2006 WIAC Baseball Headlines

UW-Stevens Point's Zimmermann and Brehm Land Baseball All-America Honors

RELEASED: Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Jordan Zimmermann and Chuck Brehm have been named to the 2006 NCAA Division III American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-America Team. Zimmermann was a second team choice, while Brehm received third team status.

The pair is the fifth and sixth All-Americans in UW-Stevens Point history, joining Gary Kostuchowski in 1997, Paul Molitor and Bill Verbrick in 2002 and Steve Wiczek in 2005. They led the Pointers to a 35-18 record and a fifth-place finish at the national championship in Grand Chute.

Zimmermann, a sophomore pitcher and designated hitter from Auburndale, Wis., was recognized as a utility player. He was named the WIAC Pitcher of the Year and ABCA Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year after leading the league with a 2.28 earned run average, 103 strikeouts, 87.0 innings pitched and a .172 opponent batting average. Zimmermann also had a league-best eight complete games and 11 starts.

Brehm, a senior outfielder from Spencer, Wis., earned the WIAC Position Player of the Year award after leading the league with 16 home runs, 29 stolen bases and 63 runs scored, while ranking second with 71 hits and third with 48 runs batted in. He finished his career second in school history with 36 home runs and 53 stolen bases.

UW-Stevens Point was one of just seven schools to have more than one player among the 50 All-American selections.

The ABCA also announced a 50-member All-Midwest Region Team and joining Zimmermann and Brehm on the 15-member first team were: UW-La Crosse's Andy Podmolik, UW-Stevens Point's Jake Frombach and UW-Whitewater's Eddie Adamson.

Among the 17 second team selections were: UW-Platteville's Ross Bennett, UW-Stevens Point's Doug Coe and UW-Whitewater's Adam Dominick, Mike Jacobson, Ben Prather and Jordan Stine.

UW-Oshkosh's Josh Shere and Jim Ziegler, UW-Stevens Point's Josh Perkins and UW-Stout's Seth Maier were recognized on the 18-member third team.

The All-Midwest Region Team included individuals representing teams from the WIAC, Lake Michigan Conference, Midwest Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. All first team selections were eligible for the All-America Team.

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UW-Stevens Point's Brehm Named to Academic All-America Baseball Team

RELEASED: Monday, June 5, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Chuck Brehm has been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Baseball Second Team.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from around the country and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Brehm, a senior outfielder from Spencer, Wis., claimed Academic All-America Third Team honors a year ago and is the only baseball Academic All-America selection in school history. He is majoring in physical education and holds a 3.88 grade point average and was named the WIAC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award winner a year ago. Brehm is a two-time recipient of the school's physical education major of the year award and earned the male athlete of the year prize for the 2005-06 academic year.

Brehm was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-America Third Team and the WIAC Position Player of the Year this season after leading the conference with 16 home runs, 63 runs scored and 29 stolen bases, while finishing second with 71 hits and third with 48 runs batted in. His 29 stolen bases established a school single-season record. Brehm finished his career second in school history with 36 home runs and 53 stolen bases.

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UW-Stevens Point's Run Comes to an End in Baseball Championship

RELEASED: Sunday, May 28, 2006

Grand Chute, Wis.--In a tournament run that included 10 straight victories when facing elimination, UW-Stevens Point's bid for an 11th came up just short as the Pointers lost a tough-fought 5-4 game to Wheaton College (Mass.) on May 28 in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium.

Trailing by four runs heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Pointers (35-18) showed how they won 10 straight games when facing a do-or-die situation. Catcher Doug Coe hit a hard line drive past the second baseman for a base hit with one out to start the rally. Coe was lifted for pinch runner Joel Hojnacki who stole second as Adam Evanoff struck out to leave the Pointers with one out left in their season. Senior Chuck Brehm gave UW-Stevens Point a huge lift as he hit his team-leading 16th home run of the season to left field to draw the Pointers within two at 5-3. Designated hitter Jordan Zimmermann followed the Brehm home run working a bases loaded walk. Tim Schlosser plated Zimmermann with a long single to left center to bring the winning run to the plate for UW-Stevens Point. Unfortunately for the Pointers that was the end of the rally as Brandon Scheidler struck out to end the game.

"Our guys weren't going to give up, we had them on the ropes," Pointers head coach Pat Bloom said. "To bring the winning run to the plate says a lot about our character."

Wheaton took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Travis Anthoine hit the first of his two doubles to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved him to third, Jake Yagjian grounded out to first to plate the games first run. Anthoine finished three-for-three with two runs driven in batting in the nine hole.

Wheaton added to their lead in the top of the fifth as Anthoine worked a lead off walk after Pointers starter Travis Kempf got ahead of him 0-2. Anthoine moved to second on a wild pitch and on to third by another sacrifice by Rafael Castillo. Yagjian picked up his second RBI of the day with a run-scoring single to second.

Kempf pitched five and one-third innings for UW-Stevens Point allowing all five runs on nine hits as he struck out seven. Jeff Zielke pitched the final three and two-third innings for the Pointers giving up only two hits with four punch outs.

"Travis threw well, he didn't deserve that fate." Bloom said. "They got it done when it mattered."

UW-Stevens Point responded in the bottom of the fifth inning. Evanoff walked to start the frame and quickly moved to second as Brehm was hit by a pitch. Zimmermann squared to bunt and advance the runners with no one out, but he found a hole on the right side of the infield for the Pointers first hit of the game. With the bases loaded Schlosser hit into a six-four-three double play to cut the deficit to 2-1.

In the top of the sixth, Wheaton took advantage of a Pointers miscue and some timely hitting to increase their lead. The Lyons got back-to-back singles to lead off the inning and advanced them into scoring position with their third sacrifice bunt of the game. After Brandon Leonard walked to load the bases, Anthoine singled to left just out of the reach of a jumping shortstop Jake Frombach to plate a pair. With a 4-1 lead, the Lyons attempted a suicide squeeze that was missed by Castillo, but the Pointers failed to tag out the runner as he made it back to third safely. Castillo proceeded to single to center to make it a 5-1 Wheaton lead.

