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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball battled back from a 7-1 deficit to take a 10-9 MIAA win on Saturday afternoon, evening the series with Northwest Missouri State at one game each.
Griffin Huiatt picked up the win in Washburn's 10-9 victory over Northwest Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The rubber match is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The Bearcats (18-8 overall, 8-4 MIAA) put a pair of runs on the board in the first inning scoring two on a one-out double after a hit and an error led off the game.
Washburn's Jackson Mervosh led off the second inning with a single, moving to second on an error. He moved to third and scored on an RBI groundout by Chase Littrell to pull the Ichabods within one run.
Northwest Missouri put two runners on in the third before smashing back-to-back home runs to go up 6-1.
The Bearcats went yard again in the next inning, hitting a solo home run.
Washburn (10-16, 7-7) started the fourth inning with a pair of walks. With two outs Owen Laessig hit a single deep in the left side of the infield to score one and make it 7-2 after four.
In the sixth inning Mervosh led off with a double and after a single by Jack Borgmann and Littrell was hit by a pitch the bases were loaded. Brooks Richardson was hit by a pitch, and Laessig followed with a single, each scoring a run.
Trenton Barry delivered a sacrifice fly, scoring another run, and Ian Luce doubled down the left-field line to pull WU within one at 7-6.
After a second straight scoreless inning by pitcher Fidel Hatch the Ichabods got back to work at the plate.
Doubles from Easton Wasinger and then Borgmann tied the game at seven.
Littrell slashed a single down the right-field line, scoring Borgmann to put Washburn in front 8-7.
The next half inning Northwest Missouri strung together four straight baserunners, scoring two on a one-out single into left to go back in front.
However, the lead was short lived, with Barry working a leadoff walk in the eighth and Luce slashing a double to left-center, tying the game at nine.
With two outs Borgmann slashed another double into the outfield, scoring Luce to put Washburn in front.
After entering in the eighth and recording the final two outs, Washburn's Griffin Huiatt stayed on the mound in the ninth and sat down the Bearcats in order to secure the 10-9 win.
Northwest Missouri State out-hit the Ichabods 13-12 while walks went in favor of Washburn, 7-5. Each team committed one error in the contest.
Three pitchers combined to throw all nine innings for the Ichabods. Hatch took over for Caleb Lunnon after three innings, he tossed 4.1 with three runs allowed an a strikeout.
Huiatt secured the win with 1.2 scoreless and a pair of punchouts.
At the plate Borgmann went 3-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. Laessig went 3-4 while driving in three and Luce went 2-3 with two RBI and two walks. Mervosh also reached four times with two hits and a pair of walks.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights
KAITLYN ALDRIDGE, Shawnee Heights
A junior, Aldridge earned All-City first-team honors for the second straight season in 2025, winning the city title in the 500-yard freestyle, placing second in the 100 butterfly and helping Shawnee Heights win the 200 free relay and finish third in the 400 free relay. Aldridge placed fourth in the United Kansas Conference in the 100 fly and fifth in the 500 free and swam on the T-Birds' fourth-place 400 free relay. Aldridge competed in the Class 5A-1A state meet.
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
Appuhn, a senior three-time All-City honoree, placed in multiple events in the Class 6A state meet for the third straight season last spring, taking third in the 100-yard breaststroke and sixth in the 200 freestyle to lead Rural to an 11th-place team finish. Appuhn won four golds in the city meet (200 free, 100 breast, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay) as Rural won its 22nd straight team title and four golds in the Centennial League meet (200 free, 100 breast, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay). Appuhn was a second-team All-State honoree in 6A in 2025.
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High
HARA DEL CASTILLO, Topeka High
A senior, Del Castillo earned All-City honors for the third straight season in 2025 as the Trojan junior finished second in the city meet in the 100-yard backstroke and third in the 100 freestyle. Del Castillo won Centennial League titles in the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke and swam on the Trojans' fourth-place 200 medley relay. Del Castillo competed in the 6A state meet last season.
