Washburn University Ichabods
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Zach Watkins era in Washburn University football will officially get under way on Monday when the Ichabods report to begin preseason preparations for the 2025 season.
First-year head coach Zach Watkins will welcome his Washburn Ichabod football team on Monday for the start of fall camp. [File photo/TSN]
And that start can't come too soon for Watkins, a former Ichabod All-America linebacker and longtime assistant coach.
"The summer flew by, but the last couple of weeks have kind of inched by because you're getting so close to camp and so close to everything else,'' Watkins said. "As those things kind of inch along together it just feels like it's taking forever, but Monday we report and we'll be ready to go.''
Although Monday is the official start of fall camp, Washburn's players have spent all summer on campus getting ready for this moment as the Ichabods look to improve on last season't 3-8 record (2-7 MIAA).
"We had our entire team here this summer,'' Watkins said. "The new strength coach (Clint Dominick) made it a priority and those guys knew what it took to win in the MIAA and we told them since January that they have to do these things to have a great summer, which hopefully leads into success in the fall.''
The Ichabods return 60 lettermen from the 2024 team, including six starters on offense and eight on defense.
Junior L.J. Minner Jr. (6-foot, 205 pounds) was a second-team All-MIAA defensive pick last fall after leading the Ichabods with 103 tackles (59 solo) while senior safety Jordan Finnesy (6-1, 210), who had 89 stops (44 solo), was a third-team all-conference selection on defense and junior offensive lineman Jakobe Harmon (6-3, 305) was a third-team pick on offense.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University junior football standout Jakobe Harmon is a long ways from home... 741 miles to be exact.
But after three-plus years with the Ichabods, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound offensive center now feels like he has two homes -- Lithonia, Ga. (a suburb of Atlanta) and Topeka.
Junior Jakobe Harmon (63) returns to anchor Washburn's offensive line this fall after earning third-team All-MIAA honors in 2024. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Obviously, Harmon could have picked a school in or near Georgia to launch his college career, but Harmon, a third-team All-MIAA pick last season, said coming to Washburn was a pretty easy choice.
"It was honestly the atmosphere and the people that talked to me when they first recruited me here,'' said Harmon, one of 20 Georgia natives on the WU roster. "Between the players that talked to me on my visit and the coaches that talked to me, they made it feel like a family and just home.
"Topeka is a home and it's always going to be a home for me at this point. I've been here for four years now and I love it.''
After a redshirt season in 2022, Harmon has become a stalwart on the offensive line for the Ichabods over the past two seasons, seeing action in 18 games with 16 starts. Harmon started eight straight games for WU last season before missing the final three games due to injury.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University standout safety Jordan Finnesy has gone through just about everything a player can experience in his previous five years with the Ichabods.
Washburn senior safety Jordan Finnesy (1) is looking to cap his six-year Ichabod career with a banner 2025 season. [File photo/TSN]
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Plainville native began his time in Topeka with a 2020 season wiped out by COVID-19, was part of a WU team that advanced to the NCAA Playoffs in 2021 and helped the Ichabods post a solid 7-4 campaign in 2022. But his career also included a season-ending injury in 2023 and back-to-back losing seasons the past two years.
And now, with his sixth and final year in an Ichabod uniform coming up, Finnesy is determined to do everything he can to end things with a bang.
"It's been great,'' said Finnesy, a third-team All-MIAA pick last fall while ranking as the Ichabods' second-leading tackler with 89 stops (49 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss and a pass interception. "A lot of ups, a lot of downs and I'm still here kicking it and working, so it's just been a great experience overall. I love the city of Topeka and all of the coaches that I've been blessed to be able to play for.
"It's just been a great experience and a great growing experience as well. A lot of downs, but you can't grow if you don't have those and experience different things like that, so I'm just grateful for my time here and I'm looking forward to making the most of what I have left.''
Washburn is coming off a 3-8 season last fall, but after a productive summer, Finnesy thinks the Ichabods are ready to bounce back in a big way in their first season under Zach Watkins, WU's former defensive coordinator.
"It's gone great,'' he said. "We had our best attendance by far since I've been here at Washburn. Just the energy levels are off the charts, the buy-in, the commitment, the just wanting to be here and work with your teammates and with your brothers. It's been awesome to see and it's been awesome to be a part of.
