2003 WIAC Baseball Headlines

2003 WIAC Baseball Headlines

UW-Whitewater's Vodenlich Earns Part In Upcoming Movie

-Article written by UW-W News and Public Affairs staffer Melissa DeMotto

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball coach John Vodenlich will make an appearance in the upcoming movie “Mr. 3000”.

Vodenlich, of Waukesha, will portray a Houston Astros catcher in the movie featuring Bernie Mac as a Milwaukee Brewers player who retires thinking he has 3,000 hits, but is a few hits short. Filming began June 30 at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

“Being a part of the making of a baseball movie is extremely exciting,” said Vodenlich. “As a baseball player and a coach, I’m finding the experience very satisfying.”

Ironically enough, Vodenlich never had intentions of trying out for the movie. However, with some coaxing from his wife and daughter, he, along with 1,900 others, decided to give it a shot. He made the first cut, and was one of 200 people picked to participate in face-to-face interviews. After that, Vodenlich then participated in three days worth of on-field tryouts, which included drills in fielding, base running, and batting. In the end, Vodenlich was one of 40 people selected as a “special ability” player.

Despite the huge time commitment required for the filming, Vodenlich said he’s very happy to be involved in the making of a baseball movie like “Mr. 3000.”

“It’s such a neat experience to be a part of what I hope will turn out to be a ‘realistic’ baseball movie,” Vodenlich said.

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UW-Oshkosh's Lechnir Selected Region Coach Of The Year

RELEASED: Monday, August 4, 2003

Oshkosh, Wis.--Tom Lechnir, head baseball coach at UW-Oshkosh since 1989, has been selected as the 2003 NCAA Division III Midwest Region Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).

Lechnir, who was also named region coach of the year in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998, will be recognized January 3, 2004 at the ABCA National Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

In addition to Lechnir, other region coach of the year award winners were Don Brandon of Anderson University (Ind.), Matt Dembinsky of Mount St. Mary College (N.Y.), John Harvell of Christopher Newport University (Va.), Bill Holowaty of Eastern Connecticut State University, Tim Neiman of DeSales University (Pa.), Augie Schmidt of Carthage College (Wis.) and Tom Tereschuk of national champion Chapman University (Calif.). Tereschuk was also selected as the national coach of the year.

Lechnir led UW-Oshkosh to a 37-8 record and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division III World Series this past season. UW-Oshkosh's 37 wins in 2003 were the third-highest total in school history, bettered only by 41 victories in both 1994 and 1998 and 39 in 1995.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the 45-game season hitting .346 with 46 home runs and 464 runs scored. UW-Oshkosh ranked second in the NCAA Division III in scoring, fifth in won-lost percentage and 21st in batting average. The Titans were also hit by 104 pitches this year, a mark that tied a NCAA Division III record held by Allegheny College in 1997.

Lechnir, a 1983 UW-Oshkosh graduate, has guided the Titans to a 15-year record of 468-145-1 (.763 winning percentage). His teams have made nine NCAA Division III World Series appearances and claimed 10 WIAC titles. In 1994, the Mosinee native guided UW-Oshkosh to a 41-4 record and the NCAA Division III championship.

During Lechnir's tenure as head coach, UW-Oshkosh has continued to serve as the training ground for some of college baseball's finest players. Since 1989, 15 of Lechnir's former players have signed professional baseball contracts, including Jarrod Washburn of the defending World Series champion Anaheim Angels. Lechnir has also coached 34 NCAA Division III All-Americans, including player of the year honorees Chris Delarwelle (1990), Tim Jorgensen (1994 & 1995) and Vince Mancuso (2003).

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UW-Oshkosh's Timm and UW-Whitewater's Van Zile Selected In Major League Baseball Amateur Draft

RELEASED: Thursday, June 5, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Jordan Timm and UW-Whitewater's Travis Van Zile were recently selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

The Baltimore Orioles selected Timm in the 15th round of the draft (434th overall), while the Arizona Diamondbacks picked Van Zile in the 26th round (786th overall).

Timm, a junior pitcher from Pine River, Wis., is the 11th UW-Oshkosh player to be drafted since 1995. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays owned the first pick in the draft and took Delmon Young of Adolfo Camarillo High School (Calif.).

Timm received NCAA Division III All-America First Team honors in 2003 after posting an 11-0 record and a 2.09 ERA. He hurled 77.1 innings during his 15 appearances for the Titans, striking out 85 batters and yielding just a .193 batting average. Timm, the 2003 WIAC Pitcher of the Year, has compiled a 17-5 record and 185 strikeouts (181 innings) during his three seasons at UW-Oshkosh.

Van Zile, a senior outfielder from Reedsburg, Wis., is the ninth UW-Whitewater player selected in the draft and the first position player picked (the rest were all pitchers).

Van Zile is just one of three Warhawks to be a four-time All-WIAC First Team selection. He batted .363 with 43 runs scored, 28 RBIs, eight triples, six doubles and 16 stolen bases during the 2003 campaign. His 16 stolen bases led the league, while his eight triples established a new conference single-season record. Van Zile's 10 career triples rank third on the league's all-time list, while his 540 career at-bats rank third and 66 career stolen bases rank fourth on the all-time charts.

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UW-Whitewater's Endl Named To Academic All-America Baseball First Team

RELEASED: Friday, May 30, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Brady Endl has been named to the 2003 Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America Baseball First Team.

Endl, a junior pitcher/designated hitter/first baseman from Jefferson, Wis., is majoring in business and economics with a 4.00 grade point average.

Endl accumulated a 4-2 record during the 2003 season with a 3.69 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched, while batting .327 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs. He was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America Third Team last year and has received All-Midwest Region First Team honors the last three seasons. Endl is a three-time All-WIAC First Team selection and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year during the 2001 campaign.

