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Titans Unable To
Land Berth In
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| Despite
posting 35 victories, a count that was bested by
just five other teams in the country, the
UW-Oshkosh baseball team will be a spectator for
the 2004 NCAA Division III Championship after
failing to receive one of the 42 invitations to
the post-season tournament on Sunday (May 16). UW-Oshkosh (35-9) was hoping to land one of the three at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Championship, but those selections went to Carthage College (34-9), George Fox University (31-9) and State University of New York-Cortland (28-14). The at-large bids were available to teams who were unable to capture their conference's automatic qualifier. Teams selected to the NCAA Division III Championship that had more victories than UW-Oshkosh were Emory University (40-4), Johns Hopkins University (37-2), Rowan University (36-6) and the University of St. Thomas (36-6). Rose Hulman Institute compiled a 36-8 record, but like the Titans, failed to receive an at-large bid. Teams selected to the NCAA Division III Championship that matched UW-Oshkosh's victory total were Eastern Connecticut State University (35-9), The College of Wooster (35-8) and Trinity University (35-8). All other teams in the NCAA Division III had 34 or fewer wins. UW-Oshkosh's 2004 record marked the sixth time in seven years that it registered both 27-plus wins and single digit losses in the same season. In addition to this year's 35-9 mark, the Titans went 37-8 in 2003, 29-9 in 2001, 27-8 in 2000, 34-4 in 1999 and 41-5 in 1998. Regionally, UW-Whitewater (34-7) will host an event this weekend (May 20-23) that features the University of St. Thomas, Concordia University (20-16) and Ripon College (23-12). The winner of that regional tournament, which is being held outside of Oshkosh for the first time in 23 years, will join seven other teams at the NCAA Division III World Series on May 28-June 1 at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. The NCAA Division III World Series is co-hosted by UW-Oshkosh and Lawrence University. The Titans finished fifth at the NCAA Division III World Series last year. Titans
Fall Short In Hunt For
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A pair of losses to regular season champion UW-Whitewater, one on each day, eliminated UW-Oshkosh from the WIAC Baseball Tournament held Saturday and Sunday (May 15-16) in Whitewater. UW-Oshkosh (35-9) went 2-2 in the double-elimination event to finish second. The Titans had victories of 7-0 on Saturday and 5-3 on Sunday over UW-Stevens Point and losses of 12-1 on Saturday and 9-6 on Sunday to UW-Whitewater. UW-Whitewater (34-7) went unbeaten in the tournament to receive the WIAC's automatic bid to the 42-team NCAA Division III Championship. UW-Oshkosh opened WIAC Tournament play with a 7-0 win over UW-Stevens Point. UW-Oshkosh pitcher Jordan Timm (Sr. Pine River) dominated UW-Stevens Point hitters by allowing just four hits. Timm (7-4), who retired 20 of the last 22 batters he faced, struck out 14 batters in the game and walked one. Timm's 14 strikeouts increased his career total to 283, a WIAC record. UW-Oshkosh scored four runs in the second inning and two in the third to take control of the game and give Titans' head coach Tom Lechnir his school-record 502nd career win. Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee) gave UW-Oshkosh a 3-0 lead with a three-run home run in the second inning. David Young (Jr. Greenfield) pushed the Titans' lead to 6-0 with a two-run home run in the third inning. Lechnir and Young both had two hits and three runs batted in to lead UW-Oshkosh. In a winner's bracket game, UW-Whitewater scored runs in all six of its at bats to defeat UW-Oshkosh in seven innings, 12-1. The Warhawks banged out 18 hits off four UW-Oshkosh pitchers, with the Titans' Ben Huffman (Jr. Mequon) taking the pitching loss after lasting just three inningsas the starter. Ryan Callahan, Aaron Guilbault and Steve Jilot each had three hits for the Warhawks, with Jilot belting a pair of home runs and Guilbault one. Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville) had two of UW-Oshkosh's four hits in the game. Facing the brink of elimination, UW-Oshkosh rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat UW-Stevens Point (25-16), 5-3. The Pointers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning before UW-Oshkosh scored three times in the bottom half of the frame to take the advantage for good. All of UW-Oshkosh's runs in the third inning scored on a double by Josh Shere (So. Janesville). UW-Oshkosh closed its scoring on Lechnir solo home runs in the fifth and seventh innings. Lechnir and Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee) led UW-Oshkosh with two hits each. Jon Ganzen (Fr. Appleton) picked up the pitching win and Jim Ziegler (So. Eden) the save for UW-Oshkosh against UW-Stevens Point. Ganzen (6-0) allowed just six hits in five innings as the starter, while Ziegler allowed only one hit over the final four innings. Matt Peetz and Matt Peterson combined for six of UW-Stevens Point's seven hits in the game. UW-Whitewater ended UW-Oshkosh's bid to win the WIAC Tournament by defeating the Titans, 9-6. UW-Oshkosh, aided by a three-run home run by Shere, took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. But, the Warhawks quickly erased their deficit by scoring five times in the bottom half of the inning, including twice on a home run by Brady Endl. UW-Whitewater increased its lead to 8-4 before the Titans' Lechnir belted a solo home run in the fifth inning. The Titans also received a solo home run from Shere in the eighth inning. Shere had three of UW-Oshkosh's 10 hits in the game. UW-Whitewater totaled 15 hits off four UW-Oshkosh pitchers, including five off starter Ryan Hermus (Jr. Combined Locks) in just two-thirds of an inning. |
The WIAC Baseball Tournament had all four of its games scheduled for Friday (May 14) in Whitewater postponed due to rain. The double-elimination event now features four games on Saturday (May 15) and a possible three games on Sunday (May 16).