KAILYN GERDEL, Hayden
Gerdel, a junior was an All-City second-team pick last season after placing third in the city meet in the 200-yard freestyle and swimming on the Wildcats' runnerup 200 medley and 200 free relays. Gerdel finished third in the Centennial League in the 200 freestyle and swam on Hayden's second-place 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural
SOPHIE HEINEN, Washburn Rural
Heinen, a senior, finished second in the 500-yard freestyle in the city meet and also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Heinen finished second in the Centennial League in the 500 freestyle and swam on Rural's winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Heinen swam on the Junior Blues' 11th-place 200 medley and 400 free relays at state.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cale Deutscher, Washburn Rural
CALE DEUTSCHER, Washburn Rural
Deutscher, a senior, teamed with Dylan Willingham to finish seventh in Class 6A doubles last spring. Deutscher and Willingham won Centennial League and regional doubles championhips after finishing second in No. 1 doubles in the city meet. Deutscher was an All-City repeater in 2025, winning the city No. 2 doubles title as a sophomore.
Cole Fay, Cair Paravel Latin
COLE FAY, Cair Paravel Latin
A sophomore, Fay finished off his freshman season with a 10th-place singles finish in the Class 3A-1A state tournament last season. An All-City pick, Fay qualified for the state tournament with a regional championship, helping the Lions win the regional team title, and finished fourth in the city in No. 1 singles.
Drew Fay, Cair Paravel Latin
DREW FAY, Cair Paravel Latin
Fay, a senior, teamed with foreign exchange student Eric Buchenau to finish second in doubles in the 2025 Class 3A-1A state tournament. Fay and Buchenau, who went 29-2 on the season, captured the city championship in No. 1 doubles and also won a regional title. Fay is a three-time 3A-1A state qualifier, posting a fourth-place singles finish as a sophomore. He is a two-time All-City pick.
Greyson Jones, Washburn Rural
GREYSON JONES, Washburn Rural
Jones, a earned a spot on the 2025 All-City team with the No. 2 singles championship in the city tournament and also posted a fifth-place singles finish in the Centennial League tournament. Jones helped the Junior Blues capture team championships in city, Centennial League and regional competition.
Tres Lassiter, Topeka High
TRES LASSITER, Topeka High
A senior, Lassiter captured the city title in No. 1 singles in his first season of high school tennis last spring. Lassiter also posted a runnerup singles finish in the Centennial League and Class 6A regional tournaments and posted a 2-2 singles record in his first Class 6A state tournament.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
AUSTIN BEAN, Hayden
A senior, Bean helped Hayden post a runnerup team finish in the Class 4A state tournament last season, earning second-team All-Shawnee County recognition. Bean finished 10th in the 2025 city championships with a 27-hole score of 127 and shot a 78 in the Centennial League tournament. He tied for 12th in 4A regional competition with an 81 as the Wildcats finished second as a team.
CALEB CLEVERDON, Topeka High/Cair Paravel Latin
Cleverdon, a senior, competed for Topeka High during the regular season before competing for High's co-op partner, Cair Paravel, in postseason. Cleverdon tied for sixth in the Class 2A state tournament with a 36-hole total of 155 (76-79), leading the Lions to a fourth-place team finish. A second-team All-Shawnee County pick, Cleverdon finished 10th in a 2A regional (83) for team champion CPLS.
Jack Donovan
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A senior, Donovan was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick for the second straight season last spring after earning a state medal for the second straight year with a tie for sixth in the Class 2A state event with a 36 hole score of 155 (76-79). Donovan was a 2A regional medalist, shooting a Rossville school-record 68 to win the individual championship by 12 strokes.
Peyton Goehring
PEYTON GOEHRING, Washburn Rural
Goehring is a top senior returner for Washburn Rural, which captured its 15th straight city team championship last season and advanced to the Class 6A state tournament as a team with a third-place team finish. Goehring carded a 27-hole score of 129 in the city tournament, missing the top 10 by two strokes and shot a 78 in the Centennial League tournament and finished 23rd at regionals.
Higgins Hawks
HIGGINS HAWKS, Washburn Rural
Hawks, a senior, earned his first All-Shawnee County first-team honor for the Junior Blues last season. Hawks tied for fifth in the city tournament with a 27-hole score of 124 as Rural won its 15th straight city championship. Hawks shot an 80 at regionals to tie for 10th as the Junior Blues earned a Class 6A team berth with a third-place finish and tied for 36th at state with a 36-hole score of 156 (75-81).
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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.
