TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State returns to Thomas C. Rousey Field this weekend to host Washburn for a three-game MIAA series.  

Field conditions permitting, first pitch on Saturday and Sunday will be at 2 p.m., with the series finale on Monday at noon.

The Ichabods (15-4, 6-0 MIAA) come to Tahlequah on an eight-game winning streak, with MIAA sweeps over Fort Hays State and Newman.   Three of the four setbacks this season for Washburn came in the season's opening weekend in Florida.

Washburn leads the MIAA with 212 hits, 51 doubles, and 12 sacrifice bunts. Connor Scott is eighth nationally with nine doubles, and Parker Dunn has been named MIAA Hitter of the Week twice this year.  Dunn has hit seven homers and is ranked fourth in the MIAA with 26 RBI.  Cal Watkins has dropped six sac bunts, fourth-most in the nation. 

Northeastern State (13-6, 3-3 MIAA) heads into this weekend's series batting an MIAA best .333, good for 16th best in the nation.  They are tied with Washburn with 212 hits and ranked 13th nationally with 48 stolen bags.  Blake Freeman and C.D. White have 33 hits, ninth-most in the nation, and Brock Reller is ninth nationally with 29 RBI.  Matt Kaiser has six homers, five of them coming in the previous eight games.  The NSU pitching staff is third in the MIAA, holding a 4.83 earned run average. 

The RiverHawks lead the all-time series 16-12 and are 8-2 at home when facing Washburn.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this will be the first time NSU will host the Ichabods since 2018.  

Following the series with Washburn, NSU will travel down the I-44 turnpike to face Central Oklahoma for a mid-week MIAA game on Tuesday.