Second-seed UW-Oshkosh (33-7) and third-seed UW-Stevens Point (24-14) will now play their first round game on Saturday at 1 p.m. at UW-Whitewater's Prucha Field. Top-seed UW-Whitewater (31-7) and fourth-seed UW-La Crosse (16-23) will open the tournament at 10 a.m. at Prucha Field. The first round winners will play at 4 p.m. at Prucha Field, while the first round losers will play an elimination game at 7 p.m. in Jefferson.
Sunday's games will be played at Prucha Field, starting with an elimination game at 10 a.m. and the championship game at 1 p.m. A possible second championship game will be held at 4 p.m. if necessary. The winner of the WIAC Tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
UW-Oshkosh, ranked 13th in the NCAA Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association, owns a league-best 37-11 record in WIAC post-season play. UW-Whitewater, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III, is 5-7 in WIAC Tournament action, while UW-Stevens Point is 13-6 and UW-La Crosse is 5-14.
Regional selections to the 42-team NCAA Division III Championship will be announced on Monday (May 17).
UW-Whitewater (31-7) is the top seed and UW-Oshkosh (33-7) the second for the WIAC Baseball Tournament that will be held Friday-Sunday (May 14-16) in Whitewater.
UW-Oshkosh begins action in the double-elimination event at 3 p.m. on Friday when it plays third-seed UW-Stevens Point (24-14) at UW-Whitewater's Prucha Field. At noon on Friday, UW-Whitewater meets fourth-seed UW-La Crosse (16-23). The two opening round losers battle at 10 a.m. on Saturday, while the two opening round winners clash at 1 p.m. on Saturday. A third game will be played on Saturday at 4 p.m. involving the winner of Saturday's 10 a.m. contest and the loser of Saturday's 1 p.m. game.
The tournament concludes at noon on Sunday with the championship game. If necessary, a second championship contest will be played Sunday at 3 p.m. The winner of the WIAC Tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
UW-Oshkosh, ranked 13th in the NCAA Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association, owns a league-best 37-11 record in WIAC post-season play. UW-Whitewater, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III, is 5-7 in WIAC Tournament action, while UW-Stevens Point is 13-6 and UW-La Crosse is 5-14.
Regional selections to the 42-team NCAA Division III Championship will be announced on Monday (May 17).
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team concluded its 40-game regular season schedule by splitting a doubleheader with UW-La Crosse on Saturday (May 8) in La Crosse. UW-Oshkosh (33-7/18-6 WIAC) won the opener by a 7-1 score, while UW-La Crosse (16-23/10-14 WIAC) took the nightcap by a 7-4 count. UW-La Crosse's victory in the second game clinched a spot for the Eagles in next weekend's WIAC Tournament in Whitewater. The 2004 WIAC Tournament begins Friday (May 14) with second-seed UW-Oshkosh playing third-seed UW-Stevens Point and top-seed UW-Whitewater playing fourth-seed UW-La Crosse. The double-elimination event, which sends the winner to the NCAA Division III Championship, concludes on Saturday (May 15). UW-Oshkosh's pitching overwhelmed UW-La Crosse's hitters in the opener as the Eagles managed just three hits off Titan hurlers Jon Ganzen (Fr. Appleton) and Jim Ziegler (So. Eden). Ganzen (5-0) started on the mound for UW-Oshkosh and allowed just one run and two hits in six and one-third innings. Ganzen faced just 23 batters, four over the minimum. Ziegler allowed just one hit during the two and two-thirds innings he worked. UW-Oshkosh broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning by counting runs on a single by Bryan Schwebke (Fr. Oshkosh) and a fielder's choice by David Young (Jr. Greenfield). Young actually hit a three-run home run during his at bat, but the umpires ruled that one of the UW-Oshkosh runners missed second base on his blast, thus, the fielder's choice. UW-Oshkosh increased its lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning on Cole Cook's (Fr. Middleton) run-scoring single. UW-La Crosse closed to within 5-1 with a score in the seventh inning, but the Titans secured the victory with two tallies in the eighth. UW-Oshkosh's eighth inning featured a sacrifice fly by Cook and a run-scoring single by Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville). The Titans had 12 hits in the opener as Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee), Jirschele, Schwebke and Brian Foley (So. Hortonville) registered two each. UW-La Crosse's three hits in the contest included doubles by Kellen Haynes and Trevor Wallace. UW-La Crosse's Matt Zurbriggen (5-3), who lasted only one inning in his start against UW-Oshkosh on Friday (May 7), pitched six innings as the starter this time around, but still took the loss after yielding five runs and 10 hits. UW-La Crosse shocked UW-Oshkosh in the third inning of the nightcap as Andy Podmolik broke a scoreless contest by belting a grand slam. The Titans answered with two runs in the bottom half of the third inning, scoring on a home run by Jirschele and a double by Josh Shere (So. Janesville). Chester Janke provided the rest of the scoring for the Eagles as he hit a run-scoring double in the fifth