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The No. 9 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team is set to host No. 12 UW-Stevens Point this Friday and Saturday for the NCAA Whitewater Super Regional at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
 
The best-of-three series will begin Friday at 12 p.m. and continue Saturday at 11 a.m. If the teams split the first two games, a third and decisive contest will be played approximately 45 minutes following the conclusion of Saturday's opener.
 
The winner of the Super Regional earns a berth in the 2022 NCAA Baseball Championship, which is set for June 3-8 at Veterans Memorial Stadium's Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
Tickets for the Super Regional cost $10 per day for adults and $8 per day for seniors, students and youth above the age of 2 and can be purchased at the stadium upon arrival. All games will be streamed live online.
 
The Warhawks (36-9 overall) won the NCAA Whitewater Regional last weekend with a 3-1 record, including a 12-8 triumph against No. 20 Aurora (Ill.) in the regional title game. The Pointers (38-8) claimed the NCAA Stevens Point Regional championship with three straight victories in elimination games, including a 21-8 win in the regional final.
 
UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point met four times at Miller Stadium during the regular season. The two teams split the first doubleheader on March 28 before the Warhawks claimed both games on April 26. Three of the four games were decided by four runs or fewer.
 
How UW-Whitewater Got Here
 
The Warhawks earned a Pool C, or at-large, bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship for the fifth straight season and 21st time in program history with a 25-3 league record, including 18 straight wins to close the regular season. This year's NCAA field includes 41 automatic (Pool A) qualifiers, one independent (Pool B) selection and 18 at-large (Pool C) qualifiers.
 
Warhawks in the Rankings
 
UW-Whitewater is among the nation's top 10 in both national polls. UW-W entered the tournament at No. 7 in the Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association NCAA Division III Poll and No. 9 in the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25.
 
The Warhawks stayed at No. 1 in Region IX according to the final NCAA Regional Rankings of the 2022 season.
 
UW-Whitewater in the NCAA Tournament
 
The Warhawks are in the midst of their 14th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 24th appearance in program history. UW-W is 75-46 (.620 winning percentage) all time in the national tournament as an NCAA Division III member.
 
UW-Whitewater has made seven appearances in the NCAA Division III World Series – 1989, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2016. The Warhawks also reached the World Series as a member of the NAIA in 1965.
 
UW-W earned its first national championship in 2005 as it started the season with a 19-0 record on its way to a school-record 45 wins. The Warhawks won the WIAC regular season title and capped a 7-1 run through the NCAA Tournament with a 10-4 victory against SUNY Cortland in the national championship game.
 
In 2014, the Warhawks swept the WIAC regular season and tournament championships and posted a perfect 8-0 mark in the NCAA Tournament, including a 7-0 win against Emory (Ga.) in the national title game.
 
Head Coach John Vodenlich
 
John Vodenlich is in his 18th season (19th year) at the helm of the program. He has led the Warhawks to 14 WIAC regular season championships, six conference tournament titles and 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including six trips to the Division III World Series and national championships in 2005 and 2014.
 
Vodenlich is a two-time National Coach of the Year, six-time Regional Coach of the Year and 10-time WIAC Coach of the Year. He entered the 2021 season ranked fourth among active Division III coaches in winning percentage and 29th in wins, and 14th all time in Division III history in winning percentage.
 
Vodenlich enters the NCAA Super Regional with a career record of 682-242-1 (.738).
 
Warhawks Top NCAA Division III in 2018-22 Win Percentage
 
According to a report from College Baseball Insights, the Warhawks are No. 1 in NCAA Division III in win percentage from 2018-22 entering the NCAA Super Regional round. UW-W's 146-37 record (.798 win pct.) over the last five seasons tops an impressive list that includes Salisbury, Webster, Rowan, Trinity (Texas), Aurora, Chapman, Washington and Jefferson, Mitchell and Randolph-Macon. The Warhawks are 90-14 in WIAC play (.865) over that span.
 
Korman Breaks Out at NCAA Regional
 
For the second straight year, Matt Korman (Waterford, Wis./Waterford Union) enjoyed a standout performance at the NCAA Regional. The third baseman finished 9-for-16 (.563 BA) at the plate with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, six runs scored and seven runs batted in at last week's NCAA Whitewater Regional. He also saved his best for the NCAA Tournament in 2021, batting 8-for-17 (.471 BA) with three doubles, one homer, seven runs scored and nine RBIs.
 
Lancour Shines in Regional Debut
 
Pitching for the first time in the NCAA Tournament in his career, Kade Lancour (Nekoosa, Wis./Nekoosa) turned in a strong performance against one of the nation's top offenses. He scattered five hits over seven innings during the Warhawks' 8-4 victory against Aurora (Ill.) on May 21. With the win, Lancour improved to 9-0 for the season. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 starts this season.
 
Warhawks Among Nation's Best in Statistical Categories
 
UW-Whitewater ranks among the top 30 in the nation in 10 statistical categories. The team is 10th in win-loss percentage (.800).
 
Offensively, the Warhawks are 27th in hits with 504 for the season and are 10th in stolen bases with 119, including 2.64 per game (22nd). UW-W's pitching staff is among the top 25 in earned run average (3.84, 17th), shutouts (5, 23rd), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.63, 3rd), strikeouts per nine innings (10.3, 8th), WHIP (1.30, 19th) and walks allowed per nine innings (2.85, 12th).
 
Individually, Westin Muir (Highlands Ranch, Colo./St. Charles North (Ill.)) is sixth in pitching wins (10) and 22nd in games started), and Cade Berendt (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) is 11th with 24 pitching appearances.
 
Scouting UW-Stevens Point
 
UW-Stevens Point claimed the WIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with three straight wins at the conference tournament. The Pointers split their first two regional games before closing with three straight wins, including a 21-8 triumph in the championship game.
 
Lucas Luedtke and Aaron Simmons are the team's top two run producers. Luedtke is hitting .379 with 11 home runs and 55 runs batted in entering the weekend, while Simmons is batting .375 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs. UW-Stevens Point has scored 10 or more runs in each of its last seven wins.
 
Caleb Krommenakker leads the pitching staff with a 7-2 record and a 3.45 earned run average over 62 2/3 innings. Sidney Ferry leads the bullpen with a 5-0 record, six saves, a 1.99 ERA and 41 strikeouts over 31 2/3 innings.