May 16, 2022

Washburn earns first NCAA Tournament berth in program history

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2022 Washburn Ichabods made program history as it became the first-ever team in school history to be selected to compete in the NCAA Division II tournament.

The Ichabods are tabbed as the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Central Region and will face the host team No. 2 seed Southern Arkansas on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Magnolia, Ark.

The Ichabods, who were picked sixth in the Mid-America Conference preseason poll, are 33-20 overall this year and went 4-2 in the MIAA Tournament over the past two weeks with Braden Babcock (Oshawa, Ont.) gaining two wins. The Ichabods secured wins against Central Oklahoma, No. 3 Central Missouri, and Northeastern State. Washburn reached the MIAA Tournament championship for the first time since 2000.

The Central Region is comprised of teams from the MIAA, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and Great American Conference. The top-two seeds in the region host a four team sub region double-elimination bracket. Southern Arkansas hosts the second sub region with Washburn as well as No. 3 Henderson State and No. 6 Northeastern State.

Central Missouri is the No. 1 seed and will take on the No. 8 seed Ouachita Baptist in Warrensburg, Mo. The first subregion will also have No. 4 seed Minnesota State and No. 5 Augustana in the bracket.

Four Canucks will be in the tourney ...

Central Sub Regional #1

Hosted by Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo.

1. Central Missouri (43-7)

4. Minnesota State (39-7)

5. Augustana (44-10-1)

8. Ouachita Baptist (32-22)

Central Sub Regional #2

Hosted by Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, Ark.

2. Southern Arkansas (41-11)

With INF Brandon Nicoll (Langley, BC) and RHP Jack Liddell (Mississauga, Ont.)

3. Henderson State (38-15)

With C Jacob Carroll (Rawdon, Que.)

6. Northeastern State (37-16)

7. Washburn (33-20)

With LHP Braden Babcock (Oshawa, Ont.)

* * *

No. 5 seed Washburn battled with top seed and No. 3-nationally ranked Central Missouri for 19 innings and nearly nine hours between two games in the MIAA Tournament’s championship Saturday, but Washburn saw its lead slip away late in the championship game and fell in a nearly five-hour, 10 inning contest to the Mules by the score of 16-13 to force the “if necessary” game in the double elimination bracket. The Mules came away with a 10-5 win in the night cap to claim their fourth-consecutive MIAA Tournament title.

Game 1, Saturday (Central Missouri 16, Washburn 13 – 10 innings)

After the Ichabods went scoreless in the bottom of the eighth, Babcock took over on the mound in the ninth and kept it a one run game. The inning ended when Bay caught a runner trying to steal second.

The Ichabods continued to fight back, though, as Clark-Chiapparelli started the ninth with a double down the left field line and scored the tying run on Bruce’s single to center. A ground out and a strikeout ended the rally and sent the game to extra innings.

Central Missouri loaded up the bases with one out in the 10th after three walks, one of which was intentional. Washburn went down in order in the bottom of the 10th and the conference tournament would be extended one more game.

Washburn led in hits, 17-12, and every Ichabod in the lineup had at least one hit. Washburn also had four doubles and three home runs on the afternoon.

Game 2, championship (Central Missouri 10, Washburn 5)

Game 1, Quarter-finals

(Best-of-three)

Washburn 6, Central Oklahoma 2

After the Bronchos (29-21) went down in order in the first inning, they benefited from some free passes in the second inning and loaded up the bases with a walk and back-to-back hit by pitches. A third hit batter of the inning brought in the first run of the game. Babcock took over on the mound and got out of the inning with a strikeout and fielder’s choice to mitigate any more damage.

Babcock earned the win pitching 4 2/3 innings in relief and allowed one unearned run on three hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.

Game 2

Washburn 7, Central Oklahoma 5

2B Garrett Takamatsu (Burlington, Ont.) was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for the Bronchos, while SS Jaden Parsons (Vernon, BC) singled in four trips.

Washburn 15, Central Missouri 13

Washburn 8, Northeastern State 5

Babcock took over on the mound with one out in the fourth and retired nine batters in a row, including striking out the side in the sixth.

He picked up the win to move to 2-0 as he allowed two runs on three hits in 3 2/3 innings of work while striking out a season-high six batters.

* * *

In nine games this season, Babcock is 2-0 with a 3.57 ERA walking six and striking out 19 in 17 2/3 innings, limiting opposing hitters to a .231 average.