TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball plays four straight games against ranked opponents taking on No. 7 Rogers State in the final road games of the regular season beginning Friday then return home to take on No. 14 Central Missouri to begin a seven-game homestand.
LEADING OFF
>> Washburn goes on the road for the final time this regular season for three games against No. 7 Rogers State then return home for another ranked opponent in No. 14 Central Missouri for a mid-week game.
>> The Ichabods take on the Hillcats at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 17 with game two at 2 p.m. on Saturday and the finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday. They face the Mules at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21 at Steve Anson Stadium.
>> Washburn is on a season-long five-game winning streak after defeating Fort Hays State 13-5 on Tuesday, improving to 17-23 overall and 13-13 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 8.18 runs per game on the year while opponents are scoring 8.08 runs per game.
>> They are 9-6 playing at home at Steve Anson Stadium, 7-15 in road games and 1-2 in neutral field meetings.
>> At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .291 with a .410 OB% and a .459 SLG%. They have tallied 36 home runs with 217 total walks.
>> The pitching staff has a 6.85 ERA with 312 strikeouts across 346.2 innings. They have allowed 412 hits and issued 229 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 62-82.
>> 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 19 games heading into the weekend, it is the longest hitting streak of any player this season.
>> Ian Luce has reached base in all 40 games, the only player to do so. Jack Borgmann's 12 game on-base streak is the second longest on the team.
>> Luce has a team-high 21 games with multiple hits.
>> Washburn is reaching base at a .419 clip to lead off the inning.
>> The Ichabods are hitting 11-36 (.306) when pinch hitting this season. Opponents are just 4-31 (.129) when pinch-hitting.
>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 87-53 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 40 games hitting .406 with a .500 OB% for a 1.159 OPS, all team-highs. He has 26 total extra-base hits including six home runs and five triples. He has driven in 38 runs and is 14-17 in stolen base attempts. He is 2nd in the MIAA and 18th 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 38 games he has appeared in. He leads the team with 11 home runs and a team-high 53 RBI while carrying a 1.064 OPS. He is 9-12 in stolen base attempts. He is 6th in the MIAA in RBI, 8th in doubles and 10th in home runs. The junior was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week on Monday.
>> Jack Borgmann has played in 39 games making 36 starts. He is hitting .320 with five home runs and 29 RBI to give him a 1.053 OPS. He is 13-14 in stolen base attempts and leads the team with 40 walks for a .506 OB%. He is 2nd in the MIAA and 12th in the nation in walks.
>> Brandt Beeby has played in 29 games making 21 starts and is hitting .326 with a 1.004 OPS. He has driven in 23 runs with three triples and two home runs. He is also 7-9 in stolen base attempts.
>> Trenton Barry has played in 39 games making 37 starts hitting .288 with a .810 OPS. He has hit two home runs with three triples while driving in 19. He has a .406 OB% while going 12-14 in stolen base attempts. He ranks 7th in the MIAA and 64th nationally in triples.
>> Jackson Mervosh has played and started in all 40 games and is hitting .255 with a .715 OPS. He has 14 doubles while driving in 18 runs on the year. He has a .373 OB% and is 3-3 in stealing bases. He is 8th in the conference in doubles.
>> Easton Wasinger has played in 30 games making 26 starts. He is hitting .311 with a .912 OPS. He has driven in 28 runs with four home home runs and has a .397 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 36 games making 35 starts. He is hitting .234 with 12 RBI and one home run with a .362 OB%.
>> Owen Laessig has started in 29 games and played in 32. He is hitting .262 with 17 RBI and a home run while going 2-3 in stolen base attempts.
>> Eli Dean has appeared in 20 games making 13 starts. He is hitting .220 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 7th 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 15 games making one start and throwing 34.2 innings and striking out 27. He has a 5.19 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, best on the team.
>> 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 16 appearances with two starts tossing 24.1 innings. He has 20 strikeouts, a 3-2 record and 5.92 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 made six appearances throwing 7.0 innings and striking out four with a 5.14 ERA.
IN THE FIELD
>> Excluding first basemen and catchers, Levi Risenhoover leads the team with 71 putouts, Ian Luce is second on the team with 62.
>> Jackson Mervosh leads the team with 99 assists, Trenton Barry is second on the team with 92.
>> Brooks Richardson has a team-high 257 putouts from behind the plate while Jack Borgmann has 221 playing mostly at first base.
>> Richardson has thrown out a team-high 15 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 (5th MIAA / 31st nationally)
Doubes per game - 2.38 (2nd MIAA / 18th nationally)
Sacrifice bunts - 19 (7th MIAA / 71st nationally)
Stolen bases - 79 (3rd MIAA / 49th nationally)
Triples per game - 0.38 (4th MIAA / 28th nationally)
Sacrifice flies - 23 (5th MIAA / 47th nationally)
Scoring - 7.9 runs per game (8th MIAA / 74th nationally)
Hits - 394 (8th MIAA / 68th 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 301-265 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
ROGERS STATE HILLCATS
>> Rogers State improved to 34-6 overall and 22-4 in the MIAA after defeating Central Oklahoma 21-10 in eight innings on the road on Tuesday.
