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Ichabod softball to close out regular season with Senior Day twinbill against Hornets
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball will wrap up the 2025 regular season on Saturday, hosting Emporia State in a 1 p.m. Senior Day doubleheader.
Seniors Mariah Wheeler, Alexis Tanguma, Jaden LaBarge, Kaylee Wagner and Ellington Hogle along with student assistant coach Riley Stephens will be honored between games.
Washburn senior catcher Kaylee Wagner (left) is congratulated by her Ichabod teammates after hitting the go-ahead home run in last Friday's 10-7 win over Central Oklahoma. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Ichabods (30-19 overall, 12-10 MIAA) split a doubleheader with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma last Friday in their only action of the week.
Emporia State is 29-21 this season and 9-13 in the MIAA after sweeping Newman on April 19 in Emporia.
The Ichabods are in sixth in the MIAA standings entering the final weekend, two games behind Central Missouri for fifth.
The 2025 MIAA Championship Tournament bracket will be announced on Saturday at the conclusion of all games. The top 10 in the final standings qualify for the single-elimination tournament which will be hosted by Fort Hays State April 30-May 4.
Washburn junior pitcher Sadie Walker is ninth in the nation in games started (26), 11th in appearances (33 ) and 38th in shutouts (4) while also ranking 47th in strikeouts (47).
Jenna Sprague is seventh in the nation with five saves.
Grace's big day powers undefeated Wildcats to Centennial League sweep over Blue Jays
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden star senior pitcher and cleanup hitter Cooper Grace was asked after Friday's Centennial League doubleheader against Junction City what he gets most excited about -- a dominating performance on the mound or a big hit at the plate.
Hayden senior Cooper Grace turned in a banner performance in Friday's doubleheader sweep over Junction City. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Grace went with option No. 3 -- success as a team.
"I get excited when you get a big win to be honest with you,'' Grace said. "That's kind of the ultimate thing that I care about.
"It's fun to have some individual goals for myself, but as a team, I get excited about the wins.''
Grace achieved all three of those goals, Friday, allowing just three hits and striking out 12 in 6 2/3 innings in the first game and stroking two doubles and a triple in the nightcap as Hayden improved to 12-0 overall and 6-0 in the league with a 6-0, 3-2 sweep over the Blue Jays (6-10, 1-5).
"I know it's a cliche, but you've just got to play them one at a time,'' Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. "I felt like all our pitchers today did a really good job, but we've got to clean some stuff up.''
In the opener, Grace gave up just three singles and struck out every hitter in the Junction City lineup at least once before senior Liam Annand came on in relief to record the final out and preserve the shutout.
Junction City junior starter Conrado Gomez shut out Hayden over the first four innings, but the Wildcats broke the game open with a five-run fifth, sending 10 hitters to the plate in the inning.
Hayden got a two-run single from senior Brady Heinen and a run-scoring single from Annand while the Wildcats also scored a pair of runs on Blue Jay wild pitches.
Hayden sophomore shortstop Mason Becker (left) throws out a runner in Friday's doubleheader sweep over Junction City. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden added its final run in the sixth when sophomore shortstop Mason Becker doubled and came around to score.
Senior Jett Wahlmeier got the pitching start for Hayden in the second game and picked up the win, shutting out the Blue Jays over the first four innings and working into the fifth before being relieved by junior Connor Hanika.
Hayden jumped on top in the first when Becker singled and scored on a Grace triple.
The Wildcats added a run in the third when junior Aiden Roberts singled, stole second and scored on a Heinen sacrifice fly and scored their final run in the fourth when Grace doubled and scored on a single from junior Kade Mitchell.
Washburn baseball rides six-run fifth to 8-2 win over Newman in series opener
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball used a six-run fifth inning to take Game 1 of the final regular-season series against Newman 8-2 on Friday evening.
Topekan Cooper Carlgren picked up the pitching win in Friday's 8-2 Washburn MIAA win over Newman. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will go for the series win on Saturday with first pitch at 2 p.m.
Before the game there will be a ceremony on the field to rename the WU facility Falley Field at Steve Anson Stadium beginning at 1:30 p.m.
After a scoreless first inning it was the Jets (10-31 overall, 6-25 MIAA) who got on the scoreboard first with a one-out solo home run in the second inning.
The Ichabod (24-24, 16-18) offense got two triples in the first three innings, first from Connor Scott then Jett Buck.The second came from Buck in the third inning with two outs. Jackson Mervosh followed with a double to score him and tie the game.
Washburn Rural product Cooper Carlgren started on the mound for the Ichabods and after the second inning run he settled in with scoreless third and fourth innings, combining for four strikeouts in the two frames.
After a scoreless fifth from Carlgren, Washburn loaded the bases on a hit batter, walk and single by Hayden Priest. Mervosh continued to drive in runs, doubling into right center to score two more. Easton Bruce traded places with him, doubling to right to make it 5-1. Darian Duhon made it a six-run inning, blasting a home run to right and add two more runs.