inning, a run-scoring ground out in the seventh and a solo home run in the ninth. Trailing 7-2, UW-Oshkosh scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning on a solo home run by Ryan Hubacek (Fr. Rothschild) and a single by Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie). The Titans had runners on first and third bases when the game ended. Jirschele had two of UW-Oshkosh's eight hits in the contest, while Janke had three of UW-La Crosse's 11. Jirschele's multi-hit contest was his team-leading 25th of the season. Eric Nevermann (1-5) pitched all nine innings to gain the win for UW-La Crosse. He allowed four runs and eight hits while striking out two batters. Brad Bolton (Fr. Phillips) took the pitching loss for the Titans, yielding four runs and four hits in three innings as the starter. Bolton (1-1) was followed on the mound for the Titans by Brian Gerl (So. Manawa), Ryan Hermus (Jr. Combined Locks) and Adam Bretl (So. Sturgeon Bay). UW-Oshkosh's win in the opener was Tom Lechnir's 501st as head coach of the Titans. He now has a 16-year coaching record of 501-152-1. Lechnir's victory count ties him with Russ Tiedemann (501-168-2 record from 1968-1969 & 1971-1988) for the most in UW-Oshkosh history and the second-highest mark in WIAC annals. |
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team defeated UW-La Crosse in game scores of 8-6 and 16-4 on Friday (May 7) in La Crosse to present Titans' head coach Tom Lechnir with his 500th coaching victory. Lechnir, a 1982 graduate of UW-Oshkosh, is in his 16th season as head coach of the Titans. Lechnir now has an all-time coaching record of 500-151-1, with his victory count ranking second to Russ Tiedemann's 501 (501-168-2 record from 1968-1969 & 1971-1988) in UW-Oshkosh history. In WIAC listings, Lechnir ranks third in coaching victories behind Tiedemann and the 537 wins of UW-Stout's Terry Petrie (537-401 record from 1971-2000). In addition to helping Lechnir record his milestone win, UW-Oshkosh also clinched the second seed for next weekend's WIAC Tournament in Whitewater. The double-elimination tournament begins on Friday (May 14) with UW-Oshkosh playing third-seed UW-Stevens Point and top-seed UW-Whitewater playing fourth-seed UW-La Crosse or UW-Platteville. The four-team event concludes on Saturday (May 15). In its sweep of UW-La Crosse (15-22/9-13 WIAC), UW-Oshkosh (32-6/17-5 WIAC) jumped to leads of 7-2 after the fifth inning of game one and 6-0 after the third inning of game two. The Titans totaled 30 hits in the twinbill, including seven home runs and nine doubles. Pitcher Jordan Timm (Sr. Pine River) helped UW-Oshkosh to the wins by recording a save in the opener and a victory in the nightcap. UW-Oshkosh took a 2-0 advantage in the first inning of game one as Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie) smacked a two-run double. After two runs by UW-La Crosse in the second inning, UW-Oshkosh took the lead for good in the third by scoring twice on a two-run home run by Feiner. UW-Oshkosh increased its lead to 7-3 in the fifth inning by scoring three runs on three hits and one UW-La Crosse error. Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville) and Josh Shere (So. Janesville) highlighted the inning for the Titans by recording run-scoring singles. UW-La Crosse closed its deficit to 7-6 in the seventh inning before UW-Oshkosh's Bryan Schwebke (Fr. Oshkosh) closed the game's scoring with a two-out, run-scoring double in the ninth. The Titans had eight hits in the game, with Feiner and Jirschele each having two. UW-La Crosse had six hits in the contest, with Andy Podmolik owning two. Ben Huffman (Jr. Mequon) pitched into the sixth inning for UW-Oshkosh and recorded the win after allowing four hits and five runs in five and two-third innings. Huffman (7-0) struck out seven batters while walking four. Jim Ziegler (So. Eden) replaced Huffman and tossed the next two and one-third innings before giving way to Timm. Timm picked up the save after striking out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth inning. Kyle Kaufman (3-2), the first of three UW-La Crosse pitchers, took the loss after yielding seven runs and seven hits in five innings of work. UW-Oshkosh took command of the nightcap immediately as it scored five runs on four hits and one UW-La Crosse error in the first inning. The frame featured a two-run home run by David Young (Jr. Greenfield) and a run-scoring double by Shere. The Titans increased their advantage to 7-0 after getting solo home runs by Young and Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee) in the third and fourth innings, respectively. Leading 7-3, UW-Oshkosh scored four runs on five hits in the sixth inning, including a solo home run by Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee) and a two-run double by Brian Foley (So. Hortonville). Leading 11-4, UW-Oshkosh closed its scoring with two runs in the seventh inning and three in the ninth. The Titans' seventh inning featured a two-run home run by Heckendorf, while their ninth included a three-run home run by Shere. UW-Oshkosh had eight players tally at least two hits, with Heckendorf and Shere counting four each and Cole Cook (Fr. Middleton) three. UW-La Crosse had just six hits in the game, with Dan Mielke owning two of them. Timm (6-4) faced just 34 batters in eight innings to gain the pitching win. Timm allowed just six hits and four runs while striking out 11 batters and walking four. Ryan Piedot (So. East Troy) retired three of the four batters he faced in the ninth inning. UW-La Crosse had six pitchers take to the mound in the nightcap, with starter Matt Zurbriggen (5-2) taking the loss after pitching just one inning. |