"I'm honestly kind of sad that this is my last summer of it, but I definitely made the most of it and I think that this fall we will see dividends from that work this summer.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's football team will be looking to use the MIAA preseason polls as motivation after being picked No. 9 in both the coaches and preseason media polls that were released Monday by the conference office at the MIAA Football Media Day hosted Emporia State.
Washburn senior safety Jordan Finnesy, first-year head coach Zach Watkins and junior offensive lineman Jakobe Harmon addressed the MIAA media Monday at Emporia State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Ichabods, coming off a 3-8 season (2-7 in the MIAA) will open the 2025 season under first-year head coach Zach Watkins on Aug. 30, hosting former MIAA foe Truman State in Yager Stadium (1 p.m.). The Ichabods will open conference play on Sept. 6 at home against Northwest Missouri (1 p.m.).
The Ichabods were 2-5 in games decided by less than 10 points last season.
"(The polls) are based off of last year and nobody knows what each team is doing behind the scenes,'' Watkins said. "It's a good talking point that I will address with our team and let them know that it doesn't matter what that says.
"All that matters is if you execute and if we play well on Saturdays.''
The Ichabods were 2-5 in games decided by less than 10 points last season
The Ichabods are slated to have six starters returning on offense and eight on defense as well as three on special teams for the upcoming season.
Watkins was named the 38th head coach in program history on Nov. 26, 2024 becoming the first Ichabod alumnus to fill the top spot on the Ichabod sidelines in more than 30 years after spending the previous 11 seasons as the co-defensive coordinator on the Ichabod coaching staff.
Defending conference champion Central Oklahoma, 12-2 overall and 8-1 in the MIAA, was tapped as the preseason favorite in the coaches' poll, receiving seven of 10 first-place votes, while Pittsburg State (8-3, 7-2) topped the media poll.
Emporia State (7-4, 5-4) was picked fifth in the MIAA coaches poll and sixth in the media poll. The Hornets will open their season on Aug. 28 at Welch Stadium against non-conference foe Minot State (7 p.m.).
2025 MIAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Central Oklahoma [7] – 78 points
2. Pittsburg State [3] – 75 points
3. Fort Hays State – 62 points
4. Central Missouri – 57 points
5. Emporia State – 50 points
6. Northwest Missouri – 41 points
7. Missouri Western – 29 points
8. Nebraska Kearney – 28 points
9. Washburn – 21 points
10. Missouri Southern – 9 points
[#] - Number of First Place Votes
2025 MIAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
1. Pittsburg State [13] – 310 points
2. Central Oklahoma [18] – 307 points
3. Fort Hays State [2] – 271 points
4. Central Missouri [1] – 239 points
5. Northwest Missouri – 215 points
6. Emporia State – 167 points
7. Nebraska Kearney – 120 points
8. Missouri Western – 107 points
9. Washburn – 88 points
10. Missouri Southern – 46 points
[#] - Number of First Place Votes
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Last month former Shawnee Heights and Washburn University standout Phil Frost was the top qualifier and went wire to wire in the tournament to win his first Topeka Golf Association City Match Play championship.
Phil Frost captured his first TGA City Stroke Play championship Monday at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After winning the TGA City Match Play title last month, Phil Frost added the City Stroke Play championship on Monday at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
On Monday at Topeka Country Club, Frost proved he could also come from behind, rallying from a two-stroke deficit at the start of the day to win his first TGA City Stroke Play title by a single stroke over first and second-round leader Jeremiah Nelson and 2024 champion Myles Alonzo with a 213 54-hole score.
Jeremiah Nelson tied for second place in the 2025 TGA City Stroke Play tournament with a 54-hole score of 214. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Former Topeka West star Myles Alonzo used a final-round 73 to tie for second place in the 2025 TGA City Stroke Play tournament with a 54-hole score of 214. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Frost carded a final-round 76 while Nelson, also a Washburn golf alum, shot a 79 and finished in a tie for second with 2024 City Stroke Play champ Myles Alonzo, a former Topeka West star, who shot a final-round 73.
Frost took the lead on the seventh hole when he holed a 117-yard approach shot but his victory was not secure until Nelton narrowly missed a birdie putt on the final hole that could have forced a sudden death playoff.
"I was able to finish it off, but it was a struggle'' Frost said. "The back nine was a challenge. After I holed out on seven I told myself, 'Just stay calm and keep playing, don't let this get you out of your rhythm.' Then it became a challenge afterwards, but I was able to hold on.