Endl is the first UW-Whitewater baseball player to be named to the academic all-america squad since 1998 when Pat Tobiasz earned second team honors. The last time a Warhawk baseball player was a first team selection was in 1989 when Scott Whitmore claimed the honor.

The academic all-america team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA athletes from around the country. It is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). No other Wisconsin athletes were named to the squad.

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Three Earn Baseball All-America Honors, UW-Oshkosh's Mancuso Named National Player of the Year

RELEASED: Thursday, May 29, 2003

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) baseball players have been named to the 2003 Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America Team. UW-Oshkosh's Vince Mancuso and Jordan Timm earned first team honors, with Mancuso also being named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. UW-Whitewater's Kevin Tomasiewicz was a third team selection.

Mancuso, a senior outfielder from Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (Lincoln H.S.), led the league with a .465 batting average, .929 slugging percentage, .595 on-base percentage, 70 RBIs, 67 runs scored and 17 home runs. He ranks fourth on the conference's all-time list with 100 bases on balls, fifth with 517 at-bats and sixth with 174 runs scored and 171 RBIs. Mancuso was named the 2003 WIAC Position Player of the Year and becomes the third Titan to receive the national player of the year award, joining Chris Delarwelle (1990) and Tim Jorgensen (1994 and 1995).

Timm, a junior pitcher from Pine River, Wis. (Weyauwega-Fremont H.S.), posted a league-leading 11 wins, 85 strikeouts, 77.1 innings pitched, two shutouts and 2.09 ERA this year, en route to being named the WIAC Pitcher of the Year. His 11 wins are the second-highest single-season total in conference history, while his 185 career strikeouts rank seventh on the league's all-time list.

Tomasiewicz, a sophomore pitcher from Sleepy Hollow, Ill. (Dundee Crown), compiled a 10-0 record with a 2.56 ERA during the 2003 campaign, while leading the team with 70.1 innings pitched and four complete games. His 10 victories are the third-highest single-season total in league history and also established a school record. Tomasiewicz is one of two pitchers in team history with more than six decisions in a season without a loss. He also accomplished it last year (6-0 as a freshman) and Kevin Wilde was 6-0 in 1986. Tomasiewicz's unbeaten string of 16-0 is also a school record. He was the only sophomore named to the third team.

The ABCA also recently named an All-Midwest Region Team. Individuals from the WIAC receiving first team recognition included: UW-Oshkosh's Mancuso, Timm and Korey Feiner and UW-Whitewater's Tomasiewicz, Brady Endl and Travis Van Zile.

Named to the ABCA All-Midwest Region Second Team were: UW-Oshkosh's Kyle Heckendorf, Ben Huffman, Jeremy Jirschele, Lucas Lechnir and Evan Peterson, UW-Stevens Point's Joe Waksmonski and UW-Whitewater's Dan Schrum.

Named to the ABCA All-Midwest Region Third Team were: UW-Stevens Point's Mike Hall and Ryan Jones, UW-Stout's Greg Meinertz and UW-Whitewater's Ryan Callahan, Rob Misora and Josh Shere.

The ABCA named 47 players to the 2003 NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region squad (15 on the first and second team and 17 on the third team), which also included the Lake Michigan Conference, Midwest Conference and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. All first team members were eligible for All-America accolades.

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UW-Oshkosh Headed To NCAA Division III World Series

Oshkosh, Wis.--Jeremy Jirschele's two-out, run-scoring double in the bottom of the 11th inning gave UW-Oshkosh a 3-2 victory over UW-Whitewater in the championship game of the NCAA Division III Oshkosh Regional Baseball Tournament held Saturday, May 17 at Tiedemann Field.

The victory advances UW-Oshkosh (36-6) to the NCAA Division III World Series, where the Titans will meet Chapman University (34-11) of Orange, Calif., on Friday, May 23 at 7:45 p.m. in Grand Chute's Fox Cities Stadium. UW-Oshkosh, now a 17-time participant in the NCAA Division III World Series, is co-hosting the double-elimination event for the fourth consecutive season.

UW-Oshkosh's eighth meeting of the year with UW-Whitewater (35-9) was a pitching duel between Brian Gerl, Jeremiah Gowey, Phil Glinski and Jordan Timm of the Titans and Ryan Callahan of the Warhawks.

The four UW-Oshkosh hurlers combined to scatter 14 hits while yielding just two runs and one walk. Gerl pitched the first-five innings for the Titans before being relieved by Gowey in the sixth, Glinski in the eighth and Timm in the 10th. Timm retired all four batters he faced, including a pair by strikeouts, to record his 11th win of the season against no defeats. Callahan (5-4) pitched the distance for UW-Whitewater, allowing just seven hits and no earned runs in 10.2 innings. Callahan's effort included a stretch where he retired 19 of the 21 batters he faced.

Aided by two UW-Whitewater errors, UW-Oshkosh took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Vince Mancuso's mishandled gound ball and Evan Peterson's run-scoring single. UW-Whitewater evened the count at 2-2 as Eric Stangel recorded a run-scoring double in the fifth inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

UW-Oshkosh held off two UW-Whitewater scoring threats late in the game by turning double plays in the sixth and eighth innings. The Titan pitchers also left two Warhawks on base in both the second and sixth frames.

In the 11th inning after UW-Whitewater was retired in order, Jirschele became the hero for the Titans when he drove in pinch-runner Craig Winske with a double. Prior to Jirschele's hit, Mike Mau placed a perfectly executed two-out, bunt down the third base foul line to move Winske to second base.

UW-Oshkosh's seven hits in the game included three by Jirschele and two by Peterson. The Warhawks' 14 hits featured three by Josh Shere and two each by Stangel, Brad Endl, Dan Schrum and Rob Misora.

Timm, who recorded a complete-game victory in UW-Oshkosh's 3-1 win over Ripon College on May 15, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Oshkosh Regional. He was joined on the all-tournament squad by teammates Ben Huffman, Jirschele, Lucas Lechnir, Peterson and David Young. Other players named to the all-tournament team were Callahan, Dan Schrum, Stangel and Kevin Tomasiewicz of UW-Whitewater, Luke Hagel of Ripon College and Jon Haugen and Joe Pavelko of St. Olaf College.

