TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn wraps up a four-game homestand with three games against Arkansas-Fort Smith beginning Thursday, April 9 inside Steve Anson Stadium.
 

LEADING OFF

>> Washburn hosts Arkansas-Fort Smith to Topeka for the first time in a weather-adjusted weekend.

>> The Ichabods take on the Lions at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 9 inside Steve Anson Stadium in game one. Friday's game time has not been set yet due to forecasted rain. The series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.

>> Washburn improved to 13-23 overall and are 9-13 inside the MIAA after defeating Northwestern Oklahoma State 2-0 on Tuesday last time out.

>> 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 7.83 runs per game on the year while opponents are scoring 8.67 runs per game. 

>> They are 6-6 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 .288 with a .406 OB% and a .442 SLG%. They have tallied 27 home runs with 194 total walks.

>> The pitching staff has a 7.34 ERA with 278 strikeouts across 312.2 innings. They have allowed 386 hits and issued 211 walks. 

>> Washburn has a .964 fielding percentage as a team with 48 errors and 16 turned double plays.

>> On the basepaths the Ichabods have gone 73-90 in stolen base attempts while opponents have gone 53-72. 

>> 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 15 games heading into the weekend, it is the longest hitting streak of any player this season.

>> Ian Luce has reached base in all 36 games, the only player to do so. Jack Borgmann's eight-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 .418 clip to lead off the inning. 

>> The Ichabods are hitting 9-30 (.300) when pinch hitting this season.

>> Washburn is outscoring opponents 31-14 in the ninth inning of games and 3-2 in extra innings this season.

AROUND THE ORDER

>> Ian Luce has started in all 36 games hitting .414 with a .508 OB% for a 1.186 OPS, all team-highs. He has 25 total extra-base hits including five home runs and five triples. He has driven in 35 runs and is 12-15 in stolen base attempts. He is 1st in the MIAA and 5th nationally in hits, 1st in triples, 2nd in total bases and 5th in batting average.

>> Levi Risenhoover is hitting .304 while starting in all 34 games he has appeared in. He leads the team with seven home runs and 39 RBI while carrying a .965 OPS. He is 9-12 in stolen base attempts. He is 8th in the MIAA in doubles, 12th in RBI and 13th in home runs.

>> Jack Borgmann has played in 35 games making 32 starts. He is hitting .314 with four home runs and 21 RBI to give him a .998 OPS. He is 10-11 in stolen base attempts and leads the team with 31 walks for a .481 OB%. He ranks 6th in the MIAA and 29th nationally in walks. 

>> Brandt Beeby has played in 26 games making 19 starts and is hitting .300 with a .914 OPS. He has driven in 18 runs with a pair of triples and a home run. He is also 7-8 in stolen base attempts.

>> Trenton Barry has played in 35 games making 33 starts hitting .286 with a .828 OPS. He has hit two home runs with three triples while driving in 19. He has a .415 OB% while going 11-13 in stolen base attempts. He ranks 6th in the MIAA and 52nd nationally in triples.

>> Jackson Mervosh has played and started in all 36 games and is hitting .262 with a .725 OPS. He has 13 doubles while driving in 17 runs on the year. He has a .376 OB% and is 3-3 in stealing bases. He is 8th 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 26 games making 22 starts. He is hitting .275 with a .783 OPS. He has driven in 20 runs with three home home run and has a .343 OB%.

>> Brooks Richardson has played in 32 games making 31 starts. He is hitting .234 with 11 RBI and one home run with a .365 OB%.

>> Owen Laessig has started in 28 games and played in 30. He is hitting .262 with 16 RBI and is 2-3 in stolen base attempts.

>> Jarrett Herrmann has played in 21 games making nine starts. He is hitting .214 with a .377 OB%. He is 4-5 in stolen base attempts.

>> Eli Dean has appeared in 16 games making nine starts. He is hitting .314 with six RBI and one home run while going 5-6 stealing bases.

ON THE MOUND

>> Kai Bennett has thrown 41.2 innings over his nine starts. He is tied for the team lead with 40 strikeouts and has a 5.83 ERA. He is 1-4 on the year with a 1.73 WHIP. He is 8th in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings.

