Related Links:
WIAC Championship website
Printable Bracket
WIAC Statistics

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team will head to Gelein Field in Eau Claire this Friday through Sunday to defend their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship title. The Warhawks have won the championship in each of the last three seasons and seven times in its 30 year history. The host institution, UW-Eau Claire, has the second most championship titles with six.
 
The Warhawks, 24-12 overall and 8-5 in league play, claimed the fourth seed in the five team tournament and will face fifth-seeded UW-Stout in their first game on Friday at 10 am. The winner will advance to play top-seeded UW-Eau Claire later in the day at 2 pm. Due to the double-elimination format, the losing team will play again at 4 pm against either UW-Oshkosh or UW-La Crosse.
 
The winner of the tournament will receive the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III tournament.
 
Less than a month ago the Blue Devils visited van Steendreen Complex in Whitewater and split a doubleheader with the Warhawks. UW-W lost game one 6-2 and won game two 9-8. Stout will enter the tournament with an overall record of 17-19 and a league tally of 6-8.
 
Last season the Warhawks faced Stout in a first round game falling to the Blue Devils 9-5 before going on to win their next four games and capture the tournament crown and the league's NCAA DIII automatic bid.
 
This season the Warhawks are led by sophomore Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) who is tops on the team in batting average (.390), runs (37), hits (46), and triples (3). Klotz has started every game this season in left field and has led off the batting order in all but one game.
 
Freshman Caitlin Catino (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) has also done some damage at the plate. Catino has notched 27 runs, 3 triples and 4 homeruns in her first season. She is the everyday centerfielder and typically bats behind Klotz in the order.
 
Third in the lineup on most days is Emily Rux (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley), another freshman, who plays shortstop. Rux leads the team in RBIs (35).
 
Rounding out a powerful top of the order is Amy Ricci (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township), the Warhawks' junior first baseman. Ricci is hitting .358 and has belted 3 homers to go along with 33 RBIs.
 
In the circle the Warhawks rely on Julia Camardo (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) to get the job done. Camardo, a freshman, is 14-4 this season with a 2.26 ERA and 131 strikeouts. She's pitched over 120 innings and has earned one save.
 
The Warhawks will look to the top of the order for an early lead and rely on Camardo to keep the opponents' bats at bay. UW-W is 13-1 this season when leading after the first inning.

A statistical comparison of participating teams is below (conference games only):

Seed/Team	Avg.	Runs	Hits	2B	3B	HR	BB	ERA	E
#1 UW-Eau Claire	.314	74	120	25	3	3	30	1.82	16
#2 UW-Oshkosh	.314	75	116	16	4	7	36	1.06	20
#3 UW-La Crosse	.277	62	108	15	3	3	21	1.76	12
#4 UW-Whitewater	.305	71	110	17	3	15	31	3.34	13
#5 UW-Stout	.251	49	93	7	1	9	26	4.17	19

*leader in BOLD