Washburn University Ichabods
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
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.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball will play its final road series of the season this week at No. 19 Pittsburg State, beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, with the Ichabods looking to end what has been an up and down campaign with a late-season hot streak.
Washburn senior standout Jett Buck is in the midst of an outstanding season for the 21-21 Ichabods. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn fell to 21-21 overall and 14-15 in the MIAA after losing 10-8 to No. 20 Fort Hays State in 10 innings on Tuesday.
"It's hard because it seems like the whole team can't play good at once,'' WU senior standout Jett Buck said. "It seems like one part of the game is off at a time.''
Washburn is 6-2 in games against NCBWA nationally ranked opponents this season.
"I think it's showed that when we have everything clicking at the same time we're really hard to beat, but it's just consistency and everyone playing like we should,'' Buck said.
The Ichabods posted a third straight 30-win season in 2024, going 32-21 overall and 21-12 in the MIAA.
Pittsburg State improved to 31-7 overall and 19-7 inside the MIAA after defeating Missouri S&T 17-12 on the road Tuesday evening, winning its program-record 13th game in a row.
Washburn is scoring 8.67 runs per game while opponents are averaging 7.79 runs a start.
At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .307 with 74 home runs, 96 doubles and drawing195 walks while striking out 291 times.
The WU pitching staff has a 7.05 ERA with 293 strikeouts across 365.1 innings. The Ichabods have allowed 397 hits and issued 259 walks.
Buck leads the team with 15 games of recording multiple RBI and he has two games with five or more driven in.
Buck is hitting .360 while starting in all 42 games. He has a team-high 17 home runs on the year with 58 RBI, also tops on the team. He ranks second in the MIAA and seventh nationally in home runs. Buck is also second in the conference in RBI, hits and total bases while ranking fourth in slugging percentage. He has multiple hits in each of the last five games.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cianna Graves
CIANNA GRAVES, Shawnee Heights
A junior catcher, Graves had four doubles on the day Friday as Shawnee Heights' softball team swept a 17-2, 13-3 United Kansas Conference home twinbill from Kansas City-Turner. Graves doubled in all three of her at bats in the first game and added another double in the nightcap as the T-Birds improved to 6-2 on the season. Graves also placed third in the 2025 Class 5A state wrestling tournament.
Adrian Lehman
ADRIAN LEHMAN, Topeka West
Lehman, a senior distance runner, was a double individual winner in Friday's Bobcat Relays at Basehor-Linwood, winning the 1,600-meter run in 4 minutes, 24.40 seconds and the 3,200 meters in 9:56.79. Lehman also posted a third-place finish for the Chargers in the 800 meters in 2:02.10.
Keimara Marshall
KEIMARA MARSHALL, Topeka High
Marshall, a junior sprinter for the Topeka High track team, continued her red-hot start to the 2025 season, posting three individual victories in Friday's Lansing Invitational. Marshall won the 100-meter dash in 12.44 seconds, the 200 in 26.09 seconds and the 400 in 62.37 at Lansing and is the Shawnee County leader in the 100 and 200.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame announced Monday the selection of the 10 individuals who will be inducted on Saturday, August 2, in Topeka as the HOF class of 2025.
The induction ceremony will be held at the Washburn University Memorial Union, beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a lunch/reception.
The class includes award-winning coaches, Olympians, national champions, All-Americans, and world and American-record holders.
“This is an accomplished group and one the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is extremely proud to recognize on behalf of the entire state,” Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Jim Dunning, Jr. said. "The individuals represent the best of the state of Kansas and come from diverse backgrounds. Their stories provide inspiration to all Kansans.”
The honorees include:
● Larry Brown – 1972 NFL MVP running back for Washington who played at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State.
● Tim Jankovich – All-State basketball player from Manhattan who later led Kansas State to three NCAA Tournament appearances. He had a collegiate basketball head coaching record of 332-199.
● J.C. Louderback – Three-sport standout at Southwestern College. Was the Arkansas City High boys tennis coach for 36 years and longtime college football and basketball official.
● Bob Lutz – Wichita Eagle sports reporter and columnist for more than 40 years. He established the League 42 urban youth baseball organization in Wichita.