"That (No. 7) got me the lead and that got me to 1-under-par. Then we both (Frost and Nelson) went back and forth on the way in. I was able to make a putt when I needed to make a putt.''
Washburn Rural and Washburn University alum Hayden Beck shot a tournament-low 72 Monday in the final round of the TGA City Stroke Play championship at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural and Washburn University alum Hayden Beck carded a tournament-low 72 on Monday to finish at 216 and tie for fourth place with Adam Head and Brian Walker.
Tyler Baumchen, Blake Buessing and Jason Buessing all tied for seventh at 218 while Zach Vandervoort rounded out the top 10 at 220.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Phil Frost has carved out an impressive golf career, starring at Shawnee Heights and Washburn University, where he also had a stint as the Ichabods' head coach, while also playing professionally on the Prairie Golf Tour.
Phil Frost captured his first TGA City Match Play championship Sunday at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Phil Frost topped Patrick Golden 4 and 3 in Sunday's TGA City Match Play championship at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And on Sunday Frost added another accomplishment to his resume, capturing his first Topeka Golf Association City Match Play championship at Cypress Ridge Golf Course with a 4 and 3 decision over Patrick Golden.
"It's just fun to get out and play a lot of golf,'' Frost said. "I haven't played much competitive golf in the last 20-some years and I just started getting back into it the last three years and it's fun to get out and feel the juices flowing again.''
Sunday's win capped a wire-to-wire run for Frost after he earned the top seed in qualifying last week.
"You know everyone's coming after the No. 1 guy, so it's difficult to go out there and play when that's the situation,'' Frost said. "For the most part I had a lot of good shots and luckily it was match play so we didn't have to keep score and that made it a lot easier.
"If you (hit a bad shot) you can just pick up and go on to the next hole.''
Patrick Golden was the runnerup in Sunday's TGA City Match Play championship at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Golden advanced to the championship match as the No. 10 seed after winning the championship in the President's Flight in 2024.
"It was obviously windy, as it has been the last couple of days, and Phil just hits it so solid down the middle,'' Golden said. "I struggled a little bit, we both did, but he was the better player today, so hat's off to Phil.''
And although he came up short in his title bid, Golden was proud of his tournament performance overallk.
"I had a good week,'' he said. "I was actually really happy with my whole week. I made a lot of birdies this week and today I just didn't when it mattered. But overall I had a great week.''
Jerry Kruger, the championship runnerup in 2024, won the President's Flight title with a 3 and 2 decision over Kevin Boyle.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- Three separate rain or lightning delays and nearly six hours after the match began No. 9-ranked Washburn University's men's tennis season came to an end with a 4-2 national championship loss to No. 1 Valdosta State on Saturday evening.
Washburn University men's tennis finished as the NCAA Division II national runnerup Saturday, falling 4-2 to No. 1 Valdosta State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods ended their historic season with a 23-4 record.
The top-seeded Blazers (26-0) jumped ahead in doubles play at No. 3, defeating Pavlos Parson and Moritz Pieper 6-2 to take the advantage.
Playing on the top court Matthew Earle and Tim Hammes fought in a top-five battle with No. 5 Takeshi Taco and Saveam Van Wijk. After the dual was tied 4-4 the final two games went to Valdosta State to take the doubles point.
Tommy Cecchetti and Vasek Schneider led 5-4 on court two for Washburn over No. 8 Edgar Destouet and Arthur Bord and were leading 30-15 in the game when the point was decided.
In singles play the first court featured a top-five battle between No. 4 Hammes and No. 2 Takeshi Taco. Hammes fell in the first set 6-1 before bouncing back to reverse the score in the second and force a third set.
In the third he fell behind early and was unable to make up the ground, losing 6-1. Finishing just behind him was Zino Nahirniah on court five, who put the Ichabods on the board with a pair of 6-3 victories.
Court two also had a meeting of top-10 opponents with No. 8 Schneider taking on No. 3 Boruch Skierkier. Schneider fell behind 4-0 early in the first set but was able to battle back, winning six straight games for a 6-4 win.
The second set went back-and-forth with ties at 2-2, 3-3- and 4-4 before Schneider claimed two straight games to win 6-4 and tie the match at two.
Parson dropped a first set at No. 3, 6-2. In the second set he bounced back with an early lead to win 6-3 and force a third set.
In the third No. 20 Destouet went in front 4-1 over Parson before winning 6-2.
Playing at No. 6, Earle built an early lead and was able to work a 6-4 victory in his first set of play. In the second set the score went in the other direction 6-3.