Ben Huffman (Jr. Mequon) and Jordan Timm (Sr. Pine River) both went the distance as the UW--Oshkosh baseball team got back on track Saturday (May 1) in Platteville. The Titans cruised to 8-1 and 11-5 wins over the Pioneers as UW-Oshkosh took over sole possession of second place in the WIAC. UW-Whitewater, with its split with third-place Stevens Point, clinched the conference title outright. In the opener, UW-Oshkosh wasted little time taking charge as the Titans used three hits and a pair of UW-Platteville errors to plate five runs in the second. The big blast in the inning was Lucas Lechnirs (Sr. Mosinee) three-run homer. Huffman took care of the Pioneers, striking out seven and walking just one. He scattered seven hits. In the nightcap, Timm got the win despite giving up 13 hits and four earned runs. The Titans again struck early, scoring four times in the first inning on three hits and a Pioneer error. Bryan Schwebke (Fr. Oshkosh) finished game two, going 3-for-5 with three doubles while driving in three runs. Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie) also drove in three runs, going 2-for-4. Also picking up two hits each in the nightcap were Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee) and Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville). |
Scoring the winning run in the top of the ninth inning of the first game and pounding out 17 runs on 15 hits in the second, the UW-Whitewater baseball team swept a doubleheader from UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (April 24) at Tiedemann Field. The twinbill matched a pair of top-25 nationally-ranked teams as UW-Oshkosh was ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association and UW-Whitewater 19th. UW-Whitewater (25-5/17-1 WIAC) took a 1-0 lead in the opener on Aaron Guilbault's run-scoring double in the second inning. UW-Oshkosh (26-4/11-3 WIAC) tied the contest at 1-1 in the fourth inning when Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville) scored from third base on an error following an attempted steal of second base by Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee). UW-Whitewater regained the advantage in the sixth inning as Eric Baldwin's two-out, two-run double put the Warhawks ahead 3-1. The Titans rallied to tie the score at 3-3 on Korey Feiner's (Sr. Sun Prairie) solo home run in the seventh inning and Kyle Heckendorf's (Sr. Mosinee) run-scoring double in the eighth. With one out and runners on first and second base, UW-Whitewater ended UW-Oshkosh's at bat in the eighth inning by turning an infield double play. In the ninth inning, UW-Whitewater's Baldwin worked a leadoff walk off UW-Oshkosh pitcher Jordan Timm (Sr. Pine River). Following a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Nic Teach drove in the winning run for the Warhawks on a single to right field. Timm then struck out the next batter he faced to end the frame. UW-Oshkosh threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning as Brian Foley (So. Hortonville) reached first base on an infield error and Bryan Schwebke (Fr. Oshkosh) on a single after two were out. The Titans' comeback bid ended when UW-Whitewater pitcher Greg Reinhard got the Titans' Cole Cook (Fr. Middleton) to ground out with runners on first and second base. UW-Oshkosh had eight hits in the opener, with Jirschele owning two of them. The loss ended the Titans' 16-game winning streak. Ryan Callahan, who allowed three runs and six hits through seven-plus innings as UW-Whitewater's starting pitcher, led the Warhawks at the plate with three hits. UW-Whitewater had 10 hits in the game. Timm (4-3) took the pitching loss for the Titans. He relieved Brian Gerl (So. Manawa) who held the Warhawks scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings. Ben Huffman (Jr. Mequon) pitched the first-seven innings for UW-Oshkosh, allowing three runs and five hits with three strikeouts. Collin Kuecker (1-0) pitched the eighth inning to gain the win for the Warhawks while Reinhard recorded the save. The second game was much like a bad dream for the Titans as UW-Whitewater scored six runs on four hits and three UW-Oshkosh errors in the first inning and five runs on five hits in the second. Baldwin highlighted the Warhawks' first period with a two-run double, while Steve Jilot sparked UW-Whitewater's second with a two-run single. UW-Whitewater increased its lead to 17-0 with two runs in the sixth inning and four in the seventh. UW-Oshkosh scored its only runs of the contest on Feiner's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Thehome run was Feiner's team-leading eighth of the season. UW-Whitewater's 15 hits in the nightcap included three each by Callahan, Baldwin and Teach. Foley had three of UW-Oshkosh's five hits in the game. Josh Shere (So. Janesville) and Heckendorf went hitless in the contest to end their 13 and 12-game hitting streaks, respectively. Kevin Tomasiewicz (3-3) was the winning pitcher for the Warhawks after allowing one run and four hits through the first-six innings. Kuecker hurled the seventh frame to help UW-Whitewater record its 12th straight win. UW-Oshkosh used five pitchers in the game, with Jim Ziegler (So. Eden) taking the loss after retiring only one batter as the starter. Ziegler (3-1) allowed five runs in one-third of an inning, but only two of them were earned. Aaron Larsen (Jr. Tomah) pitched the final five and one-third innings for the Titans, allowing six runs and six hits. |