● Kendric Maple – State titlest in wrestling at Wichita Heights HS, and NCAA championship wrestler and three-time All-American at Oklahoma.
● Bobby Randall – Born in Norton, but attended high school in Gove. Played five years in MLB for the Minnesota Twins, and still ranks second in career batting average at Kansas State. Longtime Head Coach at Iowa State, University of Kansas and Manhattan Christian College.
● Laverne Smith – Set career and season rushing and touchdown records at Kansas and played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A track and football standout at Wichita Southeast and the University of Kansas, he still holds the KU 100-meter dash record.
● Deb (Pihl) Torneden – Running for Kansas State University, was the Most Outstanding Performer at the 1984 Big Eight Conference Indoor Championships. Was a four-time All-American and National Masters Champion. She holds 23 Kansas road race age group records.
● Clifford Wiley – 1980 U.S. Olympic Team sprint team member. Competing for the University of Kansas, was a world record holder, World Cup Champion, three-time U.S. national champion, NCAA Champion and 13-time All-American
● NOTE: Former Kansas State assistant football coach and Kansas head coach Mark Mangino was selected in 2024, but could not attend the induction ceremonies. He will be recognized at the 2025 event.
This year’s class brings the total number of Inductees to 349, with the first class in 1961 including such legends as Dr. James Naismith, Mike Ahearn, Glenn Cunningham, Walter Johnson and Jess Willard.
Created by the Kansas State legislature in 1961 during the state’s Centennial Celebration, the hall has operated for 64 years.
Tickets for the event are $50 and may be purchased online at kshof.org.
Inductee profiles:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Zach Watkins and his Washburn University coaching staff will finish off their first year of spring football with a 6 p.m. Spring Game Friday night at Yager Stadium.
Washburn University football will hold its 2025 Spring Game at 6 p.m. Friday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Watkins, who was promoted to head coach in late November after starring for WU as a player and a long stint as an assistant coach, said he's been very pleased with the progess the Ichabods have made this spring in approximately 15 practices beginning in early March and sandwiched around spring break.
"I think it's been really, really good,'' Watkins said. "I think our players have really taken time to learn what their coaches are teaching. I think the coachea have taught really well the new schemes, the new expectations, the new standard.
"There's always room to improve and you never feel like you're fully prepared until game-time hits, but I'm really satisfied being 13 practices in (at mid-week) where we are this first spring.''
"The vibes are high,'' Washburn senior safety Jordan Finnesy said. "We were able to keep most all of our most crucial pieces here in the program, which is huge.''
All of the Ichabod returners were already familiar with Watkins, which Finnesy said has made for an easy transition.
"It's easy to buy in for a guy like that,'' Finnesy said. "He's a guy that's proven himself time and time again and everybody's really bought in to what coach Watkins wants to do here and what he believes in.
"I think you're going to see that on Friday and going forward as well.''
Friday's Spring Game will consist of an intrasquad contest in largely game-type conditions.
"It will be four quarters, running clock, so it will be shorter than a normal game,'' Watkins said. "We have litmited depth in the spring so it will be shorter but we'll have MIAA referees and the first and third quarters will be THUD so it won't be live tackle. The second and fourth quarters will be live tackle.
"It will be Blue vs. White team instead of 'O' vs. 'D' and we're splitting up all the kids and tried to make it even. It will feel like a game, which is cool.''
The Ichabods will open fall camp in early August and will open the 2025 season on Aug. 30 at home against Truman State.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball used a pair of big innings to down No. 2-ranked Central Missouri 14-7 on Wednesday night.
Jett Buck hit two home runs and drove in four runs in Washburn's 14-7 win over No. 2-ranked Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods hit the road to face Emporia State for three games beginning Friday at 5 p.m.
Neither Central Missouri or Washburn got on the board in a scoreless first inning, but it was the Mules (25-9 overall, 16-6 MIAA) that struck first in the second, with a home run following a two-out walk to make it 2-0.
Washburn (19-19, 12-13) responded right away as Jett Buck led off the home half of the second with a home run to left.
An error in the field and a hit batter extended the inning, allowing Blake Scott to plate one run with a single to left before Jackson Mervosh hit the second Ichabod home run over the wall in left field to make it 5-2 after two.