Earle fell behind early in the third set, and trailed 5-2 when the final delay of the match for lightning was called, lasting over two hours. After play resumed the final game went to Valdosta State as they clinched the set 6-2 and the match, 4-2.
After falling in his first set at No. 4, 6-4, Cecchetti battled back for a 6-3 win in the second set and was tied 1-1 in the third when the point and match were decided.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PITTSBURG -- Washburn University baseball got its first complete-game pitching effort of the season Thursday from former Washburn Rural standout Cooper Carlgren, with the Ichabods advancing to the MIAA Tournament semifinals with a 2-1 win over No. 15-ranked Pittsburg State.
Topekan Cooper Carlgren picked up the pitching win in Thursday's 2-1 Washburn MIAA Tournament win over No. 15 Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
No. 7 seed Washburn will face the winner of the game between No. 3 Fort Hays State and No. 6 Northwest Missouri on Friday at 4 p.m. as the tournament moves to Joplin, Mo.
The first 12 batters that Carlgren faced were retired as the senior right-hander carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before it was broken up with a leadoff single.
On offense, Washburn (28-24) had just three hits in the first four innings. Two came in the third inning but WU was unable to break the scoreless tie.
After the single from the Gorillas (39-10) in the fifth Carlgren was able to get a one-out grounder for a double play, continuing to face the minimum.
It was the seventh inning before a runner for either team reached third base, coming from Pittsburg State after a leadoff single.
The run was able to score with two outs on an error in the field to put the home team up 1-0 after seven.
With one out in the Ichabod eighth Blake Scott slashed a single up the middle and he moved to third on a double into the left field corner by Payton McHarg.
Jett Buck was able to lift a fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly to score Scott and tie the game.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PITTSBURG -- After a nearly two-hour rain delay in the fifth inning, Washburn baseball outscored Northeastern State 13-2 the rest of the way to knock the RiverHawks out of the MIAA Tournament Wednesday with a 16-6 seven-inning win.
Washburn baseball advanced in the MIAA tournament with a 16-6 win over Northeastern State Wednesday in Pittsburg. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will take on No. 15 Pittsburg State at noon on Thursday in the quarterfinal round.
After a pair of scoreless innings from Caden Bressler on the mound to begin the game, Washburn (27-24) was able to go in front in the second.
Jackson Mervosh led off with a single and was moved to second on a knock by Easton Bruce and third on a wild pitch. With two outs Bruce got into a rundown and allowed Mervosh to come home for the game's first run.
The RiverHawks (16-34) answered back with a two-out RBI single to center, tying the game in the top of the third.
In the home half the Ichabods loaded the bases but were unable to break the tie. Northeastern State took advantage, going in front in the fourth on a two-run homer to left.
A two-out walk in the bottom of the inning was followed by a double off the wall in center field by Cash Jay, playing his first game in nearly a month.
Another double, this one off the bat of Payton McHarg, scored Jay and tied the game at three.
The RiverHawks loaded the bases with one out fifth and scored one on an error to go in front just before the game entered the rain delay.
Griffin Huiatt took over on the mound after the delay and struck out his one and only batter to strand a pair.
Jett Buck gave Washburn the momentum, taking a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left for a solo blast.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabods will open their bid in the MIAA Softball Tournament on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Hays, taking on the No. 16-ranked Rogers State Hillcats.
Senior Jaden LaBarge (18) and Washburn softball will open postseason Thursday against Rogers State in the MIAA Tournament. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods and the Hillcats split their MIAA doubleheader during the regular season on March 8 in Claremore, Okla., with the Hillcats winning the first game 5-0 before the Ichabods won the second game 4-2 in 11 innings.
Washburn (31-20 overall, 13-11 MIAA) are coming off a 1-1 weekend, splitting their regular-season finale with Emporia State, taking the opening game 8-0 in five innings before falling 4-2 in the nightcap.
Rogers State is the No. 3 seed in the MIAA Tournament after going 35-12 in the regular season and 16-8 in MIAA play.
WU junior pitcher Sadie Walker is 16th in the nation in games started (27), 17th in appearances (34) and 24th in shutouts (5) while also ranking 54th in strikeouts (138). Jenna Sprague is 10th in the nation with five saves.
Erin Boles and Makenzie Sais lead the Ichabods with 15 multiple-hit games and Kaylee Wagner leads the team with 14 games of multi-runs batted in.