UW-Stevens Point opened the eighth with pair of base runners as Schlosser singled and Scheidler was hit by a pitch. With two on and no one out, Frombach hit a ground ball down the third base line that was turned into a five-three double play. Nat Richter grounded out to end the inning. The Pointers grounded into three double plays in the game and left five runners on base. Schlosser was the only Pointer with two hits as the team had six, a night after the offense rolled for 14 hits.

Wheaton (40-9) improved to 10-1 in one-run ball games this year as the Pointers fell to 2-11 in games decided by one run.

Louie Bernardini threw eight and one-third innings for Wheaton before leaving after the Coe single in the ninth. Bernardini improved to 6-2 allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five. Jamie Baker who entered the game with a 1.17 earned run average, allowing only three earned runs all year, surrendered the Brehm home run and allowed two earned runs before recording the final out.

"We're going to miss our seniors" Bloom said after the game, talking about Brehm, Frombach, Richter and Josh Perkins. Bloom spoke highly of the team's family atmosphere and the seniors that he referred to as "quality individuals" that the team was "proud of and loved."

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Pointers Win 10th Straight Elimination Game

RELEASED: Saturday, May 27, 2006

Grand Chute, Wis.--A day after he found himself on the short end of a pitchers duel, Jordan Zimmermann used his bat to help spark the UW-Stevens Point's offensive attack in a 12-3 victory over Aurora University (Ill.) on May 27 in the NCAA Division III Championship at Fox Cities Stadium.

Zimmermann highlighted a five-run fourth inning for the Pointers as he hit the team's first home run of the World Series this year driving a 1-0 fastball over the wall in left center field. Adam Evanoff started the scoring with a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield scoring Ryan Byrnes who led off the inning with a walk. After the Zimmermann home run, Nat Richter reached on an fielder's choice driving in Tim Schlosser.

"I got ahead in the count and was looking for a fastball middle in," Zimmermann said. When asked what he preferred to do more, pitch or hit, Zimmermann replied, "I like pitching better...but I like hitting too."

Zimmermann also added a run-scoring single in the fifth inning as he batted three-for-four on the afternoon while scoring three times. With the victory, the Pointers have now won 10 straight games when facing elimination this season.

UW-Stevens Point's offense cranked out 14 hits off of five Aurora pitchers while scoring all 12 of its runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. It marked the Pointers' second all-time victory in the World Series as the team went 1-2 in its only other appearance in 1997, beating Bridgewater State (Mass.) by an identical 12-3 count.

"I think for us in any game it's important to get an early lead," said UW-Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom. "We tend to get into a little comfort zone when we get up early, and with a guy like Josh (Perkins) on the mound, we are able to play the game at more of a relaxed pace."

Perkins pitched a tough six innings to earn his seventh victory of the year as the Pointers improved to 35-17. Perkins came back to start the fourth inning after a 35 minute rain delay. He also had to start throwing again in the bullpen after a long offensive fourth inning. Perkins gave up one run on just four hits, scattering five walks and striking out three.

"I felt better after the rain delay," Perkins said. "The rain didn't bother me that much."

Coach Bloom appreciated the tough effort from Perkins as well. "I know for any pitcher that's a tough thing to do to have to sit that long, and he already had to sit through a long inning for us offensively. But he is the type of pitcher that when a team tries to gain momentum he's able to settle down, find his rhythm, and get tough outs in those situations."

After the Zimmermann run-scoring single opened the Pointers scoring in the fifth, Zimmermann stole second as Chuck Brehm stole home to complete the perfectly executed double steal. Jake Frombach added a two-run scoring single as the Pointers tallied six runs on four hits in the frame.

Scholosser completed the Pointers scoring with his second hit of the day, scoring Zimmermann with a base hit in the sixth. Evanoff also had a two-hit day as five different players had a multi-hit game for UW-Stevens Point.

Aurora scored a pair of runs in the ninth on a soft liner to center by Jay Zimmerman. Tyler Lorenz pitched the final three innings for UW-Stevens Point picking up his first save of the year. Lorenz allowed two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.

UW-Stevens Point will play tomorrow at noon against the loser of Wheaton and Chapman.

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UW-Stevens Point to Face Uphill Battle for Third Straight Weekend

RELEASED: Friday, May 26, 2006

Grand Chute, Wis.--For the third straight weekend, UW-Stevens Point will have to fight off elimination as it lost to Marietta College (Ohio) 2-1 on Friday, May 26 at Fox Cities Stadium in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Championship.

The Pointers (34-17) lost both game one of the WIAC tournament and the NCAA Division III regional but won four straight games to win the conference title and five straight to capture the regional title.

"We are confident knowing we have a club to come back tomorrow and play good baseball," Pointers head coach Pat Bloom said, referring to his team being in an all too familiar position. "We aren't doing this on purpose."

In a game that featured a pair of work horses on the mound, both starters went deep into the game and each had 11 strikeouts. Jordan Zimmermann threw his third consecutive complete game for the Pointers, yet suffered his fifth loss of the season. In Zimmermann's five losses this year, the Pointers have scored a total of seven runs. UW-Stevens Point is now 2-10 in one-run games this year as all three post-season losses have been by one run. Zimmermann allowed one earned run on four hits while walking one and hitting a batter.

Marietta scored first in the top of the fourth as Justin Steranka singled to right driving in Ryan Belanger who doubled to right center to lead off the inning. Zimmermann nearly picked off Belanger on a close play at second, but Belanger was ruled safe. Steranka later stole second and advance to third on a throwing error by the Pointers before scoring on a sacrifice fly to left by Joe Litke.

UW-Stevens Point responded quickly as it scored in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Senior Nat Richter executed a perfect drag bunt to the right side of the infield and then advanced to second on a wild throw by the second baseman. Richter scored on a single to left center by Adam Evanoff. Unfortunately for the Pointers that would be all the scoring for the evening.

Mike Eisenberg pitched eight strong innings to improve to 12-2 on the year. Eisenberg allowed one unearned run on just four hits. Mike DeMark came on in the ninth, after Eisenberg allowed Coe's leadoff hit, to notch his first save of the season.