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team spent little time in taking a pair of seven-inning games from Marian College on Saturday (April 17) at Tiedemann Field. In fact, it took the Titans just one hour and 46 minutes to win 11-1 in the opener and only one hour and 44 minutes to win 16-1 in the nightcap. UW-Oshkosh (24-2) extended its winning streak to 14 games by pounding out 37 hits in the two victories. UW-Oshkosh's Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee) hit safely in his last seven at bats of the doubleheader to improve his hitting streak to 16 contests, while the Titans' Brian Foley (So. Hortonville) singled three times and homered twice in five straight at bats to end the first game and start the second. Marian College (16-11), now 2-12 against UW-Oshkosh, had just nine hits in the two games. Ironically, the Sabres led 1-0 after the first inning of each game before being shut out the rest of the way. UW-Oshkosh, ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association, took the lead for good in the second inning of the opener on a three-run home run by Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville). The Titans increased their lead to 5-1 on solo home runs by Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie) and Cole Cook (Fr. Middleton) in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. UW-Oshkosh's final home run in the game was Foley's pinch-hit, three-run blast in the fifth inning. The Titans totaled 16 hits in the opener, including three by Cook and two each by Jirschele, Lechnir, Ryan Hubacek (Fr. Rothschild) and Foley. Jirschele drove in a team-high four runs, including a run-scoring single in the seventh inning that ended the game by the 10-run mercy rule. Brad Daniels had two of the Sabres' three hits in the game. Brad Bolton (Fr. Phillips), who gave up a solo home run to Marian College's Josh Wolter on the first pitch of the game, recorded the win the for Titans. Bolton (1-0) went five innings in his starting assignment, yielding just one run and three hits with five strikeouts. Bruce Karnitz (Jr. Sturgeon Bay) kept the Sabres hitless during the sixth and seventh innings that he pitched for the Titans. Tom van Kasteren (2-2) took the pitching loss for Marian College after allowing nine runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings. Lechnir stole the headline in the nightcap as he singled in the first, second, third and sixth innings and doubled in the fifth. The five-hit performance was Lechnir's second in four games. Lechnir also had four runs batted in, with two coming on his single in the third inning. Trailing 1-0, UW-Oshkosh scored four runs on five hits in the second inning. The big hit in the frame was a two-run home run by Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee). The Titans then added six runs on six hits in the third inning, including a two-run double by Feiner and a two-run home run by Foley. UW-Oshkosh's five-run fifth inning featured run-scoring doubles by Feiner and Lechnir. UW-Oshkosh had 21 hits in the second game, with Lechnir totaling five and Heckendorf and Foley three each. Daniels had two of the Sabres' six hits in the contest, including a run-scoring single in the first inning. Ryan Hermus (Jr. Combined Locks) gained the pitching win for UW-Oshkosh after going five and two-third scoreless innings in relief of starter Ryan Piedot (East Troy). Hermus (2-0) allowed just four hits and struck out three batters. Jason Bunton (4-2), the first of three Marian College pitchers, took the loss after giving up 10 runs and 12 hits in three innings. |
Scoring five runs in the top of the ninth inning to win the first game and then relying on the five-hit pitching of Jordan Timm (Sr. Pine River) to take the second, the UW-Oshkosh baseball team swept a doubleheader from UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (April 14) in Stevens Point. UW-Oshkosh (22-2/11-1 WIAC) captured the opener from UW-Stevens Point (11-7/5-3 WIAC) by a 16-11 score and the nightcap by a 4-1 count to extend its winning streak to 12 games. The loss in the first contest snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Pointers. In the opener, the lead exchanged hands five times, with UW-Oshkosh overcoming deficits of 6-4 after three innings and 11-9 after seven. The Titans tied the game at 11-11 in the eighth inning on Jeremy Jirschele's (Jr. Clintonville) two-run home run and pulled away in the ninth by scoring five runs on four hits, two hit batters and two UW-Stevens Point errors. UW-Oshkosh took a 12-11 lead in the ninth inning on a Jirschele run-scoring