By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball hits the road Friday for a 2 p.m. MIAA doubleheader against No. 17-ranked Central Oklahoma.
The Ichabods enter the weekend 24-9 overall after going 1-3 in their opening MIAA action last weekend after being swept by Northeastern State last Friday and splitting a twinbill with No. 18-ranked Rogers State on Saturday.
Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais leads the nation in stolen bases entering Friday's twinbill at Central Oklahoma. [File photo/TSN]
Sophomore Makenzie Sais became the Ichabods' single-season leader in stolen bases earlier this season and enters the weekend with a nation-best 55 steals, 25 ahead of the No. 2-ranked player on the chart.
The MIAA single-season record is 65 by Becca Alt from Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) set in 1997. Sais' 55 stolen bases are second on the MIAA top-10 single-season chart.
Sais' 72 career stolen bases at Washburn trail Torrie Beauchamp's 87 steals from 1996-1999 and Marrit Mead's 96 from 2021-24.
Sais is also eighth in the nation in hits with 44 and 13th in runs scored with 33.
WU's Dalaney Anderson is 10th in the nation with 40 RBI and she is 18th in home runs with eight.
Seaman product Aspen Burgardt is 28th in runs scored with 30 and she is 40th in the nation in home runs with seven.
Pitcher Sadie Walker is third in the nation in shutouts with five and she is ninth in strikeouts with 96.
As a team the Ichabods are ranked fifth in the NCAA with 59 doubles while also ranking seventh in hits (283), eighth in RBI (189), 11th in shutouts (7), ninth in stolen bases per game (2.85), second in stolen bases (94), second in walks (141) and seventh in total runs (212).
Central Oklahoma is 22-5 and has won its last four games going into the weekend. Friday's doubleheader against the Ichabods will be the Bronchos' first two MIAA games of the season.
Brooklyn Ryan leads UCO with a .402 batting average, leading the team with 35 hits.
Shelby Beard is 11-3 in the pitcher's circle with a 2.87 ERA in 19 appearances and Carleigh Kinnaird is 10-1 with a 3.56 ERA.
The Ichabods return to Gahnstrom Field next weekend, hosting Missouri Southern on March 27 and Pittsburg State on March 28 in MIAA doubleheaders.
