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Created: 09 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

MIAA regular-season champion Washburn University has earned an at-large selection to the NCAA National Softball Tournament for the second time since the 2018 season and the fifth time in program history.

Tournament starting times will be posted on wusports.com as they become available.

Washburn softball is headed to the NCAA National Tournament, earning the No. 5 seed for a sub-regional in Claremore, Okla. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

The Ichabods will travel to Claremore, Okla. for the sub-region hosted by Rogers State starting on Thursday.

Washburn (45-13) will be the No. 5 seed in the regional and will face No. 4 seeded Minnesota State (46-12), which also earned an at-large invitation to the Central Region.

The winners of the two sub-regions will then meet for a best two of three series starting May 19.  

The NCAA 2022 championship will be played May 26-31 at Regency Athletic Complex in Denver, Colorado. 

Washburn finished the regular season 24-2 in the MIAA, winning its third MIAA regular season title.

The Ichabods fell in the MIAA Tournament championship game on Sunday to Rogers State, dropping the Ichabods' record to 45-13 this season.

Claremore, Oklahoma Sub Regional -- Hosted by Rogers State

1. Rogers State (47-9)
4. Minnesota State (46-12)
5. Washburn (45-13)
8. Winona State (40-15) 

Edmond, Oklahoma Sub Regional – Hosted by Central Oklahoma

2. Central Oklahoma (45-10)
3. Arkansas Tech (39-17)
6. Southern Arkansas (37-16)
7. Augustana (47-8)

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Created: 09 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

 Washburn baseball is moving on in the MIAA Tournament after defeating Central Oklahoma, 6-2, in Game 2 of the MIAA best-of-three quarterfinal series.

The rest of the conference tournament will be a double elimination bracket hosted by Central Oklahoma Thursday through Sunday.

Washburn will play Central Missouri at 12 p.m. Thursday.

Former Washburn Rural standout Dalton Huggins set Washburn's career save record as the Ichabods advanced in the MIAA Tournament. [File photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]

Washburn Rural product Dalton Huggins made Washburn program history in Saturday's win, becoming the all-time career saves leader for the Ichabods as he recorded his 11th save since joining the Ichabods in 2020.

After the Bronchos (29-21) went down in order in the first inning, they benefited from some free passes in the second inning and loaded up the bases with a walk and back-to-back hit by pitches. A third hit batter of the inning brought in the first run of the game. Braden Babcock took over on the mound and got out of the inning with a strikeout and fielder's choice to mitigate any more damage.
 
The script flipped in the third inning as it was 31-18 Washburn's turn to capitalize on free bases.

After Connor Scott hit a one-out triple, Cal Watkins was hit by the pitch and Brett Ingram was walked on four pitches to load the bases. Quinn Waterbury followed with a walk and picked up an RBI that evened the score. With two outs, Parker Dunn sent the first pitch of his at bat through the right side to drive in two runs and give the Ichabods a 3-1 advantage.
 
Washburn went up 4-1 in the fourth frame as Easton Bruce hit a leadoff single and moved to third on a groundout and fly out before scoring on Watkins' single that dropped into left field.
 
The Bronchos cut the deficit in half after they scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Central Oklahoma threatened again in the seventh and had the bases loaded with two outs, but John Cross left all three runners stranded as the inning ended on a groundout.
 
Washburn went down quietly in the top of the eighth still in front, 4-2. Huggins worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth and struck out two in the process.
 
The Ichabods tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth to go up, 6-2. Scott legged out an infield single and advanced to second on Watkins' sacrifice bunt. Ingram drove in a run with a single to left field and moved up to second on a groundout. Zion Bowlin reached on a throwing error that allowed Ingram to score Washburn's sixth run of the afternoon.
 
Huggins returned to the bump to close out the game and ended the game on seven pitches to clinch the series win for Washburn.
 
Washburn landed nine hits in the game and limited Central Oklahoma to four. Scott went 2-4 with two runs scored. Watkins was 2-3 at the dish and scored once and drove in one run. Ingram had a hit, two runs, an RBI, and two walks in the game.
 
Babcock earned the win and threw four and 2/3 innings in relief and allowed one unearned run on three hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Huggins tossed two clean innings to close out the game and received his fourth save of the season. 
 

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Created: 09 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Even after former Silver Lake football star Logan Pegram entered the coaching profession following his college career at Northern Illinois, he never really thought about the possibility of coaching at his high school alma mater.

Logan Pegram

But all that changed when C.J. Hamilton, the winningest coach in Kansas history, announced his retirement at Silver Lake in mid-April after 47 seasons.

"It definitely came out of nowhere,'' said the 32-year-old Pegram, who was announced as Silver Lake's new head coach last week. " I think there was initial surprise for all of us that have played in the program and been a part of that community. First you kind of analyze it as the former player and community member.