single, a 15-11 advantage on a Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee) two-run single and a 16-11 lead on a T.J. Arrowood (Fr. Shawano) sacrifice fly. UW-Oshkosh scored three times in its first at bat as Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee) blasted a solo home run and Lechnir a two-run home run. UW-Stevens Point, which split a doubleheader with UW-Oshkosh on March 31, scored twice in the bottom of the first inning before Ryan Hubacek (Fr. Rothschild) gave the Titans a 4-2 lead with his solo home run in the second. Highlighted by a three-run home run by Joe Waksmonski, UW-Stevens Point scored four times in the third inning to take a 6-4 lead. Following a scoreless fourth inning, UW-Oshkosh took a 7-6 lead in the fifth on a run-scoring double by Heckendorf and run-scoring singles by Lechnir and Hubacek. UW-Stevens Point tied the contest at 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth inning on a run-scoring single by Mike Hall. UW-Oshkosh jumped to its third lead of the game in the sixth inning as a Lechnir two-out, two-run single gave the Titans a 9-7 advantage. UW-Stevens Point rallied back to take a 10-9 lead in its half of the sixth frame as Chuck Brehm hit a solo home run and Waksmonski a two-run home run. The Pointers extended their lead to 11-9 in the seventh inning on a Jake Frombach run-scoring single. UW-Oshkosh slugged 19 hits in the opener, with Lechnir totaling five, Jirschele four and Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie) three. Lechnir drove in a career-best seven runs, while Jirschele scored four times and drove in three runs. UW-Stevens Point had 15 hits in the game, including four by Matt Peetz and three by Waksmonski, who also drove in six runs. Ben Huffman (Jr. Mequon), who entered the game with 5-0 record and a 0.55 earned run average, yielded nine earned runs and 12 hits in five and one-third innings as UW-Oshkosh's starting pitcher. Brian Gerl (So. Manawa) relieved Huffman in the sixth inning and went the next two and two-third innings to gain the win. Gerl (4-0) allowed the Pointers just three hits and one run. Timm pitched the ninth inning and retired all three batters he faced. Kevin Pankow (4-1), the third UW-Stevens Point pitcher in the game, took the loss after allowing six runs and seven hits in two innings. Starter Aaron Achterberg was relieved by Shane Standifer in the fifth inning after yielding seven runs and nine hits. The scoring slowed down in the second game as Timm (4-2) allowed UW-Stevens Point just one run and five hits in nine innings to record the win. Helped by two double plays, 10 strikeouts, no walks and no errors, Timm faced just 31 batters in the contest. UW-Stevens Point scored its lone run of the game on a solo home run by Steve Wiczek in the fifth inning. UW-Oshkosh, ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association, scored once in each of the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings to register its 106th win (106-60-1 record) over UW-Stevens Point. The Titans scored their runs on a single by Heckendorf in the third inning, a sacrifice fly by Jirschele in the fifth, a single by Josh Shere (So. Janesville) in the sixth and a single by Jirschele in the seventh. UW-Oshkosh's eight hits in the nightcap included two each by Jirschele, Heckendorf and Shere. Lechnir had one hit in the contest to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Frombach had two of UW-Stevens Point's five hits off Timm. UW-Stevens Point received a strong pitching effort in the second game from starter J.C. Reinke (2-1), who took the loss despite allowing just four runs and seven hits in seven innings. Matt Simonson pitched a pair of scoreless innings to end the game for the Pointers. |
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team continued its offensive fireworks by destroying Lakeland College in a pair of seven-inning games played Tuesday (April 13) at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. UW-Oshkosh (20-2), ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association, swept the doubleheader by winning 20-3 in the opener and 16-3 in the nightcap. Lakeland College (13-14), which lost a pair of games to UW-Stevens Point on Monday (April 12), now trails UW-Oshkosh in the all-time series by a 31-2-1 count. UW-Oshkosh took the opener as it registered both 20-plus runs and 20-plus hits for the second straight game. Four Titans had three hits in the contest as Cole Cook (Fr. Middleton) went three-for-four with three runs scored and two runs batted in, Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee) three-for-five with three runs scored and two runs batted in, Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie) three-for-five with five runs batted in and two runs scored and Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville) three-for-six with four runs scored and three runs batted in. Lakeland College had eight hits in the contest, with Brett Anschutz and Jon Bintner recording two each. UW-Oshkosh took command of the opener early as Feiner's two-run double in the first inning gave the Titans a 3-0 advantage. Leading 4-1, UW-Oshkosh scored three runs in the fourth inning and five in the fifth. The Titans' fourth inning was