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UW-Oshkosh's Mancuso and Timm Headline All-WIAC Baseball Team

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 14, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Vince Mancuso and Jordan Timm were voted the Position Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, headlining the 20 individuals selected the 2003 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Team.

Mancuso and Timm have led the Titans to a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament and a 33-6 overall record. Mancuso leads the league with a .500 batting average, 1.030 slugging percentage, .629 on-base percentage, 68 RBIs, 67 hits and 17 home runs, while ranking second with 61 runs scored and four triples.

Only once this season has Mancuso had his batting average dip below .500 and that occurred in his 186th at-bat. Mancuso has 21 multi-hit games, 16 multi-RBI games and he began the year with a 14-game hitting streak. He earned All-WIAC First Team honors in 2001 and 2000.

Timm leads the conference with a 2.28 ERA, 77 strikeouts, 13 appearances, nine victories and two shutouts, while ranking second with 67.0 innings pitched. He has allowed only 45 hits and opponents are batting .188 against him.

Timm has completed seven of his eight starts this year and has struck out 10 or more batters on three occasions, including a season-high 13 against UW-Stevens Point on May 9 in the WIAC Tournament.

Mancuso becomes the third Titan in history to win the league's Position Player of the Year award, joining Tom Gessner (2000) and Erik Morrell (1997), while Timm is the third individual from UW-Oshkosh to earn the Pitcher of the Year honor, joining Craig Glysch (1999) and Andy Kimball (1997).

Mancuso and Timm are joined on the first team by teammates Korey Feiner, Lucas Lechnir and Evan Peterson. Feiner ranks third in the league with 50 RBIs, while adding 48 hits, 40 runs scored, 10 doubles, three home runs and a .361 batting average.

Lechnir posted a 20-game hitting streak this season and leads the conference with 18 doubles, while ranking second with 53 RBIs, sixth with 51 runs scored, seventh with seven home runs and ninth with 53 hits. He was an honorable mention pick in 2001.

Peterson places fifth in the league with a .381 batting average and three triples, while adding 39 runs scored, 32 RBIs and two home runs.

UW-Whitewater had a league-high six individuals named to the first team after claiming the conference's regular season and tournament titles and earning a bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Brady Endl earned All-WIAC First Team honors for the third straight year. He ranks fourth in the conference with nine home runs and has compiled 47 hits, 37 runs scored, 33 RBIs, eight doubles and a .338 batting average. Endl also earned honorable mention recognition this year as a pitcher. He was named the league's Pitcher of the Year during the 2001 season.

Travis Van Zile received All-WIAC First Team honors for the fourth straight season. He leads the league with 15 stolen bases and eight triples, while ranking fourth with 58 hits, sixth with a .377 batting average and ninth with 43 runs scored. His eight triples established a league season record and his 10 career triples rank third on the conference's all-time list. Van Zile has 523 career at-bats and 65 career stolen bases, which place him fifth on the league's all-time charts in both categories.

UW-Whitewater's pitching duo of Kevin Tomasiewicz and Ryan Callahan received first team recognition. Tomasiewicz leads the league with nine victories, while ranking second with a 2.79 ERA and 51 strikeouts and fourth with 61.1 innings pitched. Callahan has posted five victories with a 4.62 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 39.0 innings pitched this year. He also earned All-WIAC First Team honors during the 2001 season.

Dan Schrum and Joe Shere both earn their first career all-league honor. Schrum ranks second in the conference with 14 home runs, sixth with 43 RBIs and seventh with 46 runs scored. Shere has a .340 batting average with 31 runs scored, 21 RBIs and a team-high 31 bases on balls this season.

UW-Stevens Point had four individuals capture first team recognition after the team recorded a 26-14-1 overall mark, which was sparked by a school-record 20-game winning streak. Joe Waksmonski earned first team honors for the second straight season after ranking third in the league with 13 doubles, fourth with 56 runs scored, 47 RBIs and nine home runs, fifth with 57 hits and sixth with a .377 batting average.

The Pointers' Ryan Jones places third in the conference with 13 doubles and 12 home runs, fifth with 45 RBIs, sixth with 56 hits and 10th with a .364 batting average. He was also a first team selection last season.

Matt Peetz and Josh Blaha also captured All-WIAC First Team honors for the Pointers. Peetz ranks seventh in the league with 42 RBIs, while placing fourth on the team with 52 hits, 32 runs scored and six home runs. Blaha ranks sixth in the conference with a 3.91 ERA and 47 strikeouts and eighth with 50.2 innings pitched. He also leads the league with a pair of shutouts on the season.

UW-La Crosse's Chester Janke claimed his second straight first team accolade after earning honorable mention honors in 2001. He ranks seventh in the conference with 12 doubles and leads the team with a .313 batting average, 50 hits and 31 runs scored. Janke holds the school career record with 19 hit-by-pitches.

Janke is joined on the first team by his teammate Travis Elvert, who places ninth in the league with a 4.89 ERA, while compiling 28 strikeouts in 46.0 innings pitched. Elvert was a honorable mention choice each of the last two seasons.

UW-Stout's Greg Meinertz and Seth Maier both earned their first career first team honor. Meinertz ranks fourth in the league with a .383 batting average, seventh with 12 doubles and eighth with 54 runs scored. Maier leads the Blue Devils with 33 RBIs and ranks third on the team with a .349 batting average, 45 hits, 22 runs scored and 10 doubles.

UW-Superior's Patrick Lind leads the Yellowjackets with a .354 batting average, .411 on-base percentage, 35 hits and 18 runs scored.