Boles has reached base in each of the last 14 games.
Jaden Labarge hit .406 while hitting 10 of her 12 home runs during MIAA play.
Abby Rogers leads Rogers State with a .487 batting average with 74 hits, 16 doubles and 46 RBI while Kaylee Lyon is batting .378 with 62 hits and a team-high 52 runs scored.
Jade Sanders leads the Hillcat pitching staff with a 2.16 earned run average, going 13-6 in 24 starts. Harley Culie has a 2.57 ERA with a 17-5 record and Torie Sandoval is 5-1 with a 2.62 ERA.
As a staff the Hillcats have a team ERA of 2.46.
The Hillcats lead the all-time series 11-6.
The winner of the Rogers State-Washburn game will face the winner of the Pittsburg State vs. the winner of the Missouri Western-Nebraska-Kearney game on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
The NCAA selection show will be televised on Monday, May 5, at 9 a.m. on ncaa.com.
Four Ichabods receive All-MIAA recognition
Washburn had four all-MIAA selections as announced Tuesday by the conference office with three second-team picks and a Gold Glove winner.
Boles, a junior, earned her first Gold Glove Award as an outfielder with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 67 chances. She recorded 62 putouts and five outfield assists with no errors.
At the plate she was second on the team with a .331 batting average and a team-high 15 doubles and was second in hits with 54 while scoring 27 runs and driving in 29.
Earning second-team honors were senior first baseman LaBarge, senior second baseman Alexis Tanguma and freshman outfielder Sais.
LaBarge leads the team with 12 home runs and 39 RBI while batting .318. In MIAA play, she batted .406 with 10 home runs and 26 RBI in 24 league games, recording a .966 slugging percentage.
Tanguma is batting .331 this season, collecting 45 hits with 11 doubles and 29 RBI while drawing 13 walks. She hit .324 in MIAA play. Tanguma was an honorable mention all-MIAA selection as a junior.
Sais was the team leader in batting average during the regular season with a .379 average. She enters the postseason leading the Ichabods with 55 hits and tied for the team lead with 24 walks. Sais also led the team with 17 stolen bases.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cooper Grace
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
Grace, a senior baseball star, had a big day in Friday's 6-0, 3-2 home Centennial League twinbill sweep over Junction City. Grace went 62/3 innings on the mound in the first game, allowing just three hits and striking out 12 Blue Jay batters. In the second game Grace had two doubles and a triple as the Wildcats improved to 12-0 on the season.
Jaden LaBarge
JADEN LaBARGE, Washburn University
LaBarge, a senior first baseman, had four home runs and eight runs batted in on Saturday to tie a pair of school records as the Ichabods split a home MIAA doubleheader with Emporia State. LaBarge went 3 for 3 with three home runs and seven runs batted in as Washburn took an 8-0 five-inning decision in the first game and added a homer in the second game as the Hornets captured a 4-2 eight-inning win.
Ryin Miller
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, a junior track star, remained undefeated individually on the 2025 season with a pair of wins in Friday's Leitel Legacy Invitational at Free State. A two-time Class 5A state champ last spring, Miller won the 3,200-meter run in 10 minutes, 17.74 seconds and won the 800 meters in 2:11.65.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball used the long ball and small ball to win 4-3 over Newman Saturday on the day that the WU stadium was named Steve Anson Stadium in honor of the late, longtime Ichabod coach.
Washburn renamed its stadium Steve Anson Stadium on Saturday before notching a 4-3 win over Newman. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods' regular season will wrap up on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. after ceremonies begin at 12 p.m. for Senior Day.
The Jets (10-32 overall, 6-26 MIAA) led off the game with a pair of hits that would come around to score on an RBI groundout and sacrifice fly to lead 2-0.
But Washburn's Caden Bressler settled in on the mound, throwing scoreless innings in the second, third and fourth.
With the score still 2-0 in the fifth, Washburn (25-24, 17-18) got out of the top of the inning with a 6-4-3 double play. In the bottom of the inning Owen Laessig led off with a home run to cut the Newman lead to one.
After two batters reached in the top of the sixth inning the Ichabods went to the bullpen. Newman got one hit to score one but that is all they would score as Kai Bennett left the bases loaded.
Junior Jackson Mervosh had a pair of hits with a home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over Newman. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
For a second straight inning Washburn got a leadoff homer in the bottom of the sixth, this time from Jackson Mervosh.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball scored three runs in the eighth inning Sunday to take a 4-3 MIAA comeback Senior Day victory over Newman, completing a series sweep in the regular-season finale.