highlighted by a two-run triple by Josh Shere (So. Janesville) and the fifth by a two-run double by Cook. Following a pair of runs by the Muskies in the sixth inning, UW-Oshkosh scored nine times on six hits and two Lakeland College errors in the seventh. Feiner had a three-run double in the frame, while Jirschele laced a pair of singles. Jon Ganzen (Fr. Appleton) was the winning pitcher for the Titans as he went five innings to start the contest. Ganzen (3-0) allowed just one runs and hit six while striking out one batter. Aaron Larsen (Jr. Tomah) pitched the final two innings for the Titans. Mike Rauwerdink (4-2) took the pitching loss for the Muskies, lasting just three and two-third innings as the starter. Rauwerdink allowed seven runs, but none of them were earned. UW-Oshkosh totaled 16 runs on 15 hits in the second game, but pitcher Jim Ziegler (So. Eden) stole the headline for the Titans as he retired the first 16 batters he faced. Ziegler (3-0) allowed his first hit, a single by Jon Bintner, with one out in the sixth inning. He left the game allowing three runs and three hits in five and one-third innings. Bruce Karnitz (Jr. Sturgeon Bay) and Ryan Hermus (Jr. Combined Locks) combined to pitch the final one and two-third innings for the Titans, yielding no runs and two hits. Feiner had another strong game for the Titans in the nightcap as he went three-for-four at the plate with five runs batted in and four runs scored. The Titans also received three hits, four runs scored and two runs batted in from Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee) and two hits, three runs batted in and one run scored from Bryan Schwebke (Fr. Oshkosh). No Lakeland College player had more than one hit in the game. UW-Oshkosh took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and extended its advantage to 4-0 on Ryan Hubacek's (Fr. Rothschild) run-scoring single in the third. The Titans concluded their scoring with three runs in the fifth inning, six in the sixth and three in the seventh. Feiner had five runs batted in during the final two frames as he belted a three-run double in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the seventh. Anschutz (1-1) took the pitching loss for Lakeland College after allowing six runs and six hits in four innings as the starter. |
After a 5-2 win in the opener, the UW-Oshkosh baseball team exploded for a 22-2 victory in the nightcap to sweep a doubleheader from UW-Superior on Friday (April 9) at Tiedemann Field. UW-Oshkosh, now 26-2 in the all-time series against UW-Superior, won games of 11-1 and 17-2 over the Yellowjackets on Thursday (April 8). UW-Oshkosh's big break in the opener came in the seventh inning when it scored three runs on one hit, three hit batters and three UW-Superior (3-17/1-7 WIAC) errors to take a 5-0 lead. The Titans (18-2/9-1 WIAC) counted their runs in the seventh inning on a hit batter and an error that plated two scores. UW-Oshkosh had taken a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning on run-scoring single by Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee). UW-Superior had only five base runners through six innings, but scored once in the seventh and once in the eighth to cut its deficit to 5-2. The Yellowjackets left two runners on base in the eighth inning as UW-Oshkosh relief pitcher Phil Glinski (So. Green Bay) got UW-Superior's Jason Polikowsky to fly out to right field to end the period. Glinski worked a perfect ninth inning for the Titans to record a save. Ben Huffman (Jr. Mequon) started on the mound for the Titans and was outstanding during his seven innings of work. Huffman (5-0) allowed just one run and three hits while striking out nine of the 26 batters he faced. Ryan Hermus (Jr. Combined Locks) followed Huffman on the mound and pitched two-thirds of an inning before being replaced by Glinski. Eric Pokornowski (1-4) was the losing pitcher for UW-Superior, allowing five runs and five hits in six and one-third innings as the starter. The two teams combined for only nine hits, with no player having more than one. UW-Oshkosh began its scoring in the second game with six runs in the first inning and three in the second. The Titans went on to score one run in the third inning, three in the fourth, eight in the fifth and one in the sixth before the Yellowjackets tabulated two scores in the bottom of the sixth inning. UW-Oshkosh's six-run first inning featured a two-run double by Josh Shere (So. Janesville) and a three-run home run by Ryan Hubacek (Fr. Rothschild). The Titans' three-run second inning included a two-run single by Kevin Meyer (So. Chilton). Sending 13 batters to the plate in the fifth inning, UW-Oshkosh scored eight runs on seven hits and one UW-Superior error. Shere highlighted the innings with a two-run single. UW-Superior scored its only runs of the game on a two-run home run by Polikowsky. UW-Oshkosh's 21 hits included a career-best five by Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville) and four by Shere. Jirschele also had four runs scored and three runs batted in, while Shere had a career-best five runs batted in and three runs scored. Hubacek and Meyer contributed three hits for the Titans. Patrick Lind had two of UW-Superior's five hits in the nightcap. Jordan Timm (Sr. Pine River) was awarded the pitching victory for the Titans. Timm (3-2) gave up only three hits in five scoreless innings while striking out 11 of the 19 batters he faced as the starter. Finishing the game on the mound for the Titans were Jeremiah Gowey (Jr. La Crosse), Ryan Piedot (So. East Troy) and Aaron Larsen (Jr. Tomah). UW-Superior had five pitchers take to the mound in the nightcap, with starter Zach Brokaw taking the loss after surrendering nine runs and seven hits in two innings. |
