By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball will host MIAA foe Fort Hays State for three games this weekend, beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. in Little League Weekend at Falley Field.
Payton McHarg leads Washburn with 18 home runs and 47 RBI entering a weekend series against Fort Hays State at Falley Field. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Last time out the Ichabods won 12-7 over Northwest Missouri State on Tuesday afternoon at home to wrap up the season series with the Bearcats.
Washburn is now 20-16 overall on the year and 14-10 in the MIAA. The Ichabods are 10-5 at Falley Field, 9-11 on the road and 1-0 in neutral field games.
Fort Hays State enters the weekend with a 21-17 overall record and a 9-15 mark in the MIAA after falling 12-5 to Newman on the road on Tuesday afternoon.
Through 35 games Washburn is scoring 9.56 runs per game while allowing 7.69.
At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .328 with a .424 on base percentage and are slugging .592 as a team. They have 74 home runs and have drawn 185 walks.
Washburn's pitching staff has an earned run average of 7.45 this season.
The Ichabods are second in the nation in home runs per game with an average of 2.06 balls each game.
In overall long balls the Ichabods are second in the nation with 74 blasts.
The Ichabods are tied for fourth in the nation and are first in the conference in doubles with 96.
Payton McHarg has started and played in all 36 games for the Ichabods, hitting .362 with a team-high 18 home runs and 47 runs batted in. He has scored 50 runs and has 51 total hits.
McHarg leads the nation in home runs, is second on total bases, ninth in slugging and 26th in RBI.
Cash Jay leads the team with a .382 average in 34 games and 33 starts. He has a team-high 17 doubles. He also has 12 home runs and has driven in 46 runs. He is fourth in the nation in doubles, 23rd in home runs, 30th in slugging and ranks inside the top 10 of the conference in all three categories.
Jett Buck is hitting third on the team at .359 in 33 appearances and 32 starts this season. He has 47 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and five stolen bases. He is eighth in the conference in home runs, 11th in doubles and 12th in slugging.
Seventeen players have taken the mound this season for Washburn.
Cooper Carlgren leads the Ichabods with 46 innings across 10 starts this season. He has a 6.46 ERA and a 3-2 record along with a team-high 48 strikeouts. Hitters have only a .244 batting average against him. Carlgren is eighth in the MIAA in strikeouts.
Chase Torkelson has thrown 42.2 innings across 10 starts this season with a 4-0 record for the most wins on the squad. He has a 7.38 ERA, has struck out 31 batters and walked 25 hitters.
This weekend's series will be games 186-188 all-time between Fort Hays State and Washburn,with the Tigers leading the series, 101-88.
Washburn swept the three game series between the two teams last season, winning 13-7, 9-2 and 4-1. The Ichabods have won the last six matchups in the series.
Washburn takes a break from conference play for a midweek game with Rockhurst on the road on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Senior Day for the Ichabods will be on Sunday, April 21, against Central Oklahoma.
The MIAA Tournament first round will begin on campus sites on Friday, May 3, and run until May 5 if needed.