Washburn baseball honored its 19 seniors prior to Sunday's 4-3 MIAA win over Newman. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods, 26-24 overall and 18-18 in the MIAA, will now await their seeding for the MIAA Tournament, which will begin in Joplin, Mo. on Wednesday, May 7.
Before Sunday's game Washburn recognized its 19-player senior class on the field.
Just like the day before the Jets offense got started early, loading the bases with no outs after an error, walk and a single.
One run came in to score on a groundout double play before Washburn starting pitcher Caleb Lunnon escaped the jam with a strikeout to keep the score at 1-0.
The next three innings were all scoreless ones on the mound for the junior Lunnon and he struck out the side in the fourth.
The Ichabod offense was finally able to pick up its first hit off the bat of Hayden Priest with one out in the home half of the fourth. Jackson Mervosh followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position and the Ichabods would load the bases but were unable to tie the game.
Next time up for Newman (10-33, 6-27), the Jets got three straight hits with one out, a single followed by a pair of ground-rule doubles, with each producing a run to put the Jets up 3-0.
Lunnon exited the game in the sixth inning and was replaced by Logan Bartlett. The bases were loaded by Newman before the senior escaped the jam.
Washburn was able to get on the board in the bottom of the inning after a one-out single by Jett Buck, followed by a two-out double into the left-field corner to score him.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn and Emporia State softball teams battled to a standoff in Saturday's final doubleheader of the regular season while individually the day belonged to Ichabod senior first baseman Jaden LaBarge.
Washburn senior Jaden LaBarge had four home runs and eight RBI in Saturday's twinbill split with ESU. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn senior Jaden LaBarge is congratulated by her teammates after hitting her third home run in Saturday's 8-0 first-game win over ESU. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
LaBarge, who was one of six Ichabods honored between games on Senior Day at Gahnstrom Field, hit three home runs in as many at bats in Washburn's 8-0 five-inning first-game win and added a fourth homer in the second game, a 4-2 eight-inning Emporia State victory.
In the opener LaBarge tied a school record with her three home runs and seven runs batted in.
In the first inning, LaBarge connected on her first long ball of the day, scoring fellow seniors Alexis Tanguma and Kaylee Wagner.
When LaBarge came up in the third inning, after a single from Wagner, LaBarge hit another round-tripper as Washburn stretched its lead to 5-0.
LaBarge's third at-bat of the day was a homer down the left-field line, scoring Wagner, as Washburn went up 7-0.
The Ichabods closed out the run-rule win when Erin Boles and Dalaney Anderson both walked and then Maddie McGee's hit scored scored Ashley Gaughan, who entered as a pinch runner, for the eighth run of the day and the 8-0 win.
LaBarge's three home run game was the first by an Ichabod since Taylor Zimmerman had three at Lincoln on March 4, 2016. It was only the fourth time in program history an Ichabod had a three-homer day.
Her seven RBI tied a school record and was the first seven RBI game since Taylor Kirk had seven at Lincoln on March 3, 2018. Saturday was the eighth time an Ichabod drove in seven in a single game.
Junior Sadie Walker pitched a four-hitter in Saturday's 8-0 first-game WU win over ESU. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
In the pitcher's circle, junior Sadie Walker improved to 15-8 while scattering four hits and striking out two in the win.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball will finish up the 2025 regular season with a three-game series against Newman, beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. and wrapping things up on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch and 12 p.m. Senior Day ceremony.
Washburn baseball will wrap up its 2025 regular season with a three-game weekend MIAA series against Newman. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
On Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. there will be a ceremony to re-name WU's stadium Falley Field at Steve Anson Stadium in honor of the late Steve Anson, the winningest coach in Washburn baseball history.
Washburn fell to 23-24 overall and 15-18 in the MIAA after losing 9-2 to No. 3 Central Missouri on Wednesday.
Newman enters the weekend 10-30 overall and 6-24 in the MIAA after falling 12-6 to No. 23 Fort Hays State.
The Ichabods are 12-7 at Falley Field this season while going 10-14 in road contests and 1-3 in neutral site games.
At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .313 with a .410 OB% and a .533 SLG%. Washburn has hit 84 home runs with 105 doubles.
The pitching staff has a 7.41 ERA with 320 strikeouts across 404.2 innings with a 1.41 WHIP. The Ichabods have allowed 452 hits and issued 295 walks.