Richter led off the bottom of the sixth when he reached on a high fly ball to left field that was lost in the lights by Josh Beebe. Ryan Byrnes followed with a walk to give the Pointers a pair of base runners with no one out. Doug Coe showed bunt on the first two pitches of his at bat before pulling back and slapping a 2-0 pitch to the second baseman who turned the double play unassisted to end the threat. Evanoff grounded out to end the inning.

Doug Coe singled to lead off the ninth to put the tying run on base for the Pointers. With pinch runner Joel Hojnacki running on a 1-1 pitch, Evanoff popped a bunt up to the third baseman who quickly doubled up Hojnacki at first. Chuck Brehm singled to left with two-outs and proceeded to steal second on a pitchout, but Tim Schlosser struck out swinging to end the game.

The second largest single-game crowd was in attendance as 2,467 fans, primarily in purple and gold, came out to the game.

"We were pleasantly surprised with how many people made the trip," Coe said after the game. "We were excited to play in front of them."

UW-Stevens Point will play Aurora, Ill. tomorrow at 1:15. Aurora lost to Montclair State 7-2 in its first round game.

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FSN North to Televise WIAC Baseball Tournament Championship Game

RELEASED: Monday, May 22, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Fox Sports Net North has reached an agreement to televise the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Tournament championship game, which was held on Sunday, May 14 at Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

The broadcast was produced by Madison-based When We Were Young Productions and will be shown on Thursday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. Aaron Sims will call the play-by-play and Bill Brophy will provide analysis of the game.

UW-Stevens Point defeated UW-Whitewater, 12-2 in 8 innings, in the championship contest and earned the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Pointers claimed the regional tournament title and advanced to this weekend's World Series, which will be held at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis.

FSN North reaches more than 3 million homes throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North and South Dakota and telecasts nearly 2,600 hours of locally produced programming per year. The Emmy Award-winning regional sports network provides comprehensive coverage of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks, MLB's Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers, the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx well as the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin athletic events.

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UW-Stevens Point Upends Ripon Twice to Earn World Series Berth

RELEASED: Saturday, May 20, 2006

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point upended Ripon College twice today at the NCAA Division III Wisconsin Rapids regional at Witter Field to earn a spot in the World Series, which begins on May 26 in Grand Chute, Wis. The Pointers won the first game, 7-4, and then captured the decisive second game 6-4.

This marks the fourth straight season that a team from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) will participate in the NCAA Division III World Series. UW-Whitewater competed in the event the last two years, while UW-Oshkosh earned a trip in 2003. The Warhawks claimed the national championship last season.

The Pointers hung on for a 7-4 win in the opener and then used a two-run homer from Chuck Brehm in the bottom of the eighth inning of the second game for a 6-4 win. UW-Stevens Point is now 34-16 and makes its second trip to the World Series, having also appeared in 1997. The Pointers will take on Marietta (Ohio) in the opening round on Friday at 7:45 p.m. at Fox Cities Stadium.

Top-seeded Ripon ended its year 34-7 and won 30 of its last 34 games with all four losses coming to UW-Stevens Point, which also swept the Red Hawks in a regular season doubleheader on April 25.

The Pointers lost their opening game of the regional and then won five straight games, including two victories on both Friday and Saturday. The run came on the heels of last weekend when the team won four straight games after an opening round loss in the WIAC Tournament on the same field.

"I'd like to know another team in the country that's done what we've done," UW-Stevens Point coach Pat Bloom said. "We've got great kids with great character and great resolve."

"When our back's against the wall, we just bear down and find a way to get it done," Brehm said. "We all have so much confidence in ourselves and each other that we know we can get it done."

Pointers' pitcher Jordan Zimmermann threw a complete game in the second victory, matching a single-game school record with 15 strikeouts. The sophomore allowed just five hits and four runs on two days rest, earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors. He had 13 strikeouts in the team's opening round loss to St. Scholastica on Wednesday. In fact, the record strikeout total marked the third time in the last 19 games that a UW-Stevens Point pitcher had 15 strikeouts.

"I was planning on getting it started and going as long as I could," said Zimmermann, who totaled 25 and two-thirds innings over the last eight days. "In about the seventh or eighth, adrenaline just took over."

Brehm, who was three-for-20 in the tournament entering the second game, hit two home runs and finished three-for-four to lead the Pointers.

In fact, all of the game's runs were scored on home runs as catcher Eric Schwendimann provided all of Ripon's offense with a solo home run in the second inning and a three-run shot that put the Red Hawks ahead 4-2 in the sixth. UW-Stevens Point got solo homers from Adam Evanoff in the second and Brehm in the fourth. Brandon Scheidler then tied the game in the seventh with a two-run blast to centerfield.

The Pointers missed a golden chance to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Jake Frombach doubled after Scheidler's homer and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt with nobody out. However, Red Hawks' pitcher Andy Kemped used two groundouts and a fly ball to escape the jam.

In the eighth, Evanoff was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Brehm pulled back a bunt attempt on the first pitch and Schwendimann attempted to pick off Evanoff at first base. The throw sailed into right field, allowing Evanoff to reach second. Brehm then opted to swing away and drilled a long home run over the scoreboard in right-center field for the game-winner.

The win came in the Pointers' second straight trip to the regional final and third in five years. Ripon made its second regional final appearance, falling short of the World Series in the 2001 final.

In the opening game victory, UW-Stevens Point relievers Jeff Zielke and Josh Perkins both worked out of tight jams and stranded 12 Ripon baserunners as the Pointers stayed alive in the NCAA Division III regional with a 7-4 win over the Red Hawks in the regional final round on Saturday in Wisconsin Rapids.

The Pointers' win set up a second championship game later on Saturday and snapped Ripon's 13-game winning streak.

Zielke entered the game with his team trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning and got a pair of outs to escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam. The Pointers then put together a pair of three run innings before another Red Hawks' rally in the eighth. Zielke hit the first batter and then three straight hits plated a pair of runs and put runners at first and second with one out. Perkins came on to get a pop out and then struck out Red Hawks' sluggers Tyler Haddock and Eric Schwendimann to end the threat.