UW-Whitewater head coach Jim Miller was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches. Miller, in his 17th and final season at the helm of the squad, has guided the Warhawks to the WIAC regular season and tournament titles and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. He also received the league coaching honor during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

Named to the Honorable Mention team were: UW-La Crosse's Casey Bablitch, Justin Bach, Dan Graziano, Kyle Kaufman, Bryan Martzahl and Eric Nevermann, UW-Oshkosh's Ben Huffman, Kyle Heckendorf and Jeremy Jirschele, UW-Platteville's Mike Finnegan, Nick Pepper, David Reifenberger and Tyler Yoder, UW-Stevens Point's Jake Frombach, Kevin Fry, Mike Hall and Jeff Pieper, UW-Stout's Justin Biever and UW-Whitewater's Randy Borgardt, D.J. Cartledge, Brady Endl, Dan Gnatzig and Rob Misora.

2003 All-WIAC Baseball Team

First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Josh Blaha, Stevens Point, Junior, Pitcher, Two Rivers
Ryan Callahan, Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Janesville (Parker)
Travis Elvert, La Crosse, Senior, Pitcher, Prairie du Chien
Brady Endl, Whitewater, Junior, First Base, Jefferson
Korey Feiner, Oshkosh, Junior, Catcher, Sun Prairie
Chester Janke, La Crosse, Junior, First Base, Black River Falls
Ryan Jones, Stevens Point, Junior, First Base, Eau Claire (North)
Lucas Lechnir, Oshkosh, Junior, Third Base, Mosinee
Patrick Lind, Superior, Sophomore, Shortstop, Isanti, Minn. (Cambridge-Isanti)
Seth Maier, Stout, Sophomore, Outfield, Park Falls
Vince Mancuso, Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln)
Greg Meinertz, Stout, Sophomore, Outfield, La Crosse (Central)
Matt Peetz, Stevens Point, Junior, Designated Hitter, Spring Green
Evan Peterson, Oshkosh, Freshman, Second Base, Howard (Bay Port)
Dan Schrum, Whitewater, Senior, Catcher/First Base, Malone (Goodrich)
Josh Shere, Whitewater, Freshman, Third Base, Janesville (Craig)
Jordan Timm, Oshkosh, Junior, Pitcher, Pine River (Weyauwega-Fremont)
Kevin Tomasiewicz, Whitewater, Sophomore, Pitcher, Sleepy Hollow, Ill. (Dundee Crown)
Travis Van Zile, Whitewater, Senior, Outfield, Reedsburg
Joe Waksmonski, Stevens Point, Junior, Catcher, Schofield (D.C. Everest)

Honorable Mention
Casey Bablitch, La Crosse, Senior, Second Base, La Crosse (Central)
Justin Bach, La Crosse, Freshman, Third Base, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln)
Justin Biever, Stout, Senior, Catcher, South Milwaukee
Randy Borgardt, Whitewater, Senior, Pitcher, Racine (Park)
D.J. Cartledge, Whitewater, Senior, Outfield, Greenfield
Brady Endl, Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Jefferson
Dan Gnatzig, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Whitewater
Ben Huffman, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Pitcher, Mequon (Homestead)
Mike Finnegan, Platteville, Senior, Pitcher, Madison (East)
Jake Frombach, Stevens Point, Freshman, Second Base, Stratford
Kevin Fry, Stevens Point, Senior, Outfield, Helenville (Lakeside Lutheran)
Dan Graziano, La Crosse, Sophomore, Catcher, Greenfield (Whitnall)
Mike Hall, Stevens Point, Junior, Shortstop, Manitowoc (Lincoln)
Kyle Heckendorf, Oshkosh, Junior, Outfield, Mosinee
Jeremy Jirschele, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Shortstop, Clintonville
Kyle Kaufman, La Crosse, Junior, Pitcher, Portage (Edgewood)
Bryan Martzahl, La Crosse, Junior, Third Base/Designated Hitter, Plover (SPASH)
Rob Misora, Whitewater, Senior, Second Base, Palatine, Ill.
Eric Nevermann, La Crosse, Junior, Pitcher, Jefferson
Nick Pepper, Platteville, Freshman, Shortstop, Sterling, Ill.
Jeff Pieper, Stevens Point, Senior, Pitcher, Wausau (West)
David Reifenberger, Platteville, Sophomore, Catcher, West Lafayette, Ind. (Harrison)
Tyler Yoder, Platteville, Sophomore, Outfield, Brookston, Ind. (Frontier)

Position Player of the Year: Vince Mancuso of Oshkosh
Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Timm of Oshkosh
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: D.J. Cartledge of Whitewater
Coach of the Year: Jim Miller of Whitewater

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UW-Whitewater's Cartledge Named Baseball Scholar-Athlete

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 13, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's D.J. Cartledge has been named the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Cartledge, a senior from Greenfield, Wis., is majoring in management and carries a 3.81 grade point average. He was recently named to the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team and has been named a UW-Whitewater Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete. Cartledge is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has been recognized on the UW-Whitewater Dean's List numerous semesters.

Cartledge helped UW-Whitewater to the WIAC regular season and tournament titles, as well as a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. He is a three-time All-WIAC Honorable Mention performer.

Cartledge is a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, Bata Gamma Sigma and Phi Eta.

Cartledge is the third Warhawk to claim the league's baseball scholar-athlete award, joining Ryan Brookman (1999) and Pat Tobiasz (1998).

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is sponsored by Culver's. In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

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UW-Whitewater's Endl and Cartledge Earn Baseball Academic All-District Honors

RELEASED: Tuesday, May 13, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Brady Endl and D.J. Cartledge have been named to the 2003 Verizon/CoSIDA Baseball Academic All-District Five First Team.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Endl, a junior from Jefferson, Wis., is majoring in business/economics and carries a 4.00 grade point average. He was the only individual named to the 12-person team that maintains a perfect grade point average.

Endl was named to the America Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America Third Team last season and has received All-Midwest Region First Team honors in 2002 and 2001. He is three-time All-WIAC First Team selection and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year during the 2001 campaign.