Washburn has a .963 fielding percentage on the year, turning 32 double plays with 63 total errors.
WU is 7-5 in games against NCBWA nationally ranked opponents this season.
Owen Laessig has the current longest hitting streak for Washburnat eight games after Jackson Mervosh had his 16-game streak come to an end. Cash Jay had the longest of any Ichabod player this season at 17 games.
Jett Buck leads the team with 16 games of recording multiple RBI with two games with five or more driven in.
Buck is hitting .360 while starting in all 47 games. He has a team-high 19 home runs on the year with 62 RBI, also tops on the team. He ranks first in the MIAA and 11th nationally in hits and is second in the conference and sixth in the nation in home runs. He is also third in the MIAA in RBI and fourth in SLG%.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball will wrap up the 2025 regular season on Saturday, hosting Emporia State in a 1 p.m. Senior Day doubleheader.
Seniors Mariah Wheeler, Alexis Tanguma, Jaden LaBarge, Kaylee Wagner and Ellington Hogle along with student assistant coach Riley Stephens will be honored between games.
Washburn senior catcher Kaylee Wagner (left) is congratulated by her Ichabod teammates after hitting the go-ahead home run in last Friday's 10-7 win over Central Oklahoma. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Ichabods (30-19 overall, 12-10 MIAA) split a doubleheader with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma last Friday in their only action of the week.
Emporia State is 29-21 this season and 9-13 in the MIAA after sweeping Newman on April 19 in Emporia.
The Ichabods are in sixth in the MIAA standings entering the final weekend, two games behind Central Missouri for fifth.
The 2025 MIAA Championship Tournament bracket will be announced on Saturday at the conclusion of all games. The top 10 in the final standings qualify for the single-elimination tournament which will be hosted by Fort Hays State April 30-May 4.
Washburn junior pitcher Sadie Walker is ninth in the nation in games started (26), 11th in appearances (33 ) and 38th in shutouts (4) while also ranking 47th in strikeouts (47).
Jenna Sprague is seventh in the nation with five saves.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball used a six-run fifth inning to take Game 1 of the final regular-season series against Newman 8-2 on Friday evening.
Topekan Cooper Carlgren picked up the pitching win in Friday's 8-2 Washburn MIAA win over Newman. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will go for the series win on Saturday with first pitch at 2 p.m.
Before the game there will be a ceremony on the field to rename the WU facility Falley Field at Steve Anson Stadium beginning at 1:30 p.m.
After a scoreless first inning it was the Jets (10-31 overall, 6-25 MIAA) who got on the scoreboard first with a one-out solo home run in the second inning.
The Ichabod (24-24, 16-18) offense got two triples in the first three innings, first from Connor Scott then Jett Buck.The second came from Buck in the third inning with two outs. Jackson Mervosh followed with a double to score him and tie the game.
Washburn Rural product Cooper Carlgren started on the mound for the Ichabods and after the second inning run he settled in with scoreless third and fourth innings, combining for four strikeouts in the two frames.
After a scoreless fifth from Carlgren, Washburn loaded the bases on a hit batter, walk and single by Hayden Priest. Mervosh continued to drive in runs, doubling into right center to score two more. Easton Bruce traded places with him, doubling to right to make it 5-1. Darian Duhon made it a six-run inning, blasting a home run to right and add two more runs.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Joslynn Grace
JOSLYNN GRACE, Seaman
Grace, a senior swimmer, picked up three victories in last Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as the Vikings finished second as a team. Grace won the 100-yard butterfly in 1 minute, 02.29 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.52 and teamed with Megan Strobel, Lizzie Gould and Ava Carlson to win the 200 medley relay in 2:12.37.
Kate Hinck
KATE HINCK, Washburn Rural
A senior, Hinck scored a pair of goals in last Tuesday's 3-1 Centennial League soccer road win over Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park as the Junior Blues improved to 7-1-0 on the season. A three-sport standout for Rural, Hinck was picked last week to participate in this summer's Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star Match.
Jaden LaBarge
JADEN LaBARGE, Washburn University
LaBarge, a senior first baseman, went 2 for 2 with a grand slam home run, six runs batted in and two runs scored on Friday as Washburn softball rallied from a 6-0 deficit to knock off No. 5-ranked Central Missouri 10-7 in the second game of an MIAA twinbill. LaBarge went 2 for 3 with a double in a 3-2 first-game loss and is hitting .299 on the season with a team-high eight home runs, a team-high .575 slugging percentage and 31 RBI.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball is back home Friday to host No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
Following the twinbill with the Bronchos, the Ichabods will wrap up the regular season against Emporia State on April 26, with WU celebrating Senior Day.
