A senior, Accosta earned second-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County recognition for the second straight season and was named to the All-Centennial League second team as a utility player.
Isaac Ansley, Washburn Rural
ISAAC ANSLEY, Washburn Rural
A senior pitcher, Ansley earned first-team TSN All-Shawnee County recognition last season and was a second-team All-Centennial League pick after helping lead Washburn Rural to a 15-12 record and a Class 6A state tournament berth.
Mason Becker, Hayden
MASON BECKER, Hayden
Becker, a junior, earned second-team TSN All-Shawnee County and Centennial League recognition last season after helping the Wildcat post a 23-1 record.
Axton Brewer, Seaman
AXTON BREWER, Seaman
A junior, Brewer was a TSN All-Shawnee County first-team pick, earned All-United Kansas Conference first-team recognition as a pitcher and designated hitter and was a Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches All-Class 5A first-team honoree at designated hitter and a second-team pitcher.
BRADY DEUTSCH, Hayden
Deutsch, a senior catcher, was a second-team All-Centennial League pick for the league-champion Wildcats, who went 23-1 last season. Deutsch receive All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
Austin Ditch, Washburn Rural
AUSTIN DITCH, Washburn Rural
A senior infielder, Ditch was a first-team TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League pick last spring after helping Washburn Rural post a 15-12 record and advance to the Class 6A state tournament.
TYLER EDMISTON, Washburn Rural
Edmiston, a junior pitcher, was a second-team All-Centennial League and All-Shawnee County selection last season for the 15-12 Junior Blues, who earned a berth in the Class 6A state tournament.
Cambren Floberg, Shawnee Heights
CAMBREN FLOBERG, Shawnee Heights
Floberg, a senior, was named the United Kansas Conference pitcher of the year last season after helping the 21-8 T-Birds advance to the Class 5A state tournament. Floberg received second-team All-Class 5A honors from the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.
CAEL HORGAN, Rossville
A junior, Horgan was a first-team All-Big East pick last spring after helping Rossville advance to the Class 2A-1A state tournament in 2025.
Anderson, a returning Class 5A state medalist, opened his senior track season with a pair of dominating individual wins in Friday's Topeka High Invitational at Hummer Sports Park. Anderson posted a 24-second win in the boys 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 23.82 seconds and posted a 36-second win in the 3,200 in 9:27.73.
Brynn Anderson
BRYNN ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
A freshman multi-sport standout for the Junior Blues, the 6-foot Anderson was voted by Centennial League girls basketball coaches as the league newcomer of the year and a first-team all-league pick. Anderson averaged 14.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals while hitting 41 3-pointers.
Carsyn Broxterman
CARSYN BROXTERMAN, Hayden
Broxterman, a senior soccer standout for Hayden, scored five goals and had an assist in Friday's season-opening 8-0 road victory over Cair Paravel Latin at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. As a junior Broxterman helped lead the Wildcats to a second-place finish in the Class 4A-1A state tournament.
Washburn University baseball coach Harley Douglas was less than pleased after his Ichabods let a late lead get away in Saturday's home 9-8 MIAA loss to Northeastern State and he told his team that in no uncertain terms in a long postgame talk.
Former Seaman standout Maclane Finley is congratulated by his teammates after throwing a scoreless inning in Sunday's 11-2 Washburn win over Northeastern State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And the Ichabods, who committed five errors in Saturday's loss, apparently took Douglas' message to heart, responding with one of their best overall performances of the season on Sunday, rolling to an 11-2 win to take the series over the RiverHawks.
"We kind of had a little bit of a come to Jesus meeting with what happened (Saturday),'' Douglas said. (Northeastern) did a good job and came out and took advantage of our mistakes, but we have to put more into it with what we're trying to do. And I think yesterday put that all into perspective and we told them, 'You need to take a step back and realize what you're doing this for.'
"I think a lot of them did some thinking and realized it was time for us to kind of start trying to focus on each other instead of just ourselves. Anytime you can get a series win in this conference is huge. It's huge for us because it's the first time in a very long time we've put together a complete game. We hit, we pitched, we played defense and it explained to them just how good we can be if we just pay attention to what we're doing and pay attention to details.''
The Ichabods took control with five runs over the first two innings, got solid pitching performances from former Seaman standout Maclane Finley and Blake Priest and played error-free baseball en route to the decisive win.
Washburn, 12-19 overall, 9-10 MIAA, struck first on offense, with Trenton Barry leading off with a walk and scoring on a two-out double into right by Brandt Beeby in the bottom of the first.
After Beeby stole third he came home on the throw down to second on a stolen base by Jack Borgmann to put Washburn up 2-0.