Cartledge, a senior from Greenfield, Wis., is majoring in management and maintains a 3.80 grade point average. He is a UW-Whitewater Chancellor Scholar-Athlete and has been named to the Dean's List on numerous occasions. Cartledge has received All-WIAC Honorable Mention honors in 2002 and 2001. He has started all 40 games for the Warhawks this year and has compiled a .344 batting average.

Endl and Cartledge are now eligible for the Academic All-America Team, which will be announced later this month.

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UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh Receive NCAA Baseball Bids

RELEASED: Monday, May 12, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh have received bids to the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament, marking the sixth time in eight seasons the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has sent multiple teams to the tournament. Both schools will participate in regional competition at Oshkosh's Tiedemann Field on May 15-17.

UW-Whitewater (33-7) received the WIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament by winning the conference tournament May 9-10 in Whitewater. The Warhawks also claimed the regular season title for the third time in the last four seasons.

UW-Whitewater will face St. Olaf (Minn.) (26-12) at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 15. St. Olaf won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) tournament title and was the league's runner-up during the regular season.

The Warhawks are making their eighth NCAA tournament appearance, and first since the 2001 season, and have compiled an all-time record of 11-15.

UW-Oshkosh (33-6) received one of just three at-large bids into the national tournament and are making their 22nd appearance as a regional participant and first since the 1999 campaign. The Titans will face Ripon (Wis.) (32-4) at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 15. Ripon also received an at-large bid after winning the Midwest Conference regular season crown and finishing second in the league tournament.

UW-Oshkosh enters the NCAA Division III Tournament with a 97-45 record during its previous 21 post-season appearances. The Titans' post-season winning percentage of .683 is the best among all active NCAA Division III members. UW-Oshkosh won NCAA Division III titles in 1985 and 1994.

The winner of the Oshkosh Regional advances to the eight-team NCAA Division III World Series on May 23-27 at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis.

Oshkosh Regional Schedule
Thursday, May 15
Game #1--UW-Whitewater (33-7, No. 1 seed) vs. St. Olaf (Minn.) (26-12, No. 4 seed), 11:30 a.m.
Game #2--UW-Oshkosh (33-6, No. 2 seed) vs. Ripon (32-4, No. 3 seed), 3:00 p.m.

Friday, May 16
Game #3--Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2, 11:30 a.m.
Game #4--Winner Game #1 vs. Winner Game #2, 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 17
Game #5--Winner Game #3 vs. Loser Game #4, 11:30 a.m.
Game #6--Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #4, 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game #7 (if necessary)--Only if Winner Game #5 loses Game #6, Noon

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UW-Whitewater Claims League Baseball Title

WIAC Championship Trophy Platteville, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater claimed the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) baseball championship with a pair of victories over UW-Platteville on Sunday, May 4 at Kendall Murray Field.

UW-Whitewater, which has won or shared three of the last four league titles, finished the 24-game conference slate with a 19-5 mark. UW-Oshkosh completed the league schedule with a 17-3 record, but conference rules state that any contests in the 24-game schedule not completed will be calculated as losses for the purposes of determining the regular season champion, participants in the postseason tournament and the tournament seedings. UW-Oshkosh was unable to play four games due to poor weather conditions.

In the first game against UW-Platteville on May 4, the Warhawks jump out to a 9-0 lead after two innings led by Brady Endl's two-run home run and Travis Van Zile's two-run single in the first inning. UW-Platteville chipped away at the deficit with six runs in the fourth inning and four more in the eighth. Jason Watson scored from third on an eighth-inning wild pitch to tie the contest at 11. UW-Whitewater's D.J. Cartledge had a one-out double in the 10th and eventually scored the winning run on Joe Shere's sacrifice fly.

UW-Whitewater won the second game, 8-3, jumping out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning. Eric Stangel and D.J. Cartledge each collected three hits and scored a pair of runs in the contest. Cartledge also had two RBIs in the game. Kevin Tomasiewicz pitched a complete game six-hitter with seven strikeouts for UW-Whitewater to improve his record to 8-0 on the season.

UW-Whitewater also earned the top seed for the WIAC Tournament and will host the four-team league event on Friday-Saturday, May 9-10 at Prucha Field and Whitewater High School. The tournament winner will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

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UW-Stevens Point's Jones Named National Hitter of the Week

UW-Stevens Point junior first baseman Ryan Jones has been named the NCAA Division III baseball hitter of the week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after posting a .543 average last week as the Pointers went 9-0.

Jones, a former Eau Claire North High School standout, was 19-for-35 with 21 runs scored and 17 RBI’s. He also hit five home runs, including two in an 8-7 comeback win over UW-Whitewater last Wednesday.

In addition, Jones had four doubles, two stolen bases and 79 chances in the field without an error. He was also named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference position player of the week. Jon Lee of Tufts (Mass.) was named the Division III Pitcher of the Week.

This week, Jones got off to another great start with hits in his first five at bats, including two home runs in UW-Stevens Point’s sweep of Marian by 9-3 and 10-4 scores on Tuesday.

Jones is the second WIAC player to earn the national honor this year. UW-Oshkosh's Vince Mancuso captured the award for the period ending March 23.

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Vodenlich Named UW-Whitewater Head Baseball Coach

RELEASED: Tuesday, April 8, 2003 (Written By: Tom Fick, UW-W Sports Information)

Whitewater, Wis.--John Vodenlich, former Warhawk player and current assistant coach, has been named to succeed Jim Miller as head baseball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Vodenlich will assume the position at the end of the 2003 season. Jim Miller, head coach since 1987 and a UW-Whitewater staff member for 34 years, has announced his retirement, effective at the end of this season.

