RELEASED:   Monday, March 30, 2009

UW-Whitewater Picked To Win Women’s Softball Crown

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the defending league champion, is the preseason favorite to win the 2009 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s softball title, according to the league’s sports information directors.

The Warhawks, who entered the 2009 campaign ranked No. 1 in a preseason poll conducted by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, received five first-place votes in the conference predictions.  UW-Whitewater has accumulated 23-plus wins in 16 of the last 18 years and made 13 NCAA Division III appearances in program history, including last season’s second-place finish at the national tournament.

The 2008 squad posted WIAC single-season records with 68 home runs and a .553 slugging percentage, while senior Suzanne Gersich had 56 RBI a year ago - the second-highest total in league listings.  Sophomore Jessica Stang was named the WIAC Co-Pitcher of the Year last season. Head coach Brenda Volk entered the season needing eight wins to reach 300 in her career and become just the second coach in conference listings to reach the milestone.

UW-Eau Claire, the defending NCAA Division III national champion, captured three first-place votes and entered this season ranked No. 2 nationally.  The Blugolds’ national crown was the first for a WIAC program since UW-Stevens Point in 1998.  UW-Eau Claire has received a NCAA bid three straight years and recorded 33-plus victories four consecutive seasons.  The Blugolds have reached double-digits in WIAC triumphs five straight years.  Sophomore Jenny Ross’ 27 wins in 2008 represent the second-best mark on conference single-season chart.

UW-Superior secured the remaining first-place vote in the league poll, but is slotted for seventh in the race.  The Yellowjackets won the WIAC regular-season trophy in 2002, while capturing the WIAC tournament crown in 2004.  Head coach Roger Plachta is the winningest coach in program listings with 168 triumphs.  The Yellowjackets did not play one home game in 2008.

UW-Oshkosh has won 24-plus contests four straight seasons and claimed the WIAC tournament crown a year ago.  The Titans return four of their top six hitters from last season, including junior Whitney Tornow, who led the squad in batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.  UW-Oshkosh loses the services of three-time WIAC Pitcher of the Year recipient Ronessa Stampfli, who finished with 1,109 career strikeouts - the seventh-best total in NCAA Division III history - and an 1.00 career earned run average.

UW-La Crosse set single-season school records with 37 home runs, 241 runs scored and a .321 batting average in 2008, while tying the school mark with 193 RBI.  The Eagle pitching staff posted the second-most strikeouts in team history with 214.  Sophomore Rachel Weyer established school single-season records with 62 hits and 38 runs scored.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Tom Henke begins his first season with the program.  He was the head coach of the Plover-Whiting Youth Athletics league team since 1993 and head coach of the Plover-Whiting tournament team since 2000.  The Pointers have posted 20-plus wins 15 consecutive seasons.

UW-River Falls’ 18-player roster in 2009 features 11 freshmen.  Senior Mindy Rudiger has started all 128 games in her career and owns the Falcon career records with 26 home runs and 80 walks.  The Falcons had a .972 fielding percentage in 2008 – the best mark in conference history.

UW-Platteville led the NCAA Division III in home runs per game during the 2008 campaign with 49 in 35 games, but only two players who went deep return.  Senior Tera Burr holds almost every Pioneer career batting record, including batting average (.441) and home runs (21).  Her .943 slugging percentage last season ranks a third-highest total in WIAC history.

UW-Stout returns five of its top 10 batters from a year ago and has a four-pitcher rotation for the first time since 2001.  Head coach Chris Stainer is the longest tenured (11 years) and winningest (156 wins) coach in program history.

2009 Preseason Predictions (Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors)
                                                    2008 Record
1. UW-Whitewater (5)             14-2, 39-11
2. UW-Eau Claire (3)                10-4, 36-11
3. UW-Oshkosh                       10-3, 32-11
4. UW-La Crosse                      8-8, 22-19
5. UW-Stevens Point               8-6, 24-11
6. UW-River Falls                     8-8, 29-13
7. UW-Superior (1)                   2-12, 14-23
8. UW-Platteville                      7-8, 14-21
9. UW-Stout                              0-16, 7-29
( )--First-place votes

Team Vitals (Entering the 2009 season)
UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach: Leslie Huntington; 8th season at UWEC; 205-96
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  14/7
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  6/3
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  4/2
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  2/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Bri Sturm, Sr., RHP (2007-First); Jenny Ross, So., LHP (2008-First)

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach: Chris Helixon; 9th season (4th at UWL); 105-150-1 (overall) / 53-66 (UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/7
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  6/3
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  2/3
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  2/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Rachel Croak, Jr., OF (2008-Honorable); Rachel Weyer, So., OF (2008-Honorable)

UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach: Cindy Suess; 5th season at UWO; 119-54-1
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  5/9 
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  4/4
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  0/2
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  0/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Whitney Tornow, Jr., OF (2008-First); Sydney Wyss, So., SS (2008-Honorable)

UW-Platteville
Head Coach: Heather Townsend; 4th season at UWP; 40-71
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  7/15
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  2/8
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  0/3
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  0/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Tera Burr, Sr., 2B (2006-First, 2007-First, 2008-First)

UW-River Falls
Head Coach: Jody Gabriel; 2nd season at UWRF; 29-13
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  7/9
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  4/5
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  0/2
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  0/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Mindy Rudiger, Sr., SS (2006-Honorable, 2007-First, 2008-First)

UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Tom Henke, 1st season at UWSP
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  13/6
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  4/6
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  1/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  2/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Kayla Kastenmeier, Jr., RHP (2008-Honorable)

UW-Stout
Head Coach: Chris Stainer; 12th season (11th at UWS); 174-255 (overall) / 156-230 (UWS)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  8/12
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  5/4
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  2/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  0/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Nelly Peterson, Sr., 1B (2008-Honorable)

UW-Superior
Head Coach: Roger Plachta; 9th season at UWS; 168-142
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/4
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  7/3
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  1/2
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  1/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Becky Crane, Sr., SS (2007-First, 2008-First); Jen Parchem, Jr., C/IF (2007-Honorable)

UW-Whitewater
Head Coach: Brenda Volk; 11th season at UWW; 292-140-4
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  20/11
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  7/2
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  3/2
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  1/0
Returning All-WIAC:   Suzanne Gersich, Sr., OF (2006-First, 2007-First, 2008-Honorable); Amy Gahl, Sr., OF (2007-Position Player of the Year, 2008-First); Lauren Cruz, Jr., OF (2008-First); Amanda LeBeau, Jr., SS (2008-First); Jessica Stang, So., RHP (2008-Pitcher of the Year); Ashley Smith, Sr., 2B (2007-Honorable); Dianna Frisbie, Sr., RHP (2006-Honorable)