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.
2025 MIAA SOFTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS & ALL-MIAA TEAMS
Player of the Year – Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma, Sr.
Pitcher of the Year – Kiki Pickens – Missouri Southern, So.
Defensive Player of the Year – Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma, Jr.
Freshman of the Year – Bailey Dillon – Missouri Southern
Coaching Staff of the Year – Central Oklahoma – Cody White, Jon Hunter, Jordan Dixon
and Jacee Minter
ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Kiki Pickens – Missouri Southern
Pitcher: Sydney Rader – Missouri Western
Pitcher: Brooke Weimer – Central Missouri
Catcher: Abbey Rogers – Rogers State
First Base: Katie Gray – Missouri Southern
Second Base: McKayla Carney – Rogers State
Shortstop: Heather Arnett – Pittsburg State
Third Base: Kaylee Lyon – Rogers State
Outfield: Bailey Dillon – Missouri Southern
Outfield: Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Courtney Storey – Pittsburg State
Designated Player: Taylor Thompson – Central Missouri
Utility/Pitcher: Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma*
*Unanimous Selection
ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Ava Laurent – Pittsburg State
Pitcher: Harley Culie – Rogers State
Pitcher: Jade Sanders – Rogers State
Catcher: Madison Pierce – Fort Hays State
First Base: Jaden LaBarge – Washburn
Second Base: Alexis Tanguma – Washburn
Shortstop: Emily Deramus – Central Oklahoma
Third Base: Kadyn Trochim – Pittsburg State
Outfield: Lillie Filger – Northwest Missouri
Outfield: Makenzie Sais – Washburn
Outfield: Callie Yellin – Rogers State
Designated Player: Chloe Bohuslavicky – Rogers State
Utility/Pitcher: Madison Heinle – Northeastern State
GOLD GLOVE TEAM
Pitcher: Sydney Rader – Missouri Western
Catcher: Abbey Rogers – Rogers State
First Base: Katie Gray – Missouri Southern
Second Base: Rylee Anglen – Central Oklahoma
Second Base: Jadyn Sheffield – Central Missouri
Shortstop: Curstin Todd – Northwest Missouri
Third Base: Kadyn Trochim – Pittsburg State
Outfield: Erin Boles – Washburn
Outfield: Juliana De Luna – Emporia State
Outfield: Taylor Jones – Missouri Western
Outfield: Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma
(Team Includes Ties)
HONORABLE MENTION
Central Missouri: Bailey Brumley (First Base)
Central Oklahoma: Kennedy Clark (Catcher); Rylee Anglen (Second Base); Brooklyn Ryan
(Outfield)
Emporia State: Sydney Wagner (Shortstop); Brooke Flewelling (Third Base); Taryn
Burkhardt (Outfield)
Missouri Southern: Kate Thurman (Catcher); Kylee Jacks (Outfield)
Nebraska Kearney: Mary Chvatal (Shortstop)
Northeastern State: Korynn Tindel (Shortstop); Maddie Messenger (Third Base)
Northwest Missouri: Jadyn Streigle (Pitcher); Skylar Pieper (First Base); Malia Cuevas
(Second Base); Omara Love (Outfield)
Pittsburg State: Aydenne Brown (Pitcher); Alleyna Rushing (Outfield); Amaya Snyder
(Designated Player)