"The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is pleased to announce that John Vodenlich has accepted the challenge of leading our baseball program," UW-W director of athletics Shawn Eichorst commented. "He is an extremely talented and dedicated coach who is keenly aware of the high standards that must be maintained. Furthermore, as an alumnus of both the baseball program and the University, he understands UW-Whitewater's strong tradition and what it takes to be successful.

"I am very excited," Vodenlich said. "Obviously this was something I hoped would happen when I came back to UW-Whitewater four years ago, so getting the news was very gratifying. We've been very successful her for a long time and I hope to build on that. One of my priorities is to get a quality individual in here as an assistant, and build a coaching staff that is the best in Division III baseball. I don't have any plans to things differently, yet at the same time coach Miller and I are very different individuals", he added.

Vodenlich enrolled at UW-Whitewater in 1987 and received a degree in Marketing and Public Relations in 1992. He played baseball at UW-Whitewater from 1989-92, becoming one of just two Warhawk players ever to earn all-American honors twice. Vodenlich was UW-W's MVP in 1991 and 1992, also earning first team all-conference honors both years. His .456 average in 1991 is still second in school record book, and he is among the top ten in career average (third, .397), doubles (tied sixth, 29) and home runs (tied seventh, 22).

"John is one of the best young coaches I know," Jim Miller noted. "I couldn't be more pleased with the selection. John is first, arguably, one of the best players in the history of the program. He was an All-American player who has become an exceptional baseball coach. As an assistant in the mid-90's he wanted to be a head coach, and I did everything I could to help him get the the job at Edgewood College. When we had an on-staff assistant position open up a couple of years ago it worked out for me, for John and for the program to have him come back."

In 1994 Vodenlich played professional baseball in Europe. John helped the Zajck (rabbits) win the Slovenian National Championship in 1994. Upon his return to Wisconsin, he became executive director of recreation of Fontana Recreation on Geneva Lake. During that time, Vodenlich remained an assistant coach for Whitewater.

Vodenlich received his Masters in Business Administration from the UWW in 1994 and was the assistant baseball coach at UW-Whitewater from 1992-97.

In 1998, Vodenlich was named head golf and baseball coach at Edgewood College. He took over a baseball program that had an all-time record of 33-103. In his first year he led the Eagles to a 10-23 record. In his second year the Eagles improved to 19-17, posting the first ever winning season. In late summer of 1999, John returned to UW-Whitewater where he became the marketing and promotions coordinator for intercollegiate athletics, assistant women's golf and assistant baseball coach. He will retain his position as the coordinator of marketing and promotions in addition to the head baseball job.

Under Miller's tutelage the Warhawks have gone 87-38, including 41-12 in conference play at two league titles, in the three years since Vodenlich rejoined the staff.

In his sixteen years as head baseball coach Miller compiled a record that ranks among the elite in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III circles. Miller's cumulative record is 381-217-4, a winning percentage of .636. According to the NCAA, Miller is thirtieth among all active Division III coaches in winning percentage, and thirty-ninth in number of victories. The Warhawks have never had a losing season under Miller, and the span includes Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in 2000 and 2001, and berths in the NCAA III championship tournament in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2000, and 2001. Under Miller's guidance players have earned First Team All-WIAC honors 72 times, 49 have been named NCAA III all-region, and 9 reached All-American status. Eleven Warhawks have signed professional baseball contracts. Miller was honored as the WIAC Baseball Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2001, earned NCAA III Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors in 1989, and has been named College Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin High School Baseball Coaches Association three times (1988, 1990, 2000). Respected among his peers, Miller has served on NCAA III ranking and All-American committees. In the spring of 2002, Miller was honored by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award. In February he will become just the sixth college coach inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

John is the husband of Jennifer Bollis, a former UW-Whitewater basketball player who teaches physical education and coaches women's basketball at Kettle Moraine High School. Mr. and Mrs. Vodenlich have a daughter, Emma, and son Samuel.

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UW-Oshkosh's Mancuso Named National Hitter of the Week

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) has released its NCAA Division III National Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards for the period ending March 23.

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh outfielder Vince Mancuso (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) was named the National Hitter of the Week, while Worcester State College (Mass.) sophomore A.J. Hatton won the Pitcher of the Week honors. A panel of Division III NCBWA members reviews candidates from each Division III Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

In nine games during UW-Oshkosh's spring trip to Wichita, Kansas, Mancuso batted 21-for-33 (.636), with five home runs, three doubles, 21 runs scored and 17 RBIs. The Titans went 8-1 on the trip with a
season-opening 43-5 drubbing over Huron University (S.D.). In that game, Mancuso went four-for-four with 6 RBIs, two doubles and five runs scored. Included in UW-Oshkosh's eight victories were a win over second-ranked (NAIA) Oklahoma City University (Okla.) and a doubleheader sweep of perennial Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) power St. Olaf College (Minn.).

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Former UW-La Crosse Graduate Rottino Signs Contract With Brewers

RELEASED: Wednesday, February 5, 2003

La Crosse, Wis.--Vinnie Rottino, a 2002 UW-La Crosse graduate, has signed a minor league baseball contract as a catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers. Rottino will report to the Brewers' spring training site - Maryvale Park in Phoenix, Arizona, later this month.

A 2002 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) First Team All-American at shortstop, Rottino was also an ABCA All-Midwest Region First Team selection for the second consecutive season. He was named the WIAC Position Player of the Year last year after setting UW-L single-season records in at-bats (195), hits (80), runs (57), home runs (15) and doubles (19). Rottino finished his career first in at-bats (587), hits (199), runs (129), doubles (50) and home runs (23). He ranks second in career RBI (120).

“I really felt I deserved a chance to get drafted or signed as a free agent last summer, but this is a dream come true,” says Rottino. “I grew up watching the Brewers and had my room filled with Robin Yount and Paul Molitor posters,” added Rottino.

His .759 slugging percentage in 2002 was the second highest in single-season school history while his .410 batting average was seventh best. Rottino had 50 RBI last year, third most in school history.