>> Maclane Finley leads team throwing 48.0 innings across his nine starts this season. He has struck out 35 batters and has a 6.56 ERA and 3-3 record,  a team-high in victories. He has thrown into the fifth inning in every start.

>> 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.

>> Fidel Hatch has played in 13 games out of the bullpen throwing 28.2 innings and striking out 19. He has a 5.65 ERA to go along with a 2-2 record and is tied for a team-high with one save.

>> Mark Hoffmann has pitched in 14 games making five starts. He has thrown 30.0 innings with 22 strikeouts and a 6.90 ERA. He has a 2-3 record on the year.

>> Blake Priest has pitched in ten games out of the bullpen throwing 13.2 innings. He has one save with 17 strikeouts and has a 4.61 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 nine games out of the bullpen. He has a 1-0 record across 16.1 innings with 16 strikeouts and an ERA of 7.16.

>> Griffin Huiatt has made 14 appearances with two start tossing 18.1 innings. He has 14 strikeouts, a 2-2 record and 7.36 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.

IN THE FIELD

>>  Excluding first basemen and catchers, Levi Risenhoover leads the team with 66 putouts, Chase Littrell is second on the team with 59.

>> Jackson Mervosh leads the team with 87 assists, Trenton Barry is second on the team with 86.

>> Brooks Richardson has a team-high 224 putouts from behind the plate while Jack Borgmann has 203 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  - 194 (5th MIAA / 30th nationally)

Doubes per game - 2.44 (1st MIAA / 14th nationally) 

Sacrifice bunts - 18 (6th MIAA / 66th nationally)

Stolen bases - 73 (3rd MIAA / 47th nationally)

Triples per game  - 0.36 (4th MIAA / 34th nationally)

Sacrifice flies - 22 (5th MIAA / 34th nationally)

Scoring - 7.8 runs per game (8th MIAA / 75th nationally) 

Hits - 364 (6th MIAA / 61st nationally)

Strikeouts per nine innings - 8.0 (3rd MIAA / 83rd nationally)

Fielding percentage - .964 (10th MIAA / 88th 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 297-265 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

ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH LIONS

>> Arkansas-Fort Smith fell to 4-30 overall and 3-22 inside the MIAA after losing 17-3 to Rogers State on Tuesday at home.

>> Last season the Lions went 13-33 and 8-28 in MIAA play, missing out on the MIAA Tournament.

>> This year they are 0-15 at home, 4-14 on the road and 0-1 in neutral field games.

>> Todd Holland is in his 12th season as the head coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith where he has a 308-259 record.

>> The Lions score 5.94 runs per game while opponents are scoring 13.12.

>> As a team the offense is hitting .270 with a .365 OB% and a .409 SLG%. They have 26 home runs with 148 total walks and 265 strikeouts as a team.

>> JJ Young has played in 29 games making 24 starts and leads the team with nine home runs and a 1.090 OPS. He is hitting .313 with 23 RBI on the year. He is 6th in the MIAA in home runs and 5th in SLG%.

>> Caleb Eisenhower has played and started in all 34 games hitting a team-high .322. He has a .916 OPS with two home runs and 24 RBI, a team-high.

>> The pitching staff has a 13.40 ERA as a team across 265.1 innings. They have struck out 156 batters while walking 248 and allowing 451 total hits.

>> Eli Gilreath has appeared in 13 games making one start tossing 35.0 innings. He is 1-1 with a 6.94 ERA.

>> Steffan Fak has pitched in nine games making seven starts. He has tossed 30.2 innings with a 9.68 ERA. His 20 strikeouts are tied for a team-high.

>> Washburn leads the all-time series between the two teams 3-0, sweeping the season series last season on the road. 

MILESTONE MARKERS

>> Griffin Huiatt is 2nd in program history with 67 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 .414 batting average is the 11th best in a single-season in program history. He is already tied for the 9th most triples in a season with five.

WASHBURN BASEBALL HISTORY

>> The 2026 season will be the 74th year of Washburn Baseball.

>> The Ichabods have a 1400-1336-3 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 heads on the road to face Fort Hays State on Tuesday, April 14 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.