Ripon's Bob Abel opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Pointers' starter Mike Thrun in the second inning. The Pointers got a sacrifice fly from Nat Richter in the third inning to cut the lead to 2-1. Zielke then held the Red Hawks without another run until the eighth, striking out seven in three and two-thirds innings for the victory. In fact, UW-Stevens Point's pitchers struck out 13 batters in the game.

The Pointers rallied in the fifth as Jordan Zimmermann tied the game with a leadoff home run. Brandon Scheidler walked and scored on an error later in the inning and Ryan Byrnes hit a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 advantage.

UW-Stevens Point tallied three more runs in the sixth with a pair of clutch two-out hits. Jake Frombach lofted a single into shallow left field to drive home the first run and then Richter ripped a two-run single to right-center for a 7-2 advantage.

Perkins, pitching on one day's rest, retired all six batters faced and struck out three for his third save of the season.

The Red Hawks, whose most recent defeat came to UW-Stevens Point in a doubleheader sweep on April 25, were led by Bob Abel at three-for-three with three RBI's. Frombach was three-for-five for the Pointers.

Nick Collins pitched a complete game for Ripon, allowing 10 hits and five earned runs.

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Kempf Tosses Complete Game to Help Pointers Advance

RELEASED: Friday, May 19, 2006

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point eliminated University of St. Thomas (Minn.) from the NCAA Division III Wisconsin Rapids regional with a 6-2 win at Witter Field on May 19.

The Pointers will face St. Olaf College (Minn.) at 7:00 p.m. today for the opportunity to square off against Ripon College (Wis.) in the regional championship on May 20.

St. Thomas was eliminated from its 13th appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament and finished with a 31-11 record.

UW-Stevens Point got on the board in the fourth when Doug Coe lined a two-out single to left to score Nat Richter.

UW-Stevens Point's Jake Frombach led off the sixth with a double and scored on Ryan Byrnes' single to right center. Coe followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Chuck Brehm who walked.

The Pointers displayed their home run power in the seventh and eighth innings as Brandon Scheidler belted a solo shot to left in the seventh and Byrnes greeted new Tommie pitcher Lonnie Robinson with a solo blast to center in the eighth. Coe contributed another solo shot to right center in the eighth for his third run batted in of the contest.

Travis Kempf tossed the complete game for UW-Stevens Point to improve to 5-2 on the season. He scattered seven hits, struck out four batters, allowed no earned runs and didn't allow a Tommie runner to reach third base until the ninth.

Riley Bosch took the loss for the Tommies to fall to 4-3 on the year. He threw seven innings and struck out eight batters.

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Early Lead Pushes Pointers Past Kohawks in NCAA Baseball Regional

RELEASED: Thursday, May 18, 2006

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.--UW-Stevens Point scored runs in each of the first five innings, taking advantage of nine walks and five hit batters in a 16-5 win over Coe in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III regional baseball tournament on May 18 at Witter Field.

The Pointers, who improved to 30-16 for the season, are now 20-0 when scoring in double figures this year. The 30-win campaign is the Pointers' sixth in the last 10 years. They face St. Thomas in another elimination game on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Coe ends its season with a 27-19 overall record.

UW-Stevens Point scored in the first inning on a run-scoring single by Ryan Byrnes and then got a two-run single from Jake Frombach in the second inning and a sacrifice fly by Nat Richter for a 4-0 advantage.

Coe added two runs in the third inning and nearly had a third on an unusual play that proved to be an early turning point in the contest. Chad Kramer, who reached on a run-scoring fielder's choice, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on another wild pitch. The second wild pitch went back to the fence in front of the Pointers' dugout on the third base side where catcher Doug Coe was unable to find it.

Kramer raced around third and attempted to score, but Pointers' pitcher Josh Perkins sprinted to the ball and flipped to Coe, who tagged out Kramer on a close play at the plate.

In the bottom of the third, the Pointers used the momentum to score six runs on two hits as Coe led off with a double and scored on a wild pitch and then, after three walks and a hit batter gave UW-Stevens Point another run, Ryan Byrnes delivered a grand slam for a 10-2 lead.

The Pointers scored their runs on just 12 hits, taking advantage of the wild Kohawks' pitching. Overall, the two teams combined for 13 walks, six hit batters, seven wild pitches and a passed ball.

Four UW-Stevens Point pitchers combined to limit the Kohawks to five hits with Perkins allowing three hits and two earned runs over five innings for the win. Kramer took the loss for the Kohawks.

Byrnes drove in five runs for UW-Stevens Point, while Frombach and Chuck Brehm each had three RBI's as each member of the trio had a pair of hits.

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UW-Stevens Point's Brehm and Zimmermann Lead All-WIAC Baseball Selections

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Chuck Brehm and Jordan Zimmermann were voted the Position Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, to lead the 20 individuals voted to the 2006 all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Team by the league coaches.

This marks the fifth time in conference history that individuals from the same team have secured the two awards. The Pointer duo joins UW-Oshkosh's Vince Mancuso and Jordan Timm (2003), UW-Whitewater's Pat Tobiasz and Ryan Brookman (1998), UW-La Crosse's Kelly Olson and Joe Ohm (1997) and UW-Oshkosh's Erik Morrell and Andy Kimball (1997) as teammates to win the conference's top prizes.

Brehm and Zimmermann led UW-Stevens Point to the WIAC Tournament crown for the second straight year and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Pointers also posted 25 or more wins for the 10th consecutive season.

Brehm secured first team accolades for the second straight year after receiving honorable mention honors in 2004. He leads the conference with 13 home runs, 25 stolen bases and 114 total bases, while ranking second with 53 runs scored, 176 at-bats and 207 total plate appearances, fourth with 61 hits, fifth with a .648 slugging percentage, sixth with 40 runs batted in and seventh with 22 walks.

Brehm set the school single-season stolen base record with 25 and his 13 home runs make him the first player in WIAC history with at least 10 homers and 20 steals. He ranks second in school history with 33 home runs and 49 stolen bases.

