By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
The Washburn University softball team will finish off its regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday, hosting rival Emporia State in a doubleheader at Gahnstrom Field.
Washburn's Kimi Patterson, Paige Robbins, Jenna Moore and Hadley Kerschen will be honored on Senior Day Saturday against Emporia State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
It will also be the final home games for four Ichabod seniors -- Washburn Rural graduate Jenna Moore, Paige Robbins, Hadley Kerschen and Kimi Patterson.
The Ichabods (35-13 overall, 14-10 in the MIAA) went 2-2 last weekend after splitting doubleheaders at Northeastern State and Rogers State.
With her 213 wins at Washburn, Ichabod coach Brenda Holaday has passed Kim Newbern for second on the WU all-time wins chart. Lisa Carey is the school's all-time winningest coach by victories at 256.
The Ichabods have recorded their 19th 30-win season in program history and their third under Holaday.
Santa Fe Trail product Marrit Mead is 25th in the nation in hits with 65 while her hit total is second in the MIAA and her batting average of .414 is fourth and her 26 stolen bases is fourth in the conference.
Former Shawnee Heights star Jaycee Ginter is fifth in the nation with 23 wins in the pitcher' circle while leading the MIAA in victories. She is fifth in the nation in strikeouts with 230.
Ginter leads the nation in pitching appearances with 40.
The Ichabods have gone 11-2 when hitting at least one home run and 30-3 when scoring at least three runs.
This season the Ichabods have outscored opponents in every inning except the seventh (16 to 16). Overall, Washburn has outscored opponents 229 to 123 this season.
Freshman Danielle Schlader led the Ichabods with a .583 batting average last weekend, driving in a team-high 5 RBI with a team-best seven hits while going 7 for 12 for the weekend.
Silver Lake product Ellington Hogle had 3 RBI and four hits and Ginter scored three runs.
Emporia State is 32-20 overall and 12-12 in the MIAA.
Emma Furnish leads the Hornets with a .310 batting average and Abbey Ward leads the MIAA in stolen bases with 35 in 38 attempts.
Gracie Rabe has a 13-8 pitching record with a 2.61 earned run average and nine complete games.
Emporia State leads the Washburn series 90-61-1, with the Ichabods winning the last four games.
The postseason begins at the MIAA Championship Tournament Wednesday May 3 to May 6 at the Envista Softball Complex at Lake Shawnee.