>> They are ranked No. 7 in the latest NCBWA national poll.
>> Last season the Hillcats went 29-20 overall and 19-17 in the MIAA, they advanced to the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
>> Chris Klimas is in his 12th season as the head coach at Rogers State where he has a 308-241 record.
>> Rogers State is scoring 9.75 runs per game while opponents are scoring 4.43 per outing.
>> The Hillcats offense is hitting .339 as a team with a .452 OB% and a .506 SLG%. They have 45 home runs and have tallied 228 total walks with 203 strikeouts.
>> They rank 2nd in the MIAA in hits, batting average and runs, with top-20 national rankings in all three categories.
>> Luis Fuentes has started in 33 games playing in 36 and is hitting a team-high .410 witha 1.077 OPS. He has two home runs with 28 RBI and four stolen bases. He is 6th in the MIAA in batting average and on base percentage at .544.
>> Nathan Gutierrez has played in 37 games making 36 starts and is hitting .346 with a 1.066 OPS. He is tied for a team-high with eight home runs while driving in 38. He is 20-21 in stolen base attempts this season, a team-high. He is 4th in the MIAA in stolen bases.
>> The pitching staff has a 4.09 ERA as a team across 341.0 innings. They have struck out 279 batters while walking 112 and allowing 324 total hits.
>> The Hillcats are first in the MIAA in WHIP, walks allowed per nine innings, strikeout-to-walk ratio and ERA. They rank inside the top -20 in the nation in all four categories.
>> Damon Anderson-Wolf has made 11 appearances with eight starts throwing 50.1 innings with a 3.28 ERA. He has struck out 26 hitters and is 8-0 on the year with one complete game. He leads the conference in victories and is sixth in ERA.
>> Richardo Landeros has made 11 appearances out of the bullpen throwing 25.2 innings. He has a 1.75 ERA and team-high four saves along with 22 strikeouts. He is 3rd in the MIAA in saves.
>> Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 8-7. They are 1-2 against Rogers State in Claremore.
>>The first meeting came on April 17, 2021 and was an 8-3 win for the Ichabods in Topeka. Last season the Hillcats won two out of three games in Topeka.
CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES
>> Central Missouri improved to 29-9 overall and 19-7 in conference play after defeating Northwest Missouri 8-3 on Tuesday.
>> They are ranked No. 14 in the latest NCBWA national poll.
>> Last season the Mules went 48-14 overall and 29-7 in conference play. They made it to the College Baseball World Series where they lost two games to one to Tampa in the Championship.
>> Kyle Crookes is in his 12 season leading the Central Missouri program where he has a 475-156 career record.
>> Central Missouri is scoring 9.76 runs per game while opponents are scoring 5.03 runs per game against them.
>> The Mules offense is hitting .337 as a team with a .465 OB% and a .504 SLG%. They have 28 home runs and have tallied 256 total walks with 208 strikeouts.
>> They lead the conference in stolen bases with 154 and triples with 21. They also rank second in the MIAA in walks and on base percentage. In all four categories they rank top-15 in the nation.
>> Ryker Edwards is hitting a team-high .400 while playing in 31 games and making 30 starts. He has a 1.002 OPS with two home runs and 20 RBI while going 11-12 in stolen base attempts. He is 8th in the MIAA in batting average.
>> Cole Funkhouser has made 35 starts with 32 games started and is hitting .361 with a 1.022 OPS. He has hit three home runs with 37 RBI and is 17-18 stealing bases, second on the team. He ranks 6th in the conference in stolen bases.
>> The pitching staff has a 4.83 ERA as a team across 314.0 innings. They have struck out 337 batters while walking 157 and allowing 256 total hits.
>> The Mules lead the conference with 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings, 10th most in the nation, as well as in hits allowed per nine innings at just 7.34, 2nd best nationally. They are also 3rd in the nation and 1st in the MIAA with a .981 fielding percentage.
>> Allen Sawyer has made nine starts throwing a team-high 42.1 innings. He has 44 strikeouts with a 5-0 record and 2.13 ERA. He is 2nd in the MIAA and 17th nationally in ERA and also ranks 2nd in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
>> Greyson Chappel has made nine starts for the Mules throwing 30.2 innings with an 1-2 record. He has 41 strikeouts with opponents hitting just .181 against him as he carries a 2.93 ERA.
>> Central Missouri leads the all-time series between the two teams 97-30. Washburn is 12-42 playing against them in Topeka.
>> The first meeting of the series came on March 14, 1985 with a 8-7 win for the Ichabods at home. The Mules have won the last three meetings including the first two games this season, one at each home location.
MILESTONE MARKERS
>> Griffin Huiatt is 2nd in program history with 69 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 .406 batting average is the 13th 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 40 walks are tied for the 12th 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 1404-1336-3 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 hosts Emporia State for a three-game series beginning Friday, April 24 beginning at 5 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.
