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Washburn University baseball is looking to end what has been an up and down season with a bang, beginning with a weekend MIAA series against rival Emporia State Friday through Sunday at Steve Anson Stadium.

 

 

The Ichabods and Hornets will open the series with a 5 p.m. Friday contest, followed by game two at 2 p.m. on Saturday and the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

 

Washburn fell to 18-26 on the season overall and 14-16 in the MIAA after falling 7-6 to No. 14-ranked Central Missouri last time out on Tuesday.

Emporia State improved to 31-13 overall and 18-12 in the MIAA after defeating Fort Hays State 25-15 in seven innings last time out.

 

"Emporia's having a good year, they're going to be ranked in the region, but on the other hand you have the opportunity to kind of stick your opponent in the side a little bit and hurt them,'' Washburn coach Harley Douglas said. "Especially being your rival, that's a great opportunity.

 

"I really expect our guys to be fired up and do it. Everybody on my staff is a Washburn alum and this is something we look forward to every year because it means something and it's always meant something to have that rivalry, to have that connection.'' 

 

The Ichabods are coming off a fourth straight winning season in 2025, going 28-25 overall and 18-18 in the MIAA.

Washburn is scoring 8.07 runs per game on the year while opponents are scoring 8.11 runs per game. 

The Ichabods are 9-7 at home, 8-17 in road games and 1-2 in neutral field meetings.

Washburn is hitting .292 and has tallied 39 home runs.

The WU pitching staff has a 6.88 earned run average with 338 strikeouts across 380.2 innings. The Ichabods have allowed 457 hits and issued 259 walks. 

Washburn has a .966 fielding percentage as a team with 56 errors and 20 turned double plays.

Manhattan native Ian Luce has the longest current hitting streak for Washburn at 23 games heading into the weekend, the longest hitting streak of any Ichabod this season.

Luce has reached base in all 44 games, the only player to do so. Jack Borgmann's 16-game on-base streak is the second longest on the team.

Luce has a team-high 25 games with multiple hits and is hitting .426 with a .516 on base percentage. He has 30 total extra-base hits including seven home runs and five triples, has driven in 47 runs and is 18-21 in stolen base attempts.

He is first in the MIAA and second nationally in hits, third in the MIAA and 23rd nationally in batting average while ranking second in the conference in total bases and triples.

Levi Risenhoover is hitting .309 and leads the team with 11 home runs and a team-high 54 RBI. He is fifth in the MIAA in doubles and home runs while ranking sixth in RBI.

Kai Bennett has thrown 52.2 innings over his 11 starts for Washburn and leads the team with 54 strikeouts while posting a 5.30 ERA and posting a 2-4 record on the year.

Seaman graduate Maclane Finley leads Washburn with five pitching victories heading into this weekend's MIAA home series with Emporia State. [File photo/TSN]

Seaman product Maclane Finley leads the Ichabods with 58.1 innings pitched across his 11 starts. He has struck out 41 batters and has a 5.86 ERA and 5-3 record,  recording a team-high in victories. He has thrown into the fifth inning in every start.

Fidel Hatch has pitched in 16 games, making one start and throwing 36.1 innings and striking out 30. He has a team-best 4.95 ERA to go along with a 2-2 record.

Seaman grad Gavin Wilhelm has pitched in 11 games with two starts. He has a 2-0 record across 24.0 innings with 22 strikeouts and a 6.00 ERA.

John Martin is in his first season as the head coach at Emporia State after spending the previous 10 seasons at Central Oklahoma.

Emporia State is scoring 9.48 runs per game while opponents are averaging 5.57.

The Hornets offense is hitting .314 as a team with 66 home runs and have tallied 264 total walks with 293 strikeouts.

Logan Myers has played and started in all 44 games and is hitting .421. He has tallied three home runs and driven in 32 runs along with five stolen bases. He leads the MIAA with 20 doubles.

Noah Steele is hitting .387 for the Hornets while starting in all 44 games. He has 16 home runs and 60 RBI while also going 9-9 stealing bases. He is second in the MIAA and 16th nationally in home runs.

The Hornet pitching staff has a 4.88 ERA across 365.1 innings. They have struck out 296 batters while walking 158 and allowing 364 total hits.

ESU leads the MIAA with six shutouts and is second in the conference in walks allowed per nine innings and in double plays.

Colby Deaver has made 12 starts for Emporia State, throwing 74.2 innings. He has struck out 76 batters while walking just nine with a 1.33 ERA, .80 WHIP and is 9-2. He is first in the MIAA and second in the nation in ERA while leading the conference in WHIP, victories and strikeouts.

Grant Huffman has made 17 appearances out of the bullpen and carries an 0.95 ERA and .85 WHIP. He leads the team with seven saves and has a 2-0 record. He leads the MIAA and is seventh in the nation in saves.

Emporia State leads the all-time series between the two teams 154-80-1. Washburn is 47-73-1 at home against the Hornets.

Washburn wraps up the regular season with a three-game home series against Pittsburg State April 30-May 3.