"You kind of process it as that and then you look at it as a coach and you're like, 'Well, who wouldn't want to be in a situation like Silver Lake?' You have great community buy-in, you've got great administration, great schools, success. It's everything that as an aspiring head coach you look at as a great possibility.''

A 2008 Silver Lake graduate, Pegram was a part of four Eagle teams that advanced to the Class 3A state championship game, including a 14-0 record and a state title his junior season in 2006.

A first-team All-Stater as a senior, Pegram knows that taking over for Hamilton, who led the Eagles to a 447-98 record, 18 title games and eight state championships, is a daunting task.

But its one that Pegram, who served as an assistant and head coach at Anderson County and as an assistant at Class 6A Free State, embraces. 

"There's no doubt it's going to be a challenge,'' Pegram said. "Talking to other people and talking about first-year expectations or this or that I think you just need to go into it with the idea that, 'Hey, we need to get better every single day.'

"And I know that can kind of be coach-talk or cliche, but there's no hiding from the fact of what the level of expectation is at Silver Lake and that's something that I think as a coach you embrace and you say that if you're willing to work and get better every day then we'll put ourselves in a position to be where we want to be at the end of the year.''

In returning to the community where he grew up, Pegram is following in the footsteps of Hamilton, who is also a Silver Lake native.

"I've heard people say that you never want to go back home but I look at it kind of I guess the way (C.J.) did, as an opportunity to give back to the community that gave so much to me,'' Pegram said. "It's a great community, great people and it's a way for me to finally give back and say, 'What can I do to help these kids that I was in the same shoes as them?' ''

Obviously Pegram will want to put his own stamp on the Silver Lake program, but he said he also wants to make sure to emphasize the qualities that have made the Eagles a premier program.

"I think any coach who would go into a situation like this would be naive to go in there and try to build a new house or rip it down to the studs,'' Pegram said. "I think the No. 1 thing is you embrace the things that have made us so successful over the years.

"Then maybe you tweak a couple of things in a couple of different ways, from summer workouts and maybe just a little bit of scheme, but at the end of the day I think Silver Lake's always going to be Silver Lake if we can keep the main things the main things and focus on what's made us so successful.'' 

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Created: 08 May 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Taylin Stallbaumer tries to be a good big sister.

But when it comes time for Taylin, a sophomore, to compete against her freshman sister in the 100-meter high hurdles, Jaida is pretty much on her own.

"It's pretty friendly, but it's just one of those family competitions where you can't let your younger sister beat you,'' Taylin Stallbaumer said.

Sisters Jaida (left) and Taylin Stallbaumer pose for a picture last Friday night after helping Seaman capture the girls team championship in the Joe Schrag City Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TS

Jaida still hasn't beaten Taylin this spring, but she did the next best thing in last Friday's Joe Schrag Invitational track and field championships at Hummer Sports Park, with the Stallbaumer sisters finishing 1-2 in the highs.

Taylin, who swept the city titles in the 100 and 300 hurdles for the second straight season, won the 100 highs in 16.25 seconds while Jaida was a strong second in 17.03.

Seaman's Taylin Stallbaumer (front) and Jaida Stallbaumer finish 1-2 in the 100-meter high hurdles in last Friday's Joe Schrag City Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Although the sisters ended up in the same event, Taylin, who won the 300s in 49..21, said she had nothing to do with Jaida taking up the hurdles. 

"She did it herself, she hurdled in middle school,'' Taylin said.

And Taylin, a two-time Class 5A state medalist as a freshman, also gives Jaida the credit for the steady progress she has made in her freshman season. 

"Most of the time I'm at soccer practice so I don't even get to practice with her,'' Taylin Stallbaumer said. "I'll try to help her when it comes down to, it but of course I'm not going to try to lose to her ... ever.''

"I just like to be my own girl but I pick up some things from her,'' Jaida said.

Taylin did help her sister with a change in technique earlier this season.

"This year is her first year three-stepping,'' Taylin said. "She used to four-step for the past two years but this year I kind of helped her with that.'' 

The Stallbaumers currently rank one-two in the 100 highs and Jaida is happy with the progress she's made this spring.

"I'm getting better each week,'' Jaida said.

Taylin and Jaida both had plenty to celebrate in last Friday's city meet, playing a key role as Seaman claimed its first girls city team title since 2016, ending Washburn Rural's string of four straight team titles.

Taylin claimed three gold medals on the night while Jaida posted a pair of second-place finishes and earned her first city title in the meet-ending 4 x 400-meter relay, with the Stallbaumers teaming with Taylie Heston and  Bethany Druse to win the event in 4:15.31, wrapping up a 146-134 victory over the Junior Blues.

"It feels good because we haven't won in quite a while,'' Taylin said. "It's been a long time.''