Senior first baseman Jaden LaBarge leads Washburn softball with seven home runs and a .533 slugging percentage. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods (29-18 overall, 11-9 MIAA) split a pair of doubleheaders last weekend at Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri.
Washburn has already assured itself of an eighth straight winning season and senior first baseman Jaden LaBarge said the goal now is for the Ichabods to do everything they can to put themselves in position to make an extended postseason run.
"As long as our defense stays really focused and hitters can just keep swinging the bat and not swing at pitches outside of their zones I think that we have a really great chance of making it farther than we are expected to,'' LaBarge said.
LaBarge leads the Ichabods with seven home runs and a .533 slugging percentage.
The Bronchos are 40-7 and 17-3, splitting a road MIAA doubleheader with Central Missouri on Thursday.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod softball team split an MIAA doubleheader with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma Friday at Gahnstrom Field, rallying from a six-run deficit in the nightcap for a come-from-behind win.
Washburn softball celebrates Friday night after rallying from a 6-0 first-inning deficit to take a 10-7 win over No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
After taking a tough 3-2 loss in the opener, Washburn trailed 6-0 after the top of the first in the second game before battling back behind three home runs, including a Jaden LaBarge grand slam, for a 10-7 win over the Bronchos.
The victory secured Washburn's 20th 30-win season and sixth under Ichabod coach Brenda Holaday while WU posted its first win over UCO since a 5-1 win over the Bronchos on April 20, 2019 in Edmond, snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Bronchos.
"First of all, UCO is an incredible program and incredible team,'' Holaday said. "They're No. 5 in the nation for a reason, so to play really good ball against them all day long was really good for us. I thought (pitcher) Sadie Walker was as good as she's been all year long and up and down our lineup we had a lot of kids with big hits for us and when you can share the load you've got a chance to win.
"When you get down 6-0 to a team like that it takes a lot of mettle to come back and I'm just really proud of the fight of the kids.''
In the opener, the Ichabods took the early lead with a solo run in their first at bat when Alexis Tangma doubled to score Ellington Hogle, who walked to lead off the inning.
UCO knotted the score in the fourth with a solo run and took the lead in the fifth, taking advantage of two Ichabod errors to scoring two unearned runs.
In the sixth and seventh innings, Washburn stranded two in each inning but could not push across a run, coming up one run shy.
Washburn out-hit the Bronchos 9-8 in the opener as Tanguma collected three hits while Hogle and LaBarge both had two hits.
Walker turned in a strong pitching performance for Washburn, striking out six Bronchos and giving up just one earned run.
After falling behind 6-0 in the first inning of the nightcap as the Bronchos (41-8 overall, 18-4 MIAA) sent 12 batters to plate, the Ichabods (30-19, 12-10) came back with two runs of their own as LaBarge picked up a two-out single, scoring both Hogle and Makenzie Sais, who singled to start the inning.
Neither team scored again until the third inning when UCO added a run to take a 7-2 lead.
Washburn cut the lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the inning when LaBarge cleared the bases with her grand slam to center, scoring Ashlyn Gaughan, Kaylee Wagner and Erin Boles.
Washburn freshman Kate Dolan is mobbed by her teammates after hitting the first home run of her collegiate career in Friday's 10-7 MIAA win over No. 5-ranked UCO. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In the fourth, Washburn took the lead at 8-7 after a two-run homer from Wagner, and in its next at bat, Washburn added two more insurance runs when freshman Kate Dolan collected her first collegiate home run with an opposite field shot with two outs on a 1-2 pitch.
Washburn junior Sadie Walker gave up just one earned run in nine innings in Friday's twinbill split with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Walker pitched two scoreless innings of relief for her third save of the season after replacing winning pitcher Jenna Sprague, who improved to 8-6 after tossing 42/3 innings in relief.
The Ichabods outhit the Bronchos 13-10 in the second game as Hogle led the Ichabod attack with three hits and Tanguma, Wagner, Boles and LaBarge all had two.
LaBarge tallied a career-high-tying six RBI while Wagner and Dolan each drove in two runs.
Washburn will wrap up the regular season on April 26 hosting Emporia State.