He has recorded a hit in 35 of 44 games, including 22 multi-hit contests and compiled a team-best 17-game hitting streak. Brehm recorded a season-high five hits against UW-Superior on May 5 and season-best five runs batted in against UW-La Crosse on April 9.

Zimmermann leads the WIAC with a 1.92 earned run average, 13 earned runs allowed and a .182 opponent batting average, while placing second with 64 strikeouts and sixth with 61.0 innings pitched. He has pitched at least seven innings in seven of his eight starting assignments and struck out a season-high 14 batters against UW-Platteville on April 1. Zimmermann was a honorable mention pick a season ago.

Joining Brehm and Zimmermann on the first team were teammates Jake Frombach, Josh Perkins and Adam Evanoff. Frombach secured first team status for the third straight year after receiving honorable mention honors in 2003. This season, he leads the conference with 75 hits, 217 total plate appearances and 192 at-bats, while placing fourth with a .391 batting average and 48 runs scored and fifth with 14 stolen bases. He is the school's all-time hits leader and ranks fourth in WIAC history with 230 hits. Frombach also holds the school record and places third on the league chart with 629 career at-bats.

Perkins earned first team honors for the first time since 2003 after missing the last two seasons serving in Iraq. He leads the league with 72 strikeouts, while ranking second with a .216 opponent batting average and two saves, third with 65.2 innings pitched and sixth with a 3.43 earned run average and five wins. Perkins set a school record with 15 strikeouts against UW-Oshkosh on May 13.

Evanoff places third on the team with 11 doubles, fourth with 141 at-bats and fifth with a .340 batting average and 48 hits.

UW-Whitewater's Eddie Adamson, Ben Prather, Jordan Stine, Adam Dominick and Mike Jacobson claimed first team recognition after helping the Warhawks to their fourth straight regular season title and sixth in the last seven seasons.

Adamson earned first team accolades for the second straight season after leading the WIAC with 55 runs batted in and 54 runs scored, while ranking second with 17 doubles, third with 202 total plate appearances, fourth with 61 hits, fifth with seven home runs, 167 at-bats, 99 total bases and 23 walks, eighth with a .593 slugging percentage and ninth with a .458 on-base percentage.

Prather places third in the league with 65 hits, three triples, 171 at-bats and 100 total bases, fifth with 201 total plate appearances, sixth with 46 runs scored, seventh with 11 stolen bases, eighth with a .380 batting average and 38 runs batted in and 10th with a .585 slugging percentage. He orchestrated a 25-game hitting streak this season, which ranks as the fourth-longest stretch in WIAC history.

Stine is third in the conference with a .397 batting average, fifth with a .475 on-base percentage and sixth with 12 stolen bases.

Dominick leads the association with seven wins, while placing third with 59 strikeouts and 10 games started and eighth with 57.1 innings pitched and a .264 opponent batting average.

Jacobson ranks fourth in the WIAC with a 3.02 earned run average, fifth with a .248 opponent batting average and 20 earned runs allowed, sixth with five wins, seventh with 59.2 innings pitched and eighth with 36 strikeouts.

UW-Oshkosh's Josh Shere, Bryan Schwebke and Jim Ziegler helped the Titans win at least 27 games for the 24th time in the last 26 seasons. Shere earned first team status for the third time in his career. He received the honor in 2004 while playing for the Titans and during the 2003 campaign when he played at UW-Whitewater. This season, he leads the WIAC with 19 doubles, a .517 on-base percentage and 37 walks, while ranking third with 49 runs scored, 44 runs batted in, 202 total plate appearances and 100 total bases, fourth with 61 hits, fifth with a .386 batting average, sixth with a .633 slugging percentage and ninth with 158 at-bats.

Schwebke places second in the association with five triples, fourth with 168 at-bats, seventh with 56 hits and ninth with 184 total plate appearances. He was a honorable mention choice in 2004.

Ziegler ranks second in the conference with 70.0 innings pitched and two saves, third with a 2.70 earned run average and 14 appearances, fifth with 40 strikeouts, sixth with five wins and a .258 opponent batting average and seventh with 21 earned runs allowed.

UW-Stout registered 16 overall wins for the second straight year and had Matt Krause, Seth Maier and Tim Schneider receive first team accolades. Krause places third in the league with a .680 slugging percentage, fifth with seven home runs and 10th with a .455 on-base percentage.

Maier secured first team status for the second straight season and third time in his career. He also received the honor during the 2003 campaign. This year, he ranks second in the conference with 45 runs batted in, fourth with eight home runs and a .664 slugging percentage, sixth with a .385 batting average and 12 doubles, seventh with 95 total bases, eighth with 55 hits and a .458 on-base percentage.

Schneider led the team with nine stolen bases, while ranking second with 11 doubles and third with 25 runs batted in and fifth with a .336 batting average.

UW-La Crosse's Andy Podmolik and Justin Bach helped the Eagles record the most wins (22) since the 2002 squad had 26 victories. Podmolik captured first team honors for the second straight year after receiving honorable mention status in 2004. This season, he leads the conference with a .418 batting average, while placing second with 69 hits, a .497 on-base percentage and 26 walks, fourth with 48 runs scored and 16 stolen bases, sixth with 165 at-bats and 12 doubles, seventh with 191 total plate appearances and eighth with 92 total bases. Podmolik ranks fourth on UW-La Crosse's all-time list with 174 career hits, 110 runs scored, 31 doubles and 46 stolen bases.

Bach ranked third on the team with nine doubles and 47 hits and fourth with 29 runs scored. His .370 batting average is 10th in the WIAC. Bach was a honorable mention selection in 2003 and his 177 career hits rank third on the school's all-time list.

UW-Platteville's Ross Bennett and Mike Flood helped the Pioneers string together back-to-back seasons at .500 or better for the first time since 1992-93. Bennett leads the WIAC with a .720 slugging percentage, while ranking second with 10 home runs and 103 total bases, third with three triples, fourth with 42 runs batted in, sixth with a .385 batting average, .471 on-base percentage and 12 doubles and eighth with 55 hits. He tied a school single-game record with five hits against UW-La Crosse on April 16.

