The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will host a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III baseball regional, beginning Thursday, May 19 at Prucha Field on the UW-Whitewater campus. The teams competing include top seeded UW-Stevens Point (35-9), the host team and second seed UW-Whitewater (38-6), number three seed the University of Saint Thomas (30-10), and the College of Saint Scholastica (35-5-1), the fourth seed.
The schedule of games for the regional, played in double elimination format, follows.
Thursday, May 19
Game One 11:00 am Whitewater vs. Saint Thomas
Game Two 2:30 pm Stevens Point vs. Saint Scholastica
Friday, May 20
Game Three 11:00 am loser of Game #1 vs. loser of Game #2
Game Four 2:30 pm winner of Game #1 vs. winner of Game #2
Saturday, May 21
Game Five 11:00 am winner of Game #3 vs. loser of Game #4
Game Six 2:30 pm winner of Game #4 vs. winner of Game #5
Sunday, May 22
Game Seven 12:00 pm if necessary, same teams as game #6
Tickets for the regional are $6 for adults, and $3 for students and youth. There are no advance ticket sales, and tickets are good for both games on a day. There are also no reserved seats. Fans are encouraged to bring folding chairs or blankets for seating.
The winner of the Whitewater regional will join seven other regional winners at the NCAA III World Series, played at the Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute (Appleton), Wisconsin May 27-31. A total of 42 teams are competing in the NCAA III baseball championship tournament.
College of Saint Scholastica
Location: Duluth, MN
Enrollment: 2,000
Nickname: Saints
Head Coach: John Baggs (218) 723-6298
Sports Information Director: John Baggs (218)723-6298
2005 Record: 35-5-1
Qualifying Procedure: received at large berth
ABCA Poll: twenty-sixth
NCAA Appearances: this is Saint Scholastica's second
Saint Scholastica baseball web site: http://www.css.edu/depts/athletics/mbaseball
This Year Vs. Other Regional Participants: 2-1 in three games with Saint Scholastica, has not played UW-Whitewater, and has not played UW-Stevens Point
St. Scholastica Notes
The Saints received an at-large berth because the Upper Midwest Conference does not have an automatic qualifier. Saint Scholastica won the UMC regular season title and postseason tourney. The enter NCAA play with a seven game win streak CSS ranks second in Division III in scoring, behind only UW-Whitewater, averaging 10.3 runs per game. CSS is batting .357 as a team, led by freshman outfielder Steve Kruashaar at .422. Sophomore Daryl Fuchihara, who plays first base and in the outfield, leads the team with 6 home runs and 35 runs batted in. Sophomore outfielder Chad Weiss has stolen 21 bases, and been caught just once, while batting .370. Frosh Blake Eiler is 11th in Division III in earned run average, 1.31, and 26th in strikeouts, 10.6 per nine innings. Eiler also leads his team's pitchers with an 8-2 mark, but senior Joey Calaguire is 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA, junior Ben Grams is 5-1 with a 1.54 ERA, and sophomore Keith Ritsche is also 5-1. Mark Moriarity, a sophomore, is unbeaten at 5-0. The Saints' staff has the second best ERA in Division III, 1.90.