Eli Dean (2) is greeted by his Washburn teammates after scoring a run in Sunday's 11-2 MIAA romp past Northeastern State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In the second inning Eli Dean led off with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly from Barry.
Ian Luce followed with a triple that scored Owen Laessig to make a it 4-0 game and Levi Risenhoover capped off the three-run inning with a double.
After a pair of scoreless innings by Washburn starter Finley, the RiverHawks (11-21, 6-14) got on the board in the third, with a pair of hits scoring a run with no outs.
Northeastern State loaded the bases but Finley was able to escape the jam with a strikeout.
The Ichabods got the run back in the third, with Dean stroking a leadoff single and scoring on a two-out single from Laessig to give Washburn a 6-1 advantage.
The score stayed that way until the sixth inning when Northeastern State scratched out a run on three hits.
In the home half of the sixth Washburn loaded the bases with one out, scoring one run on a double play groundout to go up 7-2.
Priest took over on the mound in the seventh inning and tossed a scoreless frame.
In its next at bat Washburn loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk with one out before Luce singled up the middle to score two runs.
The Ichabods continued to add on to its lead in the eighth as Easton Wasinger and Borgmann slashed singles and Kolby Wheeler followed with a single that scored both runners to make it an 11-2 game.
One of the most frustrating stretches of Brenda Holaday's long and successful coaching career continued Saturday at Gahnstrom Field, with Washburn University softball dropping a 6-0, 11-3 MIAA doubleheader to No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State.
Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais went 3 for 3 in the second game Saturday against No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Saturday's losses extended the Ichabods' losing streak to seven games, with all seven defeats coming against nationally-ranked teams.
But Holaday saw some signs Saturday that Washburn, 24-15 overall and 1-9 in the conference, could be ready to start turning things back around.
"That's what we just talked about,'' Holaday said. "We've been in this kind of rut for about three weeks now and just really having a hard time scoring the runs we need to when we get opportunities and making little mistakes. We were very competitive the first game (Friday, a 4-3 nine-inning loss to No. 11 Missouri Southern) and then when it got away from us we didn't bounce back well at all (in a 9-0 second-game loss).
"But I thought today, given how good Pitt State is, we were much more like ourselves. We were just a little over-matched and some things had to go our way at times that didn't, but we struck the ball batter and the kids had some good at-bats and that's where it starts for us and it's something to build on.''
The Ichabods managed five hits in the opener but were unable to push a run across in the 6-0 loss to the Gorillas, who ended the weekend 34-1 overall and 8-0 in the MIAA.
Washburn threatened early and late but could not find a breakthrough.
Junior Aspen Burgardt throws out a runner Saturday for WU against No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Makenzie Sais led off the first inning with a bunt single, while former Seaman standout Aspen Burgardt ripped a double to right-center in the second.
The Ichabods put runners in scoring position again in the fifth inning when Erin Boles and Maddie McGee posted consecutive singles, but Pittsburg State worked out of the jam each time.
Washburn senior pitcher Sadie Walker went the distance in Saturday's 6-0 first-game loss against No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sadie Walker went the distance in the circle for Washburn, giving up 12 hits and six runs (five earned) while striking out six in seven innings of work.
Walker retired nine of 10 hitters from the fourth through sixth frames.
Pittsburg State opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single before putting the game out of reach with four runs in the third.
The Gorillas took advantage of a leadoff single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch before delivering three straight run-scoring hits.
McGee, Burgardt, Boles, Shawnee Heights product Taylor Brees and Sais each recorded a hit for the Ichabods.
Washburn totaled eight hits and plated three runs in the second game but fell 11–3 to the Gorillas.
The Ichabods showed early fight at the plate and erased a shutout with a run in the third inning and two more in the fifth.
However, Pittsburg State used a series of big innings to pull away and remain unbeaten in conference play.
Sais went 3 for 3 with a run scored and a walk while Danielle Schlader added two hits and drove in a pair of Washburn runs on a two-run single in the fifth. Brees also crossed the plate in the inning.
Washburn broke through in the third when Burgardt reached on an error, allowing Sais to score and cut the Ichabod deficit to 3-1.
The Ichabods mounted their biggest rally in the fifth with two unearned runs, pulling within 8–3.
Jenna Sprague made the pitching start for Washburn and worked 4.2 innings before former Silver Lake standout Kendra Cook finished the game in relief.
Washburn will now hit the road, continuing MIAA play at Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney next Friday and Saturday.
The Ichabods are now entering a stretch of games that will provide the team with an opportunity to get back on track, but Holaday knows WU will have to be at its best to make that happen.