A leadoff walk for the Mules in the top of the third came around to score on a double. Central Missouri pulled within one as a wild pitch plated another run.
After a scoreless top of the fourth by Griffin Huiatt the Ichabods loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a single from B. Scott, a double from Connor Scott and a walk by Mervosh.
Hayden Priest brought one run in with a fielder's choice grounder to go up 6-4.
In the sixth inning, three walks along with a double scored a pair of runs for the Mules, tying the game.
Washburn answered right away, with five of the first six hitters all reaching base, scoring two runs on doubles from Priest and C. Scott. One run scored on a wild pitch before Buck blasted his second home run of the game, breaking the game open with a 12-6 lead.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball pounded out 25 hits and scored 15 runs in a doubleheader sweep over Newman on Monday afternoon, wrapping up an eight-game homestand.
The Ichabods, 27-16 overall and 9-7 in the MIAA, did not allow a run on the day, taking the first game 8-0 before completing the sweep with a 7-0 win.
Washburn's Alexis Tanguma pitched a three-hit shutout in Monday's 8-0 first-game win over Newman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
WU coach Brenda Holaday, whose Ichabods pushed their winning streak to three games, said Monday was a good way to cap their homestand.
"We're right in that grind part of the season and every game matters right now,'' Holaday said. "If you look at the MIAA standings people are beating each other up every weekend so it was good to have a day where things weren't so intense.
"But part of that was us taking care of business. We pitched better, we defended better and we hit the ball so when you do that good things happen.''
Washburn will be on the road this weekend with MIAA contests at Missouri Western on Friday and at Northwest Missouri on Saturday.
After a scoreless first inning in Monday's opener, the Ichabods scored three runs in the bottom of the second, capped by Dalaney Anderson's first collegiate home run, a three-run shot that scored Kate Ediger and Danielle Schlader.
In the third, the Ichabods added three more runs on another 3-run homer, this time by Jaden LaBarge that scored Erin Boles and Ashlyn Gaughan.
Washburn's final runs of the run-rule game came in the following inning when Boles connected on a two-out double, sending Ellington Hogle and Makenzie Sais, who both reached on singles.
Alexis Tanguma picked up the pitching win in the opener over the Jets (6-32, 1-13), tossing all five innings while allowing just three hits.
Washburn finished with nine hits, with Hogle, Sais, Boles and LaBarge all recording two hits apiece.
As in the first game, the Ichabods jumped on the board in the bottom of the second inning of the nightcap when LaBarge homered in her third straight game with a shot down the left-field line.
Mariah Wheeler followed with a double, and then with two outs, Hogle doubled to left, scoring Ediger as Washburn went up 2-0.
Washburn plated a solo run in the fourth when Wagner's sac fly scored Hogle, who started the inning with a single.
The Ichabods added three more runs in the fifth inning when Hogle's hit to center was misplayed, scoring both Maddie McGee and Ediger.
Kate Dolan then recorded a pinch-hit double to score Hogle as Washburn went up 7-0.
Washburn's Sadie Walker picked up her 13th win in Monday's 7-0 MIAA win over Newman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sadie Walker moved to 13-6 in the circle, pitching four innings and allowing one hit.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabods and Central Missouri Jennies combined for 40 runs and 47 hits in nearly six hours of softball action Sunday at Gahnstrom Field as the two teams split an MIAA doubleheader.
Central Missouri came from behind 3-0, 5-2 and 7-5 to win Game 1 10-8 before the Ichabods rallied from an early 4-0 deficit and held on late to take the nightcap, 12-10.
Junior Sadie Walker picked up her 12th pitching win of the season in Sunday's 12-10 Washburn win over Central Missouri. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sunday was somewhat of an up and down day for Washburn at the plate, in the pitcher's circle and defensively, but after dropping its previous twinbill against Nebraska-Kearney and letting Sunday's opener slip away, Ichabod coach Brenda Holaday said it was important to find a way to get the second-game win over the Jennies.
"We lost the last two last weekend and that left a pretty sour taste in our mouth,'' Holaday said. "I think we felt like those were games we should have had and today we had every opportunity to win that first game and our pitching just really let us down and our defense at times.
"We scored enough runs to wins and about let it happen again the second game, so it was big for us to walk away wih a win because we needed to change the course a little bit.''
