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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn baseball head coach Harley Douglas has announced the signing of seven players to the 2025 class that will join the Ichabods in the 2026 season.
Washburn baseball coach Harley Douglas has announced a seven-member recruiting class to join the Ichabods for the 2026 season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The class features two pitchers, two outfields, an infielder and two utility players.
Cal Clark | 5-10 | 180 | Utility | L/L | Kansas City, Kan. | St. James Academy
High School: A four-year member of the St. James Academy Thunder baseball program ... as a junior was named the St. James Academy Offensive Player of the Year after hitting .333 with a .449 OBP ... selected to KC United (KCCBA National Team) and named the Impact Athletes Hitter of the Year during club ball
Personal: Son of Missy and David Clark ... has a sister, MaryBeth who swims at St. Louis University ... plans to major in exercise and rehab science
Eli Dean | 5-11 | 185 | OF | R/R | Perry, Kan. | Perry Lecompton HS
High School: A four-year member of the Perry Lecompton Kaws baseball program ... was a All-League honorable mention as a freshman ... earned first team All-League honors as a sophomore while also being named to the All-State second team by Sports in Kansas ... helped the Kaws to a 14-8 record as a junior while being named the Lawrence Journal World Player of the Year and first team All-League and All-State honors ... played club ball at Building Champions Baseball Academy
Personal: Son of Angela Franson and Justin Dean ... has one brother, Caden ... plans to major in environmental biology
Eli Helberg | 6-0 | 190 | RHP | R/R | Holt, Neb. | Kearney HS
High School: A four-year member of the Kearney baseball team ... earned All-State honorable mention honors as a freshman ... had a 1.5 ERA and a 7-1 record as a sophomore helping the Bulldogs to a quarterfinal finish at state ... was an All-State second team selection ... was a first team selection as a junior as Kearney went 30-8 setting a new school record for wins ... played club ball for the Royals Scout Team
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football will be looking to wrap up a 2024 campaign marked by a string of close losses with a win on Saturday in Tahlequah, Okla. as the Ichabods will face Northeastern State at 1 p.m.
Craig Schurig's Washburn football team will be looking to close out the 2024 season with a win Saturday at Northeastern State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn (2-8) is coming off a 28-27 loss to No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma last time out on Senior Day in Yager Stadium, the Ichabods' second straight one-point loss and third straight defeat by a total of five points.
Veteran Washburn coach Craig Schurig said it would be a big boost to end the season, which includes five one-possession losses overall, on a positive note.
"To be honest, the way we've played, these guys are confident,'' Schurig said. "We've played really well. The Central Missouri game and the Central Oklahoma game, those games came down to one or two plays and you're playing teams that are best in the country.
"We feel pretty good about how we're playing. We've just got to finish and it would be great to play well and hopefully we do. We're on pace to play well down there.''
The 2-8 RiverHawks, who are playing this season as a non-MIAA opponent in football only, lost 35-7 at Mississippi College last Saturday.
The Ichabods are looking for their 12th win in a row over the RiverHawks as Washburn leads the all-time series 12-1 and they are averaging 38.5 points per game in the series.
Wahburn took a 45-14 win over Northeastern State in last season's finale at Yager Stadium.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's soccer coach Davy Phillips has announced the signing of 10 high school athletes who will be joining the Ichabods for the 2025 season, including Washburn Rural stars Destiny Higgs and Kate Hinck.
Destiny Higgs, Washburn Rural
Kate Hinck, Washburn Rural
Hinck and Higgs helped lead the Junior Blues to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament last spring.
Hinck was named the Centennial League player of the year last season and both Hinck and Higgs both earned All-City and all-league first-team honors.
Signing capsules:
Bricelyn Betts – 5-1 • Attacking Midfielder • Raymore, Mo. • Raymore-Peculiar HS
Member of the Raymore-Peculiar Panthers soccer team … 2022 Midwest first-team all-conference for club team … daughter of Jeremy Betts and Tricia Trutzel-Betts … has two brothers, Brandt and Brucker, and one sister, Brilee … brother Brandt played soccer at Liberty University … plans to major in kinesiology and biology
Thea Martin – 5-7 • Defender • Lincoln, Neb. • Lincoln Southwest HS
As a junior, earned honorable mention from Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star … helped Lincoln Southwest Silverhawks win state championship with an 18-1 record … team won district championship and finished state runner-up sophomore year … as a freshman, Silverhawks claimed district championship and were state semifinalists … daughter of Erica and Brad Martin … has one brother, Judson … plans to major in biology
Destiny Higgs – 5-7 • Center Midfielder • Topeka, Kan. • Washburn Rural HS
As a junior, Higgs scored nine goals and had seven assists while earning first-team All-City (TopSports.News), first-team All-Centennial League and second-team All-State honors … helped the Washburn Rural Junior Blues to a 17-4-0 record and a third-place finish at Class 6A State Tournament … recorded eight goals and three assists as a sophomore, earning second-team All-Centennial League selection while team went 15-5-1 and finished third at state … named All-Centennial League honorable mention as a freshman after scoring three goals and adding five assists, contributing to second-place state finish for Junior Blues … daughter of Marcia and Shannon Shaddox and Jerry Higgs … has two brothers, Brian Johnson and Freddy Richter, and one sister, Mya Higgs … undecided major
