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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University softball hits the road Friday for a 2 p.m. MIAA doubleheader against No. 17-ranked Central Oklahoma.  

The Ichabods enter the weekend 24-9 overall after going 1-3 in their opening MIAA action last weekend after being swept by Northeastern State last Friday and splitting a twinbill with No. 18-ranked Rogers State on Saturday.

 Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais leads the nation in stolen bases entering Friday's twinbill at Central Oklahoma. [File photo/TSN]

Sophomore Makenzie Sais became the Ichabods' single-season leader in stolen bases earlier this season and enters the weekend with a nation-best 55 steals, 25 ahead of the No. 2-ranked player on the chart.

The MIAA single-season record is 65 by Becca Alt from Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) set in 1997. Sais' 55 stolen bases are second on the MIAA top-10 single-season chart.

Sais' 72 career stolen bases at Washburn trail Torrie Beauchamp's 87 steals from 1996-1999 and Marrit Mead's 96 from 2021-24.

Sais is also eighth in the nation in hits with 44 and 13th in runs scored with 33.

WU's Dalaney Anderson is 10th in the nation with 40 RBI and she is 18th in home runs with eight.

Seaman product Aspen Burgardt is 28th in runs scored with 30 and she is 40th in the nation in home runs with seven.

Pitcher Sadie Walker is third in the nation in shutouts with five and she is ninth in strikeouts with 96. 

As a team the Ichabods are ranked fifth in the NCAA with 59 doubles while also ranking seventh in hits (283), eighth in RBI (189), 11th in shutouts (7), ninth in stolen bases per game (2.85), second in stolen bases (94), second in walks (141) and seventh in total runs (212).

Central Oklahoma is 22-5 and has won its last four games going into the weekend. Friday's doubleheader against the Ichabods will be the Bronchos' first two MIAA games of the season.

Brooklyn Ryan leads UCO with a .402 batting average, leading the team with 35 hits.

Shelby Beard is 11-3 in the pitcher's circle with a 2.87 ERA in 19 appearances and Carleigh Kinnaird is 10-1 with a 3.56 ERA.

The Ichabods return to Gahnstrom Field next weekend, hosting Missouri Southern on March 27 and Pittsburg State on March 28 in MIAA doubleheaders.

 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Very little has come easy for Washburn University baseball thus far in 2026 and that trend continued Wednesday at Steve Anson Stadium.

But after visiting Fort Hays State rallied from a 4-1 deficit to force extra innings and took a one-run lead in the top of the 10th, the Ichabods came through with two runs in the bottom of the inning to earn a much-needed 6-5 MIAA win over the Tigers and snap a five-game losing streak.

Chase Littrell is mobbed by his Washburn teammates after delivering a walkoff double in Wednesday's 6-5 10-inning win over Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Washburn, which has been plagued by close losses in the early going this season, improved to 9-15 overall and 6-6 in the conference while Fort Hays State fell to 9-15, 6-8.

"We haven't had one of those in awhile,'' Washburn coach Harley Douglas said. "We had talked about the adversity the whole time and we had lost eight games where it was either one or two-run ballgames and five of them being one-run games.

"You're just like, man, one of these times we've got to come through when it's time and you want to face the adversity and want to take the moment, don't let it define who you are You need to go get it and I thought our guys did a pretty good job of that today.'' 

Fort Hays State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third after the Tigers took advantage of a double, a hit batter and a Washburn error to score an unearned run.

Levi Risenhoover went 3 for 5 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Washburn's 6-5 win over Fort Hays State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But left-fielder Ian Luce doubled for Washburn with two outs in the bottom of the third and right-fielder Levi Risenhoover followed with a home run that cleared the trees in left field, putting the Ichabods up, 2-1.

Ichabod shortstop Jackson Mervosh led off the fourth inning with a double, moved to third on a balk and scored on a sacrifice fly by center-fielder Chase Littrell to put Washburn up 3-1.

Washburn took a 4-1 advantage in the fifth, beginning with a leadoff walk from third baseman Trenton Barry. Luce and Risenhoover both followed with singles to produce the Ichabod run.