Flood led the Pioneers with 144 at-bats, while finishing second with 43 hits, 29 runs batted in and four home runs, fourth with seven doubles and fifth with a .299 batting average.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-La Crosse's Joe Bemis, Steve Ems, Tony Peterson, John Stetzenbach and Matt Zurbriggen, UW-Oshkosh's Adam Bretl, Brandon Burgert, Mickey Fadness and Adam Roos, UW-Platteville's Jason Watson, UW-Stevens Point's Doug Coe and Ryan Hopkins, UW-Stout's Scott Decker and Luke Schultz, UW-Superior's Billy Tafs and UW-Whitewater's Nick Teach.

UW-La Crosse head coach Chris Schwarz was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches after directing the Eagles to a 22-19 overall record and 15-9 mark in WIAC contests. The 22 wins marked a 10-game improvement from a year ago. Schwarz has compiled a 34-46-1 overall record in his two years at UW-La Crosse.

2006 All-WIAC Baseball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Eddie Adamson, Whitewater, Senior, Utility, Wheaton, Ill.
Justin Bach, La Crosse, Senior, Secondbase, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln)
Ross Bennett, Platteville, Sophomore, Outfield, Mequon (Homestead)
Chuck Brehm, Stevens Point, Senior, Centerfield, Spencer
Adam Dominick, Whitewater, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Waukesha (West)
Adam Evanoff, Stevens Point, Junior, Firstbase, Plover (SPASH)
Mike Flood, Platteville, Junior, Catcher, Madison (LaFollette)
Jake Frombach, Stevens Point, Senior, Shortstop, Stratford
Mike Jacobson, Whitewater, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Oak Creek
Matt Krause, Stout, Sophomore, Catcher, Bonduel
Seth Maier, Stout, Junior, Shortstop, Park Falls
Josh Perkins, Stevens Point, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Two Rivers
Andy Podmolik, La Crosse, Junior, Centerfield, Phillips
Ben Prather, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Shaumburg, Ill. (Conant)
Tim Schneider, Stout, Sophomore, Centerfield, West Salem (Onalaska Lutheran)
Bryan Schwebke, Oshkosh, Junior, Outfield, Oshkosh (West)
Josh Shere, Oshkosh, Senior, Shortstop, Janesville (Craig)
Jordan Stine, Whitewater, Freshman, Outfield, Merrill
Jim Ziegler, Oshkosh, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Eden (Campbellsport)
Jordan Zimmermann, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Auburndale

Honorable Mention
Joe Bemis, La Crosse, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Stoughton
Adam Bretl, Oshkosh, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Sturgeon Bay (Southern Door)
Brandon Burgert, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Catcher, Oshkosh (West)
Doug Coe, Stevens Point, Junior, Catcher, Appleton (North)
Scott Decker, Stout, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Eau Claire (Memorial)
Steve Ems, La Crosse, Junior, Thirdbase, Waterford (Union)
Mickey Fadness, Oshkosh, Freshman, Secondbase, Eau Claire (Memorial)
Ryan Hopkins, Stevens Point, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Libertyville, Ill. (Carmel)
Tony Peterson, La Crosse, Junior, Firstbase/Designated Hitter, Savage, Minn. (Burnsville)
Adam Roos, Oshkosh, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada (Hammarskjold)
Luke Schultz, Stout, Junior, Secondbase, Menomonie
John Stetzenbach, La Crosse, Senior, Shortstop, Waukesha (Wisconsin Lutheran)
Billy Tafs, Superior, Sophomore, Outfield, Hermantown, Minn.
Nick Teach, Whitewater, Senior, Infield, New Berlin (Eisenhower)
Jason Watson, Platteville, Senior, Thirdbase, Boscobel
Matt Zurbriggen, La Crosse, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Onalaska

Position Player of the Year: Chuck Brehm of Stevens Point
Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Zimmermann of Stevens Point
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: John Stetzenbach of La Crosse
Coach of the Year: Chris Schwarz of La Crosse

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UW-La Crosse's Stetzenbach Named Baseball Scholar-Athlete

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's John Stetzenbach has been named the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete.

Stetzenbach, a senior from Waukesha, Wis. (Wisconsin Lutheran H.S.), is majoring in accounting and maintains a 3.97 grade point average. He was recently named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five Second Team. Stetzenbach has been recognized on UW-La Crosse's Dean's List numerous semesters and received academic scholarships from his institution.

Stetzenbach secured all-WIAC honorable mention status this season after batting .293 with seven doubles, two home runs, 27 runs batted in and 24 runs scored.

He is a member of the Golden Key International and Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Societies. Stetzenbach becomes the fifth baseball student-athlete from UW-La Crosse to claim the conference's top scholastic honor, joining Vinnie Rottino (2002), James DeCremer (2001), Kelly Olson (1998) and Kurt Chapman (1996).

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference from July, 1971 - July, 1993.

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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Pointers Fall to St. Scholastica in Opening Game of NCAA Baseball Regional

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.--For the second consecutive year, College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) defeated UW-Stevens Point in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament as the Saints defeated the Pointers 4-3 on May 17 at Witter Field.

The Saints took advantage of limited opportunities against Pointers' pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, scoring four runs on just four hits and leaving no runners on base in the game.

UW-Stevens Point scored first with a run-scoring single by Adam Evanoff in the top of the fourth inning. St. Scholastica tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Chad Weiss led off with his third home run of the season.

Kyle Wojtysiak gave the Saints the lead for good with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning. Doug Coe hit his 11th home run of the year to bring the Pointers within one at 3-2, but Luke Olin hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to regain the two-run cushion.

Evanoff led off the eighth inning with a home run to complete the scoring at 4-3. Mark Moriarty picked up his ninth victory of the season as he pitched six and one-third innings. Moriarty allowed two earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven.

Adian Kummet earned his third save of the year as he closed out the final two and two-third innings allowing only one run on two hits with three strikeouts. The Pointers drew a two-out walk in the top of the ninth, but Ryan Byrnes flew out to the warning track in left field to end the game.