In the opener, Washburn (25-16 overall, 7-7 MIAA) saw its first three batters reach base as Ellington Hogle singled and Makenzie Sais walked before Alexis Tanguma blasted a three-run homer to left field, staking the Ichabods to an early 3-0 lead.
UCM came back with two runs in the top of the second cutting the lead to 3-2 but WU scored twice in the bottom of the inning to go up 5-2.
The Jennies fought back to tie the game 5-5 in the top of the sixth, but in the bottom half of the sixth the Ichabods recorded their first hit since the first inning, scoring two runs on a two-out, two-strike double from Erin Boles that scored both Sais and Gracie Gallagher.
UCM came back with two runs to tie the score in the top of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
In the eighth, Morgan Shields connected on a 3-run homer, putting the Jennies up 10-7.
Washburn was able to get runners to second and third with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, scoring one to cut the final margin to two, but would get no closer.
Tanguma and Boles each drove in three runs for the Ichabods and Sais scored four times and walked four times in the game, tying a school record for the most walks in a game.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball is back in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time since 2001 and will continue its national championship bid with a quarterfinal matchup against Lenoir-Rhyne at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Evansville, Ind.
Brett Ballard's Washburn Ichabods will take a 29-3 record into Tuesday's national quarterfinal game. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods are making their fourth trip to the NCAA Elite Eight, joining the 1993, 1994 and 2001 Washburn squads.
Washburn (29-3) advanced to the Elite Eight with a 93-65 win over Minnesota State-Moorhead last Tuesday in the Central Region final in Lee Arena, capping a dominant regional performance that also included wins over Harding (85-57) and Concordia-St. Paul (94-78).
The Ichabods have had a full week off since the win over Minnesota State-Moorhead and Washburn coach Brett Ballard said the team's major focus has been on maintaining its sharpness heading into the Elite Eight.
"Keeping our edge is the biggest thing,'' said Ballard, who has led the Ichabods to five NCAA postseason appearances in eight seasons. "I want us to keep our edge.
"I thought going into the regional coming off a loss we had some really competitive practices and I thought we got better. I really want our guys to keep that edge this week. We're not going to overdo it and we'll take care of their bodies, but when we do get (on the floor) I want it to be competitive and at high intensity.''
Lenoir-Rhyne, 29-5 and winner of its last nine games, defeated North Carolina-Pembroke 76-74 in overtime to advance to its first Elite Eight in program history.
The Ichabods enter the Elite Eight as the No. 4 seed while Lenoir-Rhyne of the South Athletic Conference is the No. 5 seed.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball moved into the NCAA national semifinals with a 90-78 win over Lenoir-Rhyne Tuesday night in Evansville, Ind., sending the Ichabods to the final four of the national tournament.
Washburn celebrates Tuesday's 90-78 national quarterfinal win over Lenoir-Rhyne. [Photo courtesy of Jeff Jacobsen/Action Images Photography, Inc.]
Now 30-3, the Ichabods advanced to an 8:30 p.m. semifinal on Thursday night against No. 1-ranked Nova Southeastern.
The Ichabods led from start to finish on Tuesday thanks to a hot start coming out of the gate in both halves, but WU had to fight through several Lenoir-Rhyne rallies to get the win.
"Every team here has a great team and no team here is going to quit and we saw that,'' Ichabod senior Jacob Hanna told KTPK Radio after the game. "We'd go up and they'd take it back down but I think we did a good job of continuing to fight.''
WU pulled in front of the Bears 13-4 after sophomore Brayden Shorter scored nine points in the early going.
Washburn pushed its lead to 13 after a traditional 3-point play from Hanna put the Ichabods up 27-14 with 11:48 remaining in the first half, but the Bears (29-6) chipped away, trimming their deficit to five less than 60 seconds later before a pair of Hanna free throws, a 3-pointer from Shorter and a Hanna bucket in the paint pushed the margin back to 10.
The WU lead stayed in double digits until the Bears used a 9-0 run to pull within three again at 40-37.
Back-to-back layups from freshman Dillon Claussen and senior Michael Keegan stretched the Washburn lead back to seven but LRU hit three free throws with 37 seconds left before sophomore Jack Bachelor's jumper sent the Ichabods to the locker room with a 46-40 lead.