University of Saint Thomas
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Enrollment: 10,900
Nickname: Tommies
Head Coach: Dennis Denning
Sports Information Director: Gene McGivern
2005 Record: 30-10
Qualifying Procedure: won Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference automatic berth by winning the MIAC title
ABCA Poll: nineteenth
NCAA Appearances: this is Saint Thomas' eleventh
Saint Thomas baseball web site: http://www.stthomas.edu/tommies/bsbl
This Year Vs. Other Regional Participants: lost to UW-Whitewater 3-2 March 22 in Florida, went 2-1 with Saint Scholastica, has not played UW-Stevens Point
Saint Thomas Notes
Saint Thomas was one game away from the NCAA III World Series in 2004, losing 7-4 to UW-Whitewater in the regional title game. The Tommies' offense is led by senior outfielder Erik Maursetter (.424), pitcher Chris Bullis (.409) and first baseman Jake Schraufnagel (.400). Senior outfielder Brett Olson has swiped 33 bases, and UST has seven players with 20 or more runs batted in. Senior righthander Brian Krause led the hurlers with a 9-3 record, 2.07 ERA, and 51 strikeouts compared to 11 walks. Will Montgomery, 4-0, 3.13 ERA, and Chris Bullis adds a 4-0 mark to his batting accomplishments. UST enters NCAA play with a six-game win streak, including the title of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
UW-Stevens Point
Location: Stevens Point, WI
Enrollment: 8,201
Nickname: Pointers
Head Coach: Pat Bloom (715) 346-4412
Sports Information Director: Jim Strick (715) 346-2840
2005 Record: 35-9
Qualifying Procedure: won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference automatic berth by winning the WIAC title
ABCA Poll: tenth
NCAA Appearances: this is Stevens Point's seventh
Stevens Point baseball web site: http://www.uwsp.edu/athletics/baseball/index.htm
This Year Vs. Other Regional Participants: Leads season series with UW-Whitewater 4-3, has not played St. Thomas, has not played Saint Scholastica
Stevens Point Notes
UW-W, both the baseball team and its fans, are familiar with the Pointers, having faced each other seven times this season. The Pointers are fourth in Division III scoring at 10.0 runs per game. Designated hitter is an appropriate position for senior Steve Wiczek, since he is eighth in Division III with a .468 average, and is also ninth in home runs (16), fifth in slugging percentage (.857), and twentieth in runs scored. Outfielder Chuck Brehm is batting .399 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI's, and senior first baseman Ryan Jones is tied with Wiczek with 16 homers while contributing 53 runs batted. The Pointer pitching staff is led by senior lefthander J.C. Reinke (6-2, 2.82), but Reinke has plenty of help with a dozen other pitchers appearing in at least six games. Senior righthander Kevin Pankow is among Division III leaders with seven saves in fifteen appearances. The Pointers are just 3-3 in their last six games, but won three of four to win the WIAC tournament.
UW-Whitewater
Location: Whitewater, WI
Enrollment: 10,500
Nickname: Warhawks
Head Coach: John Vodenlich (262) 472-1420
Sports Information Director: Tom Fick (262) 472-1147
2005 Record: 38-6
Qualifying Procedure: received at large berth
ABCA Poll: First
NCAA Appearances: this is Whitewater's tenth
Whitewater baseball web site: http://www.uww.edu/athletics/mbaseball/index.cfm
This Year Vs. Other Regional Participants: trails Stevens Point in 4-3 in season series, defeated Saint Thomas 3-2 March 22 in Florida, has not played Saint Scholastica
Whitewater Notes
UW-Whitewater won the 2005 WIAC championship, determined by regular season play, and earned an at-large berth in the NCAA III tourney after finishing second in the WIAC Tournament last weekend. The Warhawks are the number one scoring team in Division III, and also hold the highest team batting average, .377. Junior Eddie Adamson (Wheaton, IL/Warrensville), the team's DH, leads UW-W with 65 RBI's while batting .451. Senior leftfielder Dan Gnatzig (Whitewater/Whitewater) is hitting .411, and senior centerfielder Aaron Soto (Greendale/Greendale) is at .407. Shortstop Ryan Klawitter leads UW-W with 12 home runs, while also batting .396 with 57 runs batted in. The Warhawks have seven regulars hitting above .350. Lefty Kevin Tomasiewicz (Sleepy Hollow, IL/Dundee Crown) (12-1, 2.76 ERA) and righthander Greg Reinhard (Marinette/Marinette) (9-0, 1.33 ERA, 120 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 81.1 innings) have been the pitching staff leaders. Tomasiewicz is the UW-W and WIAC recordholder for wins in a season, and Reinhard owns the school and league record for strikeouts in a season. Andrew Keller (Milwaukee/WI Lutheran) (6-2) has been the number three starter all season. The Warhawks are one win away from tying the school record for victories, set in 2004 with 39.