Zimmermann pitched the complete game for UW-Stevens Point, giving up four runs on four hits with 13 strikeouts. St. Scholastica will play again at 8 p.m. tonight against top-seed Ripon. UW-Stevens Point will next play on Thursday night at 8 p.m.

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UW-Stevens Point to Host NCAA Baseball Regional

RELEASED: Monday, May 15, 2006

Madison, Wis.--After winning three games in one day at Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids on Sunday, May 14, UW-Stevens Point will return to the venue next week as the host of the NCAA Division III regional baseball tournament.

The Pointers, who are 29-15 after beating UW-Whitewater twice and UW-La Crosse once on Sunday, open regional play against a familiar foe in College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) on Wednesday. UW-Stevens Point also played the Saints in last year's regional opener and lost 5-3 before bouncing back for an 18-3 win later in the tournament.

The winner of Wednesday's game plays top-seeded Ripon College. Other first-round games have second seed St. Olaf College (Minn.) taking on seventh seed Dominican University (Ill.) and third seed University of St. Thomas (Minn.) meeting sixth seed Coe College (Iowa).

It marks the first time UW-Stevens Point has ever hosted an NCAA regional. The Pointers are making their eighth tournament appearance, including their seventh in the past 10 years. UW-Stevens Point advanced to the regional finals in its past two appearances in 2005 and 2002.

Wisconsin Rapids is hosting an NCAA regional for the first time ever. Witter Field has been the site of the 2005 and 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournaments with UW-Stevens Point winning the title each year.

NCAA Division III Regional
at Witter Field, Wisconsin Rapids
Wednesday, May 17
Game #1--UW-Stevens Point (29-15) vs. St. Scholastica (36-4), 9:30 a.m.
Game #2--St. Olaf (28-8) vs. Dominican (21-19), 1 p.m.
Game #3--St. Thomas (29-9) vs. Coe (26-17), 4:30 p.m.
Game #4--Ripon (31-5) vs. UW-Stevens Point/St. Scholastica winner, 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 18
Game #5--Loser Game #2 vs. Loser Game #3, 9:30 a.m.
Game #6--Winner Game #2 vs. Winner Game #3, 1 p.m.
Game #7--Loser Game #4 vs. Winner Game #5, 4:30 p.m.
Game #8--Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #6, 8 p.m.

Friday, May 19
Game #9--Winner Game #4 vs. Winner Game #6, Noon
Game #10--Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #8, 3:30 p.m.
Game #11--Loser Game #9 vs. Winner Game #10, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 20
Game #12--Winner Game #9 vs. Winner Game #11, Noon
Game #13, if necessary--same teams as Game #12, 4 p.m.

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Two Claim Academic All-District Baseball Team Honors

RELEASED: Friday, May 12, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) student-athletes have been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Baseball Team. UW-Stevens Point's Chuck Brehm was named to the first team, while UW-La Crosse's John Stetzenbach was a second team selection.

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

Brehm, a senior outfielder from Spencer, Wis., was an academic all-america third team selection in 2005 and was named the WIAC Max Sparger scholar-athlete award winner a year ago. He is a two-time recipient of the school's physical education major of the year award and earned the male athlete of the year prize for the 2005-06 academic year.

Brehm currently leads the WIAC with 12 home runs and 23 stolen bases, while ranking second with 48 runs scored, fourth with a .667 slugging percentage, fifth with 37 runs batted in and 22 walks and eighth with 54 hits. He ranks second in school history in career stolen bases and fourth in career home runs.

He is now eligible for the Academic All-America team, which will be announced on May 30.

Stetzenbach, a senior shortstop from Waukesha, Wis. (Wisconsin Lutheran H.S.), is majoring in accounting and boasts a 3.97 grade point average.

He is currently hitting .306 (41-of-134) with 22 runs scored, seven doubles, two home runs and 25 runs batted in. His 25 RBIs are tied for third on the team and he has at least one hit in 23 contests this season, including 12 multi-hit games.

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UW-Whitewater Claims Fourth Straight Baseball Championship

RELEASED: Saturday, May 6, 2006

Whitewater, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater claimed its fourth straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Championship with a 7-4 victory over UW-La Crosse on May 6 at Prucha Field.

The conference title for the Warhawks is the 10th in school history (2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1965, 1960, 1958 and 1957), and sixth in the last seven seasons.

UW-Whitewater scored three runs in the bottom of the first as Mike Jacobson hit a three-run homerun. UW-La Crosse scored twice in the third inning on Andy Podmolik's run-scoring double and John Stetzenbach's RBI groundout scoring.

The Eagles tied the game in the fifth on Ben Fraser's sacrifice fly scoring Schmidt, but the Warhawks scored twice in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Tony Peterson scored on a wild pitch in the sixth for UW-La Crosse, but UW-Whitewater scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Storm Gram and a sacrifice fly by Matt Schliewe for its 7-4 lead.

Andrew Keller tossed his first complete game of the season for UW-Whitewater to improve to 4-1 on the season. He scattered six hits and struck out three. Jacobson had four RBIs for the Warhawks, while Eddie Adamson, Jason Rutz, Gram and Schliewe each had two hits.

Ross Benitz suffered the loss for the Eagles, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing 10 hits, seven runs and two walks while striking out one.

Schmidt finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Peterson was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Podmolik extended his hitting streak to 16 games with the third inning double.

UW-Whitewater also earned the top seed in the WIAC Tournament for the fourth straight season. The conference tournament will be held at Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin on May 12-13.

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UW-Stevens Point's Perkins to be Featured on Fox Sports Net's "NCAA On Campus"

RELEASED: Wednesday, April 15, 2006

Stevens Point, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point baseball pitcher Josh Perkins will be featured on this month's edition of "NCAA On Campus," which airs on Fox Sports Net nationwide. The show will air locally on Fox Sports Net Wisconsin on Tues., April 11 at 2 p.m.

Perkins, a 26-year old senior from Two Rivers, missed the past two seasons while serving in the U.S. military in Iraq. He was a first-team all-conference pitcher for the Pointers in 2003 and was granted an extra year of eligibility for this season. Perkins (formerly Blaha) was married last summer and his wife, Christine, a UW-Stevens Point graduate, also served in Iraq and will be featured on the show.

