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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn University softball team, off to its best start since 2003, is finally at home, hosting the Washburn Invitational and playing six games Friday through Sunday at Gahnstrom Field.

Sophomore Makenzie Sais has helped lead Washburn softball to a 13-2 record in 2026, leading the nation with 31 stolen bases and ranking fifth with 23 hits. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics.]

The 13-2 start by the Ichabods this season is the best since starting the 2003 season 17-3 en route to a 34-win season.

Overall, the Ichabods have won their last six games after going 5-0 at the Cherokee Classic with three shutout wins.

Brenda Holaday is four wins away from reaching 300 as the Ichabods' head coach in her 10th season at Washburn. The winninest coach in school history, Holaday is 296-172 overall entering the weekend.

Thrilled with the Ichabods' start to the 2026 season, Holaday and the Ichabods will be looking to continue to grow on the confidence they've built moving forward.

"In 15 games we've played one bad game and one bad half inning, and that's kind of the way you have to look at it,'' Holaday said. "I think this group is more mature, more resilient, and I think they're more confident because they've put the work in.

"So their ability to bounce back when they individually have a bad outing or as a team we have a bad outing, we're just a more mature team and I think that comes from the work. You build a lot of confidence in this game with the extra work. That sounds a little cliche, but that's really the difference in this team.''

The Ichabods, 27-3 all-time in their home invitational, will open its weekend with a 2 p.m. Friday game against Montana State, followed by a 4 o'clock contest against Wayne State.

On Saturday Washburn will take on Minnesota State at 2 p.m. and Drury at 6 o'clock before closing out the weekend on Sunday with a 12 p.m. game against Minnesota-Crookston and a 4 p.m. game against Lincoln.

"I know they're excited to play in front of their fans, even thought it's going to be a little chilly out,'' Holaday said.

Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais leads the nation with 31 stolen bases, 15 ahead of the No. 2-ranked player on the chart. Sais' 31 stolen bases are two shy of tying the Ichabod single-season record only 15 games into the season.

The Washburn single-season record has stood since 1999 when Torrie Beauchamp went 33 of 37 in stolen base attempts. Sais is currently tied for second on the single-season chart with Samantha Stallbaumer, who stole 31 bases in 2018 and 2019.

As a team the Ichabods are ranked second in the NCAA with 44 total stolen bases, behind Missouri Southern's 49.

Sais is also fifth in the nation in hits with 23 and 12th in runs scored with 16.

Washburn's Dalaney Anderson ranks fourth in the NCAA ranks and tied for the MIAA lead with 21 runs batted in and her four home runs are 16th in the national stats.

Pitcher Kierra Goos leads the nation in starts with eight and senior Sadie Walker is 16th with six starts.

Senior pitcher Sadie Walker ranks among the national leaders in multiple categories for the 13-2 Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]

Walker is fourth nationally in innings pitched (45.6), fifth in appearances (10), first in shutouts (3), ninth in strikeouts (45) and second in wins (7).

In the NCAA team rankings the Ichabods are fourth in doubles with 31, 11th in fielding percentage (.982), 11th in hits (130), eighth in RBI (92), fourth in shutouts (4) and third in walks (65).

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University women's basketball picked up its eighth win in its last 10 tries and third in a row on Thursday evening with a 63-48 road win at Central Oklahoma.

Senior Yibari Nwidadah led a balanced attack with 14 points as Washburn improved to 18-7 with a 63-48 MIAA win at Central Oklahoma Thursday. [File photo/TSN]

The Ichabods play on the road for the final time in the regular season at Rogers State on Saturday with a 1 p.m. tipoff.

After a quick start by the Bronchos (9-16 overall, 4-12 MIAA) that saw them in front 8-7, Washburn (18-7, 11-5) took control in the last five minutes of the opening quarter.

The Ichabods finished the quarter on a 7-2 run to take an 18-12 lead at the end of the quarter while shooting 58.3 percent.

A pair of quick buckets by sophomore Brooke Gomez and senior Yibari Nwidadah pushed the Washburn lead to double figures at the 8:23 mark of the second quarter and forced a timeout by Central Oklahoma.

Scoring was scarce for both teams in the quarter after the opening minutes, as the Ichabods held the home squad to 3-11 shooting in the frame. The Ichabods led by as many as 12 points and went into the break leading 31-22.

The Bronchos came out of halftime firing, cutting the lead down to four at 34-30 with 5:12 remaining in the third.

Washburn responded with five points in a row, all from junior Britany Kogbara, and a jumper by Kellyn Hunter pushed the lead back to double figures and Washburn went into the fourth quarter leading 45-35.

Nwidadah got a pair of buckets early in the fourth stanza but the Bronchos cut away at the lead chipping it down to seven.

This time the Ichabods responded with a 10-0 run, capped off by 3-pointers from freshman Kennadi Jackson and senior Gabi Giovannetti, giving WU its largest lead of the game with 4:48 to go. The lead never dipped below 13 points from that point as Washburn closed out the 15-point win.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 3-ranked Washburn Ichabods clinched their 12th MIAA regular-season title and second straight with a dominant road performance Thursday night, rolling past Central Oklahoma, 82-58.

Washburn junior Jack Bachelor scored 19 points for the Ichabods in Thursday's 82-58 win over UCO while adding nine assists, four steals and hitting 5 of 8 3-point attempts.

Washburn will play its final regular-season road game at Rogers State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The Ichabods, who improved to 25-1 overall and 15-1 in the MIAA, set the tone early and never trailed, building a commanding 51-30 halftime advantage while shooting 49 percent from the field (19 of 37), including a blistering 53 percent from 3-point range (9 of 17) in the opening 20 minutes while holding the Bronchos to 9 of 25 shooting at 36 percent.

Washburn's defense clamped down on the Bronchos from behind the 3-point line in the second half, holding UCO to 1 of 13 shooting and just 12 of 36 overall.

Midway through the second half, UCO did cut the Ichabod lead to 14 at 62-48, but Washburn responded with a 20-4 run to slam the door, building its lead to as many as 30 with 95 seconds to play.

The Ichabods picked up their first win at UCO since Jan. 14, 2017, snapping a five-game losing streak in Edmond.

Junior Jack Bachelor scored a team-high 19 points for the Ichabods, 16 in the opening half, while adding nine assists and four steals and hitting 5 of 8 3-point attempts.

Sophomore Marcus Glock added 14 points off the bench, going 4 of 6 from deep, while sophomore Dillon Claussen scored 13 points in 17 minutes and senior Brady Christiansen scored 12 with seven rebounds.

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Welcome to Top Sports News

After 15-game road stretch 13-2 Ichabod softball home for Washburn Inv.

Washburn women ride defense to 63-48 MIAA win over Bronchos

No. 3 Ichabods clinch MIAA regular-season title with 82-58 win over UCO