In the second half the Ichabods went up by 20 with 14:42 to play and by as many as 21 before the Bears came back again.
"I think at the start of the second half we did a good job of coming out with a lot of fire, a lot of energy,'' Hanna said. "I think where it really started was in the locker room. I think coach challenged us and we responded to the challenge.''
The Bears eventually cut the lead to seven, but two jumpers in a row from Claussen put the margin at 11 and the Bears got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
"We did a really good job of finishing,'' WU coach Brett Ballard told KTPK Radio. "I thought the beginning of the halves was big. We started off the game on a great run and then the first five or six minutes of the second half were really good basketball.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 5-ranked Washburn Ichabods' historic men's basketball season came to an end Thursday night in Evansville, Ind., with top-ranked Nova Southeastern rolling to a 94-68 win in the NCAA National semifinals.
Senior Andrew Orr ended his Washburn career with 13 points and eight rebounds in Thursday's 94-68 national semifinal loss to Nova Southeastern. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics/TSN]
Washburn, which won the MIAA regular-season title and the NCAA Central Regional championship, finished the season with a 30-4 record.
"Nova was really good, really from the jump, and I think they deserve a lot of credit,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard told KTPK Radio. "They came out really turned up, which they normally do, and they played well.
"There's a lot of things that didn't go our way. I thought we let their pressure speed us up a little bit and we had some turovers early, which kind of gave them some momentum. It just wasn't our night.''
The Ichabods scored the first bucket of the game on a layup by senior Andrew Orr, but a hot-shooting Sharks squad finished the opening half connecting on 19 of 33 shots for a 57 percent clip, including 7 of 13 from deep, as Nova Southeastern (35-1) took a 53-29 lead into the break.
Washburn played Nova Southeastern nearly even in the second half, with the Ichabods improving to 50 percent from the field (15 of 30), but WU could not cut into the Shark lead as the Ichabods were outscored 41-39 in the half.
"All credit to them,'' WU senior Michael Keegan told KTPK Radio. "They played really great, they shot the ball well early on, we had a couple of turnovers that they turned into quick points and before you know it we're down 12 and then we're down 15.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There's no doubt that Washburn University's historic 2024-2025 basketball season, which will end with an appearance in this week's NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind., has meant a lot to each and every Ichabod.
Washburn sophomore Jack Bachelor cuts down the nets after last Tuesday's 93-65 regional win over MSU-Moorhead. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But WU's amazing ride, which included last Tuesday's Central Region championship in front of a sellout crowd in Lee Arena, might mean just a little bit extra to a Topeka kid, 6-foot-2 sophomore point guard Jack Bachelor, who grew up dreaming about just such a moment.
"Both my parents (Angela and Aaron) played basketball here, so I went to all the basketball games and all the camps,'' Bachelor said. "I've grown up watching a ton of these players, so it's just great seeing Lee Arena bringing everybody here. It's been awesome.
"It was spring break so some of my friends were able to come back and come to the games and I had a ton of family and friends here, so I felt the love a lot over the weekend and it was just an awesome experience. It was really fun to play in front of everybody and just see the community kind of come together.''
The fact that Bachelor ended up at Washburn following a standout career at Washburn Rural probably wasn't a big surprise given his family's WU legacy.
But even Bachelor, who had 16 points (4 of 6 3-pointers) and also dished out 10 assists in last Tuesday's 93-65 win over Minnesota State-Minnesota in the regional final, admits to being surprised by the success he's had in his first two collegiate seasons.
Bachelor initially thought he might redshirt his first year at Washburn, but made an immediate impact for the 19-11 Ichabods as a freshman before earning All-MIAA and All-Central Region first-team honors this season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University 6-foot-8 senior standout Andrew Orr knows there's nothing he can do about the fact that his outstanding college basketball career will come to an end this week in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight championships in Evansville, Ind.
Washburn senior star Andrew Orr hoists the NCAA Central Regional trophy after scoring 17 points in his final home game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But the one thing that Orr has done is make sure he cherishes each and every moment he has left with his beloved Ichabods.