Game footage was filmed in Perkins' debut this season against Augustana (Ill.) at Port Charlotte, Fla. Additional footage was taken on campus in Stevens Point and during last week's game against UW-Platteville when Perkins pitched a seven-inning shutout.

The show began in 2003 and highlights all NCAA-sponsored sports. The Fox Sports Net crew travels to college and university campuses throughout the United States for show interviews and feature stories. The show airs at various times on Fox Sports Net across the country. A complete listing of times is available at NCAAsports.com.

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UW-Oshkosh's Lechnir Becomes WIAC's All-Time Winningest Coach

RELEASED: Monday, March 20, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Tom Lechnir became the all-time winningest baseball coach in WIAC history when UW-Oshkosh scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat 24th-ranked Wheaton College (Mass.), 5-4, on March 18 in Port Charlotte, Fla.

Lechnir has compiled a 538-170-1 record (.760 winning percentage) during his 18 seasons as UW-Oshkosh's head baseball coach. Saturday's coaching victory over the Lyons puts him one win above Terry Petrie who guided UW-Stout to a 537-401 record during a 30-year period from 1971-2000.

Lechnir's resume while coaching UW-Oshkosh is filled with several milestones. He has directed the Titans to one NCAA Division III title, nine NCAA Division III World Series appearances, 10 WIAC championships and 15 27-plus wins seasons.

In addition, Lechnir has had 22 of his former UW-Oshkosh players sign professional baseball contracts, including current major leaguers Jack Taschner of the San Francisco Giants and Jarrod Washburn of the Seattle Mariners. He also has five other former players currently involved on minor league baseball teams.

Lechnir, a Mosinee native who graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 1983, has led UW-Oshkosh to six victories in its first nine games of 2006 season.

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UW-Stevens Point's Bloom and UW-Whitewater's Vodenlich to be Honored by WBCA

RELEASED: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom and UW-Whitewater head coach John Vodenlich will be honored by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association at the organization's upcoming clinic on Feb. 10-11 at the Madison Mariott (Middleton) Hotel and Convention Center. Bloom will receive the Wisconsin College Coach of the Year award, while Vodenlich will be given the Wisconsin Baseball's Man of the Year honor.

Bloom led the Pointers to their winningest season in school history with a 38-11 record and the WIAC Tournament championship last year. UW-Stevens Point also led the NCAA Division III with 93 home runs during the 2005 campaign. In two seasons, Bloom has guided the Pointers to a 63-27 record, which already ranks fifth on the school's all-time wins list.

Vodenlich led UW-Whitewater to the NCAA Division III national championship in 2005 and their fifth WIAC regular season title in the last six years. The Warhawks set school records for wins (45), winning percentage (.865), runs scored per game (10.4), hits per game (12.13) and shutouts (8) in a season, while leading the NCAA Division III with a .363 batting average and 10.4 runs scored per game.

Vodenlich completed his second season at the helm of the Warhawks in 2005 and owns a 84-16 record.

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Former Blue Devil Takes on Minnesota Twins Hitting Duties

RELEASED: Thursday, October 27, 2005

Minneapolis, Minn.--Former University of Wisconsin-Stout player, coach and Blue Devil Hall of Famer Joe Vavra has been named the hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins.

Vavra has been the Twins minor league coordinator for the past four seasons. Prior to coming to the Twins, Vavra coached UW-Stout for the 2001 season, leading the Blue Devils to a 22-10 overall record and producing All-American Brad O'Connell.

Before returning to Stout, Vavra spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization as a player in the minor league system, then the next 13 as a coach, manager or instructor.

Vavra replaced Scott Ullger, who was reassigned as the third base coach. Vavra fills a spot on the staff created by the departure of third base coach Al Newman.

Vavra will be in charge of helping the Twins out of their worst hitting doldrums in more than two decades. As a team, Minnesota batted only .259, its worst average since 1982.

Vavra was inducted into the UW-Stout Hall of Fame in 1995. During his Stout career from 1980-82, the Chippewa Falls native set a school record for highest career batting average (.402) and ranks in the top 10 of six career statistical lists. The Blue Devils' leading hitter in 1980, 81 and 82, Vavra, a shortstop, was an honorable mention All-American in 1982 and was all-WSUC and All-District in 1981 and 1981.

With the Twins, Vavra was the team's minor league field coordinator for the last four years where he was in charge of evaluating players and staff, supervising on-field instruction and overseeing daily workouts in Florida during spring training and throughout the season.

Vavra continues to reside in Menomonie with his wife Lesa and three sons, Tanner, Treysen and Terrin.

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UW-La Crosse Names Schwarz Head Baseball Coach

RELEASED: Monday, August 29, 2005

La Crosse, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has named Chris Schwarz its head baseball coach. Schwarz served as interim head coach last season, leading the Eagles to a 12-27-1 overall and 9-15 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record. He served as an assistant coach at UW-L in 2003 and 2004 under George Williams. Schwarz was also an assistant football coach for the Eagles in 2002 and 2003.

He was head baseball coach of the Manitowoc (Wis.) Bandits Semi-Professional Team from 2002-2003. A member of the Wisconsin State League Baseball Association, Manitowoc had back-to-back winning seasons under Schwarz finishing 39-22 in 2002 and 41-19 in 2003.

Schwarz earned his bachelor’s (2002) and master’s (2004) degrees from UW-L. He was a four-year baseball letter winner for the

Eagles and was named to the 2002 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team after pitching in a school record 19 games. He went 2-1 with a 4.32 earned run average and had a team-leading seven saves in 2002, tied for second-most in single-season school history.
Schwarz is second in career saves at UW-L with 10. A member of two WIAC Championship teams (1998, 2000), Schwarz was the Eagles’ team captain in 2002.

He also earned three letters with the UW-L football team and was a member of the conference champion squad in 1999. Schwarz was named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll in 2001 and 2002.

He served as a sport administrative intern with the La Crosse (Wis.) Loggers Baseball Organization in 2004.

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