Rottino, a native of Racine, had at least two hits in 30 of 44 games in 2002 and at least one hit in 37 contests. He hit safely in 63 of his last 76 games and had an extra-base hit in 28 of 44 games last year.

Rottino, the 2002 WIAC Scholar-Athlete, was also selected to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America College Division First Team. He earned Verizon Academic All-America Second Team honors in 2001. Rottino graduated with a 3.98 grade point average, majoring in chemistry and minoring in mathematics.

Rottino completed his first semester at the University of Wisconsin's Rennebohm Pharmacy School in Madison last fall.

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UW-Whitewater's Endl Named Preseason Player of the Year

RELEASED: Thursday, February 13, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater junior Brady Endl has been named the preseason NCAA Division III Player of the Year by Baseball America magazine. Endl also earned preseason All-America recognition at first base from the magazine. In addition, he was tabbed as the number two professional prospect in NCAA Division III.

Endl earned All-America Third Team and All-Midwest Region First Team accolades last season, after accumulating a .353 batting average, 39 runs batted in, 29 runs scored, 13 home runs and a .723 slugging percentage. His home run total and slugging percentage ranked third in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), while his runs batted in total ranked ninth.

Endl was also a valuable pitcher last season for the Warhawks during the 2002 campaign, compiling a 5-2 record with a 4.23 earned run average and 50 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched.

Endl became the first player since 1990 to earn All-WIAC honors at two positions when he was named as a pitcher and first baseman last year.

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UW-Whitewater's Jim Miller Announces Retirement

RELEASED: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 (Written By: Tom Fick, UW-W Sports Info.)

Whitewater, Wis.--Jim Miller, a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater intercollegiate athletics staff since 1969 and head baseball coach for the last sixteen years, has announced his retirement. Miller will coach the Warhawks through the completion of the 2003 season, and continue to teach in the University's health, Physical Education and Coaching Department until the end of the semester.

"I told my players at out first meeting of the year, for the first time in 34 years I'm a senior," Miller said. "I've always preached to seniors that you give it all you have because there is no tomorrow, whereas the coaching staff can always group and come back. This isn't about winning one for the Gipper, or a farewell tour for Jim Miller, it's about getting out there and doing it for yourself and having the best year that you can."

"Will there be a void when it's over? Definitely, but I can also guarantee you that I'm tired. If we end practice at 6:00, clean up by 6:30, and then come back at six o'clock in the morning, I know how exhausting that schedule gets when you're 61 years old."

While Miller began employment at UW-Whitewater in 1969, his association with the school goes back much farther. Miller was born and raised in Whitewater, and graduated from UW-W in 1965. He received a master's degree in physical education from Winona State (MN) in 1966, and taught and coached in For Atkinson and Watertown school districts until coming back to Whitewater.

"Coach Miller has served this great university with distinction in a number of capacities for over thirty years," UW-W director of athletics Shawn Eichorst said. "His dedicated and loyal service, particularly as a head baseball coach, will be missed and very difficult to replace. It has been an honor to work with Coach Miller, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Miller's tenure at UW-Whitewater has covered a wide range of responsibilities.

"I came here with the promise that I would be the stadium director and director of ticket sales, except the football stadium wasn't built yet, so I had to do something for a year or so", Miller explained. "I was equipment manager, sorted and organized things for a year. When Eli Corgan came here as basketball coach during the 1970-71 season I became the assistant. He quit the day the 1974 season started, and although I wasn't ready for the head basketball coach I was in the right place at the right time. I spent four years as the basketball coach, and then Mark Peterson asked if I wanted to be the assistant baseball coach. I did that for six years and ten he made an abrupt move to another job. I was really content being the assistant baseball coach, but I thought I might as well throw my hat in the ring. I got hired and we've had great success ever since."

In his sixteen years as head baseball coach Miller compiled a record that ranks among the elite in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III circles. Miller's cumulative record is 381-217-4, a winning percentage of .636. According to the NCAA, Miller is thirtieth among all active Division III coaches in winning percentage, and thirty-ninth in number of victories. The Warhawks have never had a losing season under Miller, and the span includes Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in 2000 and 2001, and berths in the NCAA III championship tournament in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2000, and 2001. Under Miller's guidance players have earned First Team All-WIAC honors 72 times, 49 have been named NCAA III all-region, and 9 reached All-American status. Eleven Warhawks have signed professional baseball contracts. Miller was honored as the WIAC Baseball Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2001, earned NCAA III Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors in 1989, and has been named College Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin High School Baseball Coaches Association three times (1988, 1990, 2000). Respected among his peers, Miller has served on NCAA III ranking and All-American committees. In the spring of 2002, Miller was honored by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award. In February he will become just the sixth college coach inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

Miller, however, is quick to share the credit for the success of Warhawk baseball.

"We've been successful at Whitewater for three reasons," he said. "First, I've always understood that this is just a game. No matter what happens in the game, when it's over the score is never going to change. Five years from now the people that played in the game can't even remember what happened. The little blooper over the second baseman's head is a line drive off the wall. Nobody is dying; the sun will come up tomorrow. Second, it is important to have good players, and we've been fortunate to have good players here. Finally, you need to be surrounded by good people. I've worked with great assistant coaches and support from the chancellor and other administrators, the athletic directors, staff like business manage, trainer and sports information. These people have always been Whitewater people that have pilled together to make the job easier."

Miller's unique perspective, from a variety of angles over a number of years, has allowed him to witness changes in intercollegiate athletics.

"One of the biggest changes in Division III has been the percentage of time we devote to carious parts of the job," said Miller. "When I started here it was 25% recruitment and 75% coaching - but the job is now 25% recruitment, 25% coaching, and 50% raising money just to keep up with the Joneses. And we have been very fortunate for the support we've received. The money to renovate the baseball facilities, to go to Florida for games early spring, whatever it took to get it done, we've done it. We really have a first class baseball facility."