"We probably couldn't have played a tougher opening to the MIAA than we have with five different ranked teams in five outings, but at the same time, some of these other teams have been able to build some confidence with some wins and they're tough, too,'' Holaday said.
"They're all good teams, so that's why it's important we build. We don't have a lot of room for error at this point so we've got to get ourselves back to playing the kind of ball we were playing a few weeks ago in order to give ourselves a chance to get back in the fight.''
RiverHawk baseball evens series with 9-8 comeback win
Washburn baseball battled back from an early deficit to take an 8-6 lead on Saturday at Steve Anson Stadium, but the Ichabods (11-19 overall, 8-10 MIAA) could not hold on late as Northeastern State scored two in the ninth to win 9-8 and even the series.
The series rubber match will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Seaman senior Brody Anderson is coming off an outstanding cross country season last fall, winning his second straight city and United Kansas Conference individual titles and finishing a strong second in Class 5A regional competition to qualify for his third straight state meet.
Seaman senior Brody Anderson posted individual wins in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in Friday's season-opening Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
However, the season didn't end the way the Viking star had envisioned, with Anderson putting himself in position for a state title before collapsing multiple times in the closing stages of the race and struggling to a 33rd-place finish.
But while that was a tough pill to swallow, it also made him even more determined entering his final high school track season, which he opened Friday with dominating victories in the boys 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in the Topeka High Invitational at Hummer Sports Park.
"Rim Rock, my legs gave out for the second time at state, when I was in second, close behind with like 400 (meters) left to go,'' Anderson said. "It was disappointing, obviously, but it just creates more of a drive for me to pick myself back up and that's what running's about, honestly.
"You're going to have the lows, but it's how you pick yourself up from that. For the first couple of weeks it left a sour taste in my mouth but as I kept going I felt stronger in my training and I put together a lot of consistent weeks and that just helped with my mindset.''
Anderson said he couldn't wait to get another season under way on Friday.
"I like to break the rust for sure and the first meet just backs all my training that I've done so I definitely always enjoy the first meet, cross country or track,'' he said. "But this one, being my last track season, is special.''
Anderson opened his day with a 24-second win in the 1,600 meters in a time of 4 minutes, 23.82 seconds and followed that up with a win by more than 36 seconds in the 3,200 in 9:27.73.
Both of those times were within seconds of the Seaman school records, which Anderson will be taking aim on in upcoming meets.
"I'm ready to get them and I'm fit enough to,'' Anderson said. "And when the right day comes it will happen. I'm positive. Coach (Luke) Wiens helps me a lot with that and to have the mindset to let things come natural.''
Other meet highlights:
• Highland Park junior Rayshon Pollard swept the titles in the boys 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 16.02 in the highs and 43.28 in the 300s.
Pollard also finished third in the long jump with a best of 20 feet, 5.50 inches.
Hayden junior Sofia Harper won the girls 200 and 400-meter dashes in Friday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Hayden junior Sofia Harper was a double champion in the girls division, winning the 200-meter dash in 27.00 seconds and the 400 in 62.39 seconds.
• Hayden junior Kelton Meier won the boys javelin championship by more than 49 feet, registering an outstanding throw of 197 feet, 2 inches.
Topeka High senior Adam Humphrey finished first in the boys discus with a throw of 131 feet, 3 inches.
• Hayden junior Alana Mitchell and Topeka High senior Jayana Washington went one-two in the girls long jump, with Mitchell winning the title by just three-quarters of an inch over Washington.
Mitchell jumped 16 feet, 3 inches while Washington had a best of 16-2.25.
Topeka West senior Jayden Lindsey won the 200 and finished second in the 400 in Friday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Topeka West senior Jayden Lindsey won the boys 200-meter dash in 22.50 seconds and finished second in the 400 in 52.40 seconds.
• Highland Park senior Jurnee Cole finished second in the girls 100-meter dash (12.72) and 200 (27.34) and third in the 400 (66.88).
• Topeka High freshman Marchayla White won the girls 100-meter hurdles (17.97) while Seaman sophomore Avery Villines won the 300 hurdles (58.40).
Hayden junior Brynn Spencer (5) posted second-place finishes in the girls 1,600 and 3,200 in Friday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Seaman junior Gage Geiger won the boys 800 meters (2:12.42) while Brynn Spencer finished second in the girls 1,600 meters (5:34.34) and the 3,200 (11:52.82).
Seaman senior Brody Anderson posted individual wins in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in Friday's season-opening Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden junior Sofia Harper won the girls 200 and 400-meter dashes in Friday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West senior Jayden Lindsey won the 200 and finished second in the 400 in Friday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden junior Brynn Spencer (5) posted second-place finishes in the girls 1,600 and 3,200 in Friday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