Washburn starter Mark Hoffman pitched 5 and 1/3 innings without allowing an unearned run in Wednesday's 6-5 10-inning win over Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Ichabod left-hander Mark Hoffman started and pitched 5 and 1/3 innings, allowing just one unearned run with two strikeouts. 

The score remained 4-1 into the seventh inning before Antonio Avila hit a two-run homer to pull Fort Hays State pull within one and the Tigers tied the game with a two-out single.      

Griffin Huiatt, the fourth of five pitchers used by Washburn, came on in the top of the eighth and tossed a scoreless inning. 

Washburn loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth but was unable to push the go-ahead run across.

Ichabod reliever Fidel Hatch pitched a scoreless ninth before Fort Hays state took advantage of a Washburn error to go up 5-4 in the top of the 10th. 

A Tiger error with one out put the Ichabods in business in the bottom of the 10th and first baseman Jack Borgmann followed with a triple into the right-field corner that tied the game.

Littrell then blasted a ball to deep center that served as a walkoff ground-rule double to win the game.

"We hope this sparks us,'' Littrell said. "It feels really good. We had a team talk a couple of days ago and we talked about these moments and kind of coming together as a team and finding a way to win these games.

"It's these close games that we know we've got to win and today was just bonding together and finding a way.''

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Class 5A senior state champion Cianna Graves headines the TopSports.news 2026 All-Shawnee County girls wrestling team while third-place teams Heights and Washburn Rural combined for 12 spots on the first team.

Cianna Graves, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]

TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County team is based on overall records, postseason results and city coaches' All-City selections.

Graves, the Shawnee County wrestler of the year, is a four-time state medalist and capped her career with the state championship at 155 pounds, finishing off a 35-2 season.

Brinnley Morris, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]

Olive Jones, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]

Graves was one of three T-Bird state champions, with freshman Brinnley Morris (21-3) winning the 120-pound title title and sophomore Olive Jones (39-1) taking the 135-pound crown as Shawnee Heights earned the third-place team trophy for the second straight season.

Morris was tapped as the Shawnee County newcomer of the year.

Lacey Middleton, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]    

Emme Blanco, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN] 

Elia Smith, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural put a county-high seven wrestlers on the TSN All-Shawnee County first team, led by the senior Class 6A state runnerup trio of 125-pounder Lacey Middleton (39-7), 145-pounder Emme Blanco (40-4) and 170-pounder Elia Smith (35-4), who led the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish for the second straight season in 6A after Rural won back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024.

In addition to the three second-place finishers, Rural also put freshman 105-pounder Aliyah Tangpricha, senior 140-pounder Madi Blanco, junior 190-pounder Lily Davis and sophomore 235-pounder Emma Mehl on the first team. 

Tangpricha (30-6) and Madi Blanco (40-5) both placed third in 6A while Davis (37-12) finished sixth and Mehl (25-16) was a state qualifier.

Madi Blanco and Smith are both three-time first-team all-county honorees while Middleton and Emme Blanco are repeat picks.

Shawnee Heights also put senior 145-pounder Olivia Stevens and sophomore 110-pounder Bianca Juarez on the all-county first team.

A multi-time state medalist, Stevens (33-6) finished third at 145 pounds and Juarez (26-14) was a state qualifier. 

Shawnee Heights' Chad Parks was named the county coach of the year after the T-Birds won the United Kansas Conference championship and finished second at regionals before their third-place finish at state.

Makayla Cadet, Highland Park [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/TSN]

Highland Park senior 190-pounder Makayla Cadet (23-3) is a first-team repeat all-county honoree, posting a runnerup 5A state finish this past season after winning the state championship as a junior.

Nora Mitchell, Rossville [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]

Rounding out the all-county first team are Rossville sophomore 105-pounder Nora Mitchell and junior 145-pounder Madelyn Wonnell.

Mitchell (37-12) was the 3A-1A runnerup and and Wonnell (38-6), a two-time state medalist, finished third this past season after finishing fifth as a sophomore.

ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS WRESTLING

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