"I've been trying to think about it since we were told we were going to host the region,'' Orr said. "That's when I kind of came to terms with the fact that this is my last go around. (I knew) these were going to be my last couple of practices in Lee, these were going to be our last games in Lee, so it made me not only appreciate what I've done but appreciate what there was still to come.
''These last three (Central Regional) games were the most attended games that I've ever played in in Lee, so to do that and to really take it all in and soak it all in before the games I feel like I've had that opportunity and I feel super blessed to have seen that ahead of time and not look back in the future and be like, 'I should have taken it in.' ''
Orr plans to continue to take everything in as the No. 4-seeded Ichabods begin what they hope will begin a three-game run in the Elite Eight, beginning with Tuesday night's 8:30 p.m. quarterfinal against No. 5 Lenoir-Rhyne (29-5).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Forty-one year-old Lee Arena will undergo a major renovation in the very near future, with Tuesday's NCAA Division II Central Regional final the last game for Washburn University basketball in Lee's current state.
Washburn senior star Andrew Orr hoists the NCAA Central Regional trophy after scoring 17 points in his final home game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn coach Brett Ballard celebrates Tuesday's NCAA Central Regional championship in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And the Ichabods and a boisterous sellout crowd of 2,711 made sure to send WU's venerable home arena out in style, with top seed Washburn rolling to a 93-65 win over No. 2 seed Minnesota State-Moorhead to advance to next week's Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind.
"What a way to send it out,'' said senior standout Andrew Orr, who scored 17 points (8 of 9 from the field) in his final home game for the 29-3 Ichabods, who went undefeated in Lee (16-0) over the 2024-2025 season.
Feeding off the energy of its home crowd, Washburn led for 36 minutes, 55 seconds and took a 19-11 advantage after three early 3-pointers from Jack Bachelor and two from Brayden Shorter.
"We obviously got off to a great start and made shots early,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "That helped get our crowd into it. The crowd was huge for us.
"It was kind of a track meet there for the first 10 minutes or so. We kind of settled in and then defensively second half we were real good. Offensively these guys were really clicking and sharing it. I'm just really pleased and proud of our guys. This team has been on an incredible journey all year long and it's not just now. It's been since we got together in August.''
NCAA Central Regional MVP Jacob Hanna slams home a dunk in Tuesday's 93-65 win over MSU-Moorhead. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
A Jacob Hanna dunk put Washburn in command 25-15 and the Ichabods took a 32-21 advantage with 8:39 left in the half on a three-point play from Orr.
The Dragons (25-9) cut their deficit to six (47-41) at the break, but would get no closer as Orr opened the second half with back-to-back buckets to put WU up 51-41.
After two Moorhead free throws Hanna scored four straight points to give Washburn a 55-43 lead with 17:12 remaining.
Washburn went through some scary moments when senior Michael Keegan landed hard into the basket support while going for a rebound, resulting in a technical foul on the Dragons' Logan Kinsey.
Keegan suffered what appeared to be a minor injury to his left knee and left the game, but was able to return later in the half.
Bachelor hit both technical foul shots and Shorter followed with a 3-pointer to give WU a 60-45 lead with at the 16:30 mark.
Washburn made it a 20-point game (67-47) on a Brady Christiansen 3-pointer and went up 81-51 on a Christiansen hoop with 8:01 left.
The Ichabods went on to build their biggest lead of the night (93-61) with 1:56 left.
Washburn sophomore Jack Bachelor cuts down the nets after Tuesday's regional win over MSU-Moorhead. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shorter led four double-figure scorers with 21 points (5 of 9 3-pointers), while regional MVP Hanna had 19 points and Bachelor was right behind Orr with 16 points (4 of 6 3s) and also dished out 10 assists. Orr and Bachelor were also named to the all-tournament team.
Washburn hit 18 of 32 shots from the field in both halves to finish at 56 percent for the contest.
The Ichabods were also 12 of 25 from deep for the game while hitting 9 of 10 free throws.
The Ichabods held the Dragons to 25 of 57 shooting (44 percent) and 6 of 19 (32 percent) from deep in the game.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After falling behind by double digits early in Sunday night's NCAA Central Regional semifinal in Lee Arena, Concordia-St. Paul made run after run at top seed Washburn University, but the Ichabods answered each and every challenge, advancing to Tuesday night's regional final with a 94-78 win over the Golden Bears.
