a 89-98 record. 

>> Fort Hays State is scoring 6.76 runs per game while opponents are scoring 9.02 per outing.

>> The Tigers offense is hitting .288 as a team with a .386 OB% and a .449 SLG%. They have 41 home runs and have tallied 154 total walks with 255 strikeouts.

>> They rank 1st in the MIAA and 2nd in the nation in sacrifice bunts. They rank 7th in the conference in home runs.

>> Derek Woolwine has played in 36 games making 33 starts and is hitting .333 with a 1.175 OPS. He has ten home runs with 34 RBI on the year, both team-highs. He is 6th in the MIAA in SLG% and is 8th in home runs.

>> Antonio Avila has played and started in all 38 games hitting .365 with a 1.027 OPS. He has six home runs with 26 RBI while going 13-18 in stolen base attempts, a team-high. He is 4th in the MIAA in doubles and 5th in hits.

>> The pitching staff has a 8.56 ERA as a team across 321.2 innings. They have struck out 261 batters while walking 240 and allowing 414 total hits.

>> The Tigers are 1st in the MIAA with 34 double plays, a mark that puts them 13th in the nation. They are 9th in the conference with 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

>> Tucker Russell has appeared in 12 games while making eight starts throwing 48.1 innings. He is 3-3 on the year with a 5.77 ERA and has struck out 26.

>> Brandon Chavez has appeared in seven games making three starts. He has thrown 28.1 innings with 43 strikeouts. He is 2-2 with a team-best 4.76 ERA.

>> Fort Hays State leads the all-time series between the two teams 104-89. The Ichabods are 37-53 against the Tigers in Hays.

>>The first meeting came on May 5, 1966 with a 7-3 win for Washburn in Omaha, Neb. Washburn has won both games this season, the latest a 6-5 10-inning win in Topeka on March 18.

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Griffin Huiatt is 2nd in program history with 68 career appearances. He ranks tied for 5th among all players with seven career saves. 

>> Jackson Mervosh is tied for 8th in Washburn history with 38 doubles. 

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

>> Ian Luce's current .402 batting average is the 14th best in a single-season in program history. He is already tied for the 9th most triples in a season with five.

>> Jack Borgmann's 39 walks are the 13th most 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 1403-1336-3 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 to face Rogers State in a three-game series beginning Friday, April 17.

>> 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.