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team scored in every inning of the opener and won a pitching duel in the nightcap to complete a weekend sweep of UW-Stout on Sunday (April 4) at Tiedemann Field. UW-Oshkosh (14-2/5-1 WIAC), which won by scores of 25-7 and 22-8 over the Blue Devils on Saturday (April 3), defeated UW-Stout (1-12/1-5 WIAC) by counts of 13-9 and 6-2 on Sunday. The Titans have defeated the Blue Devils eight straight times to take a 43-10 lead in the all-time series. Despite yielding a season-high 19 hits, UW-Oshkosh conquered UW-Stout in the opener by scoring twice in the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings and once in the first, second, third, sixth and ninth frames. The Titans trailed 2-1 after one inning and 4-2 after two before taking the lead for good with their two scores in the fifth. UW-Oshkosh had 12 hits in the opener, including solo home runs by Josh Shere (So Janesville) in the first inning and Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie) in the sixth. Shere's home run extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville) had three hits, all doubles, and a career-best six runs batted in to lead the Titans. His double in each of the fifth and seventh innings scored two runs. UW-Stout's 19 hits featured three each by Cory Endreas, Greg Meinertz, James Foreman, Jason Kuehn and Jake Riek. Riek drove in three runs on his home run in the seventh inning. Phil Glinski (So. Green Bay), the third of four UW-Oshkosh pitchers, gained the victory after relieving Ryan Hermus (Jr. Combined Locks) in the fourth inning. Glinski (2-0) pitched three and one-third innings, allowing three runs and six hits with four strikeouts. Jon Ganzen (Fr. Appleton) started and Ben Huffman (Jr. Mequon) finished on the mound for the Titans. Scott Decker (0-3) took the pitching loss for UW-Stout after going four and two-third innings in a starting role. He allowed the Titans seven runs and nine hits before being relieved by Dan Olson. In the second contest, UW-Oshkosh's Jordan Timm (Sr. Pine River) evened his pitching record at 2-2 after surrendering only two runs and eight hits in nine innings. Timm faced only 34 batters in the game, seven over the minimum, with nine striking out. Strong pitching performances were also turned in by UW-Stout's Kuehn and Nick Jones in the second game. Kuehn (0-2) went seven innings in a starting role and allowed the Titans just two earned runs and eight hits. Jones allowed only one run and two hits in two innings of relief. UW-Oshkosh scored twice in the first and third innings for all the runs it would really need in the nightcap. The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-run home run by Bryan Schwebke (Fr. Oshkosh), but saw their advantage cut in half in the bottom portion of the opening frame on a solo home run by UW-Stout's Meinertz. UW-Oshkosh's lead went to 4-1 in the third inning on a run-scoring double by Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee) and a run-scoring single by Ryan Hubacek (Fr. Rothschild). UW-Oshkosh closed its scoring with a run in both the seventh and eighth innings, with the latter registered on a run-scoring single by Schwebke. UW-Stout's final tally came in the seventh inning on a run-scoring single by Jon Kroening. UW-Oshkosh had 10 hits in the second game, with Jirschele, Schwebke, Heckendorf and Cole Cook (Fr. Middleton) recording two each. Foreman had four of UW-Stout's eight hits off Timm. |
The UW-Oshkosh baseball team made the most of a strong blowing wind to the outfield as it slugged its way to a pair of victories over UW-Stout on Saturday (April 3) at Tiedemann Field. The two parties combined for 62 runs, 66 hits and 12 errors in the doubleheader, with UW-Oshkosh (12-2/3-1 WIAC) winning the opener by a 25-7 score and the nightcap by a 22-8 count. Both games ended after UW-Stout's at bat in the seventh inning. UW-Oshkosh's 37 hits in the twinbill included six by both Jeremy Jirschele (Jr. Clintonville) and Bryan Schwebke (Fr. Oshkosh) and five each by Korey Feiner (Sr. Sun Prairie), Kyle Heckendorf (Sr. Mosinee), Lucas Lechnir (Sr. Mosinee) and Josh Shere (So. Janesville). Feiner drove in nine runs on the day, while Lechnir knocked in eight and Jirschele six. UW-Stout's 29 hits in the doubleheader included six by James Foreman and four by Corey Endreas. After a scoreless first inning in the opener, UW-Oshkosh jumped to an 11-0 lead by counting three runs in the second frame and eight in the third. The Titans' eight-run third inning featured seven hits and four UW-Stout errors, including a two-run home run by Feiner and a two-run double by Shere. UW-Stout (1-10/1-3 WIAC) closed the gap to 11-3 with three runs in the fourth inning, but the Ti |