Senior Jacob Hanna scored a team-high 24 points in Washburn's 94-78 NCAA regional win over Concordia-St. Paul Sunday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"I don't know that there's a better Division II atmosphere, or really at any level, than what we just played in tonight,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "Our fans were phenomenal. They gave us a ton of energy once again, so shout out to Topeka and everybody that showed up.
"I loved that our team had to battle through some stuff and didn't flinch. The body language was great, the composure was good and every time they had a run we had an answer for it.''
The Ichabods will play for the regional championship for the first time since 2001 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, facing No. 2 seed Minnesota State-Moorhead, a 70-59 semifinal winner over No. 3 Winona State.
Washburn, now 28-3, started the game on a 17-7 run in the first 4:34 of the game while hitting 6 of 8 shots, including 2 of 3 from deep while the Bears (22-9) started the game 2 of 8 from the field.
The Ichabods went on to go up 30-16 at the 10:20 mark, but Concordia-St. Paul answered with a 17-4 run to cut the WU lead to 34-33.
Concordia-St. Paul also got within a point (36-35) with 1:44 left in the half on a bucket from Bears senior star Antwan Kimmons, but Washburn answered with a 3-pointer from sophomore Jack Bachelor and senior Jacob Hanna scored to give the Ichabods a 41-35 advantage.
After another hoop from Kimmons, who led all scorers with 25 points, Washburn ended the half with a tip-in from from freshman Dillon Claussen to take a 43-37 advantage to the locker room at the break.
"That's a great player,'' Hanna said of Kimmons, "and he might have got the best of me a couple of times, but I'm just happy we came out with the win.''
Washburn boosted its advantage back to 13 points (57-44) with 14:52 remaining on a 3-pointer from junior Brady Christiansen, but the Bears fought back to within three (65-62) with 9:53 left.
But again, Washburn had an answer, going on a 9-2 run, punctuated by a monster dunk from senior Michael Keegan, to go back in front by 10 (74-64) at the 7:53 mark.
"You saw the crowd react,'' Hanna said of Keegan's dunk. "That's the loudest in the gym I think I've ever heard after that dunk and going into the timeout that gave us a lot of energy and a big boost.''
Concordia-St. Paul got no closer than eight the rest of the way and the Ichabods opened up a commanding 94-74 lead with 53 seconds left before closing out the 16-point win.
Washburn shot a blistering 58 percent from the field in the second half while getting a double-double from Hanna with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Jack Bachelor scored 21 points with three treys and five assists in Washburn's 94-78 NCAA regional win over Concordia-St. Paul Sunday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Bachelor scored 21 (3 of 3 3-pointers) with five assists and senior Andrew Orr finished with 16 points with five boards.
Claussen came off the bench to reach double figures for the second straight game, scoring 10 points with five boards and four blocks.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 5-ranked Washburn University Ichabods moved into the NCAA Central Regional semifinals with an 85-57 win over Harding in Lee Arena on Saturday night.
Freshman Dillon Claussen came off the bench to score a game-high 17 points in Washburn's 85-57 NCAA regional win over Harding. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn, now 27-3, will face Concordia St. Paul at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday night.
Washburn opened the game on an 11-2 run, holding Harding scoreless the first 5:08 of the game.
The Ichabods would go on to lead by as many as 18 in the first half with 5:16 left, using a 10-2 spurt to take
a 35-17 lead. Washburn went on to lead at the break, 41-25, after shooting 57 percent from the field.
As in the first half, the Ichabods jumped on the Bison (22-10) with a big run to start the frame as Washburn scored 17 of the first 21 points of the second half, building a lead of 58-30, and would go on to lead by as many as 35 at 85-50 before the Bison scored the final seven points of the game cutting the final margin to 28.
Freshmen Dillon Claussen scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the first half, hitting 6 of 7 shots from the field while adding six boards, which tied for the game-high.
Senior Jacob Hanna scored 13 points in Washburn's 85-57 NCAA regional win over Harding Saturday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Sam Ungashick scored a season-high 13 points in Saturday's 85-57 NCAA regional win over Harding. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Jacob Hanna scored 13 points and junior Sam Ungahick scored a season-high 13 off the bench.