When Miller refers to the baseball facility he isn't just talking about Prucha Field and the baseball service building. Baseball, as is the case with most other sports at UW-W, has benefited from the renovation of the Williams Center and the new Kachel Fieldhouse.

"The players who weren't around before the Kachel Fieldhouse was built, I'm not even sure they'd appreciate the facilities we have now," Miller commented. "What a tremendous difference it is, going from having half a small gym until wrestling season is over and the getting the basketball gym after basketball is over-which, fortunately for them, was well into March because they did so well-then we'd have two weeks on a gym floor before leaving for our games. Now we go in the Kachel Fieldhouse, and John (Vodenlich, assistant coach) mentions all the distractions with track and softball sharing the facility with us, and all I have to do is remind him of the days when he played. Out players now take the facilities for granted, but what we have at UW-W certainly makes out jobs easier."

Over the course of twenty years with collegiate baseball Miller has also seen a major change in baseball equipment.

"When we moved from wood to aluminum bats it was fine, but then we couldn't resist trying to invent a better mousetrap," said Miller. "We had a great aluminum bat in the old Easton and the old black magic bat, the ones used from about 1987 to 1993. They were very close to wood, and then all of a sudden I think gold screwed up baseball. They started making clubs of aluminum with a big rebound effect, and all of a sudden the bat companies began making bats with a big rebound effect. But I don't think wood is ever going to cut it because of expenses. One year we went through 120 bats. The way they were breaking we could have had a big bonfire."

Although he hesitates to name special players or favorites, a moment in time is fresh in his memory.

"When I look back over my time as baseball coach, certainly 1989, which was early in my career, beating UW-Oshkosh at Oshkosh in the regional o get to the Division III World Series stands out," Miller acknowledged. I really said I was not going to get into talking about individual players, but there were a lot of players on that squad that really kicked it up a notch when they had to. We won the regional championship game with Jeff Olsen hitting three home runs, Tom Bonlander hitting a three-run home run- but the story behind that is that particular game is that we had zero pitching staff left. We had a team meeting at the eleventh hour. Bob Wickman had pitched two days before and Darrell Rupnow had pitched the day before. But Bob said 'I'll give you all I've got', and Rupnow said 'whatever it takes'. Wickman pitched 5 innings on 36 hours rest and Rupnow pitched the final 4 innings on less than 24 hours rest and they got the job done. That's always been special."

Miller's association with the University won't end when he gives his last final exam or the last out is recorded in the 2003 baseball season.

Miller explained, "I won't be an employee of the University in terms of picking up a paycheck, but I've talked with Shawn, and we're thinking of doing some things in the athletic department. I've been chairman of the UW-W Athletic Hall of Fame for a number of years, which is really more time consuming than a lot of people know. I can devote more time to that, and work with Shawn and Bob (Lanza, assistant director of athletics) on some fundraising things. I'm going to try to keep myself active. I may be stopping work, but Carol (wife, UW-W's director of financial aid) is still going to work so I've got to do something. I love golf, but you can only play golf for six months or so, so I'm going to keep busy doing something."

Miller's Baseball Record
1987 26-9-1 overall, 7-4 WIAC
1988 18-16-0 overall, 7-5 WIAC
1989 28-15-0 overall, 7-5 WIAC... NCAA III tournament berth, World Series
1990 25-14-0 overall, 8-4 WIAC
1991 23-13-0 overall, 8-4 WIAC... NCAA III tournament berth
1992 17-11-0 overall, 5-7 WIAC
1993 27-11-1 overall, 8-4 WIAC
1994 26-9-1 overall, 9-3 WIAC
1995 19-16-1 overall, 7-5 WIAC
1996 22-16-0 overall, 8-4 WIAC
1997 21-13-0 overall, 6-8 WIAC
1998 22-16-0 overall, 8-6 WIAC
1999 20-20-0 overall, 6-8 WIAC
2000 27-16-0 overall, 11-3 WIAC... WIAC champions... NCAA III tournament berth
2001 31-1-0 overall, 12-2 WIAC... WIAC champions... NCAA III tournament berth
2002 27-11 overall, 18-7 WIAC

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UW-Whitewater's Jim Miller Named To Hall of Fame

RELEASED: Tuesday, January 7, 2003

Whitewater, Wis.--The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association has named Jim Miller, baseball coach at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, to the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. An awards luncheon will be held on February 15, 2003 in Madison to honor the new inductees.

Miller is one of only six college coaches to be named to the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, and the first since 1988. Other college coaches in the Hall of Fame are Tom Meyer (University of Wisconsin, 1988), Bill Terry (University of Wisconsin, 1986), Red Oberbrunner (UW-Parkside, 1985), Russ Tiedemann (UW-Oshkosh, 1983), and Dynie Mansfield (University of Wisconsin, 1979). Along with Jim Miller, two high school coaches will be inducted this February; Dennis Overby (Chetek) and Jerry Toubl (Brookfield East).

Coach Miller admits that it is "nice to be recognized" for the achievements of a great program at UW-Whitewater. In his 16 seasons as the head baseball coach, Miller has had more victories than any other baseball coach in school history (381), and an average of twenty-four wins per season. He was also recognized with the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association College Coach of the Year award in 1998, 1990 and 2000. Warhawk teams have never had a losing season under Miller's guidance, and UW-W has earned a National Collegiate Athletic Association III postseason berth seven times (1989-90-91-93-00-01-02). Miller has coached players to first team all-conference honors 72 times, all-region honors 50 times, all-American status 10 times and has coached 11 players that have signed professional contracts.

Miller began his career in education and coaching at UW-W in 1969, and over the 33-year span has held many positions. He has served the university as director of sports services, facilities director, men's basketball coach, summer camp coordinator, and department chair of both Health Physical Education and Recreation, and the Department of Coaching (an academic unit now merged with HPER). He is an assistant professor in the HPERC Department in addition to his baseball duties.

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