Lydia Keller – 5-9 • Midfielder • Kansas City, Mo. • Park Hill HS
Earned second-team honors for district soccer and conference honorable mention as a junior … honorable mention for both district and conference as a sophomore … also plays basketball, being named honorable mention for conference … played club soccer for Kansas Rush … daughter of Trent and Haley Keller … has two brothers, Kaden and Collin … both parents are former Washburn athletes, with mom Haley playing softball and dad Trent playing baseball … planning to major in law or radiology
Brooke Willcott – 5-10 • Defender • Holton, Kan. • Holton HS
Club team won 2023 USYS State Championship and was runner-up at Midwest Regionals … team was ranked 1st in the state of Kansas for 2024 … also plays basketball for Holton High School Wildcats … named to Big 7 All-League first-team as a sophomore and was 4A All-State honorable mention pick by Sports in Kansas and KSHSAA Covered … daughter of Jennifer and Sean Willcott … plans to major in business
Kate Hinck – 5-4 • Forward • Topeka, Kan. • Washburn Rural HS
As a junior, scored 28 goals, the second-most in a season in school history … Centennial League Player of the Year … first-team All-City (Top Sports.News), first-team All-State, and first-team All-Centennial League … helped Junior Blues to a third-place finish at Class 6A State Tournament with a 17-4 record … scored 13 goals with seven assists as a sophomore … tallied 13 goals and five assists as a freshman … daughter of Rita Hinck and Dustin Hinck … has one sister, Alyson … plans to major in kinesiology
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball hits the road for the second straight weekend to the Quincy Classic, where the Ichabods will take on McKendree at 5 p.m. on Friday and Quincy at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Junior newcomer Payton Sterk leads Washburn with a 16-point scoring average through two games entering this weekend's Quincy Classic. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn is 0-2 on the year after falling 63-51 on the road to St. Cloud State last Saturday at the Central Region Crossover but Ichabod coach Lora Westling said she saw plenty of positives last weekend and feels like her team is ready to take steps forward.
"I really do believe in this group, I like this group,'' Westling said. "We just have a little ways to go when it comes to some of these fundamental things that kept us from winning the two games last weekend. We'll get there. What I like about them is they're hungry to get better, so we're just going to keep grinding away.''
"I feel like we've got a lot of room to grow,'' WU junior Gabi Giovannetti said. "We're just really positive this week because it is so early in the season. We're 0-2 and we need to bounce back and we will, but we can only be positive and watch film and work on what we need to work on.''
The Ichabods are coming off a 13-16 season in 2023-24, finishing 10th in the MIAA with an 8-14 record and advancing to the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
Both Washburn opponents enter the weekend undefeated, with McKendree coming in at 1-0 and Quincy 2-0.
The 2024 Quincy Classic will take place in Quincy, Ill. on the campus of Quincy University inside the Pepsi Arena.
The Ichabods are scoring 61.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting overall and 33.3 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Washburn's matchup with McKendree will be the second in program history while the Ichabods will face Quincy for the sixth time.
Junior Payton Sterk paces Washburn in scoring at 16.0 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent overall and 37.5 percent on 3-pointers. She is averaging a team-high 35.0 minutes and also adds 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The transfer is dishing out a team-best 4.0 assists as well. She is the only WU player to score in double figures of both games this season.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 10-ranked Washburn University men's basketball returns to the greater Kansas City, Mo. area for the third time this season when the Ichabods will have their first true road game of the season at Rockhurst on Friday night in Mason-Halpin Arena (7 p.m. tipoff).
Sophomore Brayden Shorter scored a game and career-high 26 points in Washburn's 97-57 win over Ottawa on Tuesday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods are 3-0 this season after a 97-57 win over Ottawa on Tuesday in their home opener. The win gave the Ichabods their 500th all-time win in Lee Arena.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter finished with a career-high 26 points against the Braves, pacing four Ichabods in double figures on 10 of 19 shooting, including 4 of 9 from deep.
Senior Andrew Orr had 14 points on a perfect shooting night and added four steals while senior Jacob Hanna had 13 points followed by senior Michael Keegan's 12 points, game-high nine rebounds and five steals
Sophomore Jack Bachelor had a career-high 10 assists while adding nine points.
Even though Washburn has won its first three games by an average of 25 points, including a win over the defending national champions, Ichabod coach Brett Ballard said his team needs to be wary of the Hawks.
"They're dangerous,'' Ballard said. "We've struggled over there. We've taken some good teams over there and struggled. It's a small gym. They've got a new coach, they'll be well-coached and I know they've got guys that will play hard and have a chip on their shoulder, Kansas City kids that are playing other Kansas City kids, so it will be a battle.''
Rockhurst is 2-0 this season with wins over Davenport (64-54) and Purdue University Northwest (80-75) and Friday's game with the Ichabods will be the home-opener for the Hawks.
The Ichabods lead the all-time series 33-31 with Rockhurst but will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Hawks in Kansas City. Washburn's last win against the Hawks on Rockhurst's home court came on Dec. 4, 2003 in a 69-54 win.
Washburn won the last meeting played in Topeka last season, 82-66, and is 21-9 in meetings in Topeka but has gone 10-21 in games played in Kansas City against the Hawks.
