Hawks can't escape the Twilight Zone in season ending loss

Most people refer to Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton as the “home of the NCAA Division III World Series. For “Warhawk nation” it is being called the “twilight zone” on the heels of the UW-Whitewater baseball team’s strange 4-2 loss to Chapman University (California) Sunday.

How strange was the loss? Three of the four UW-Whitewater base runners were picked off by Chapman pitcher Christian Maietta. Also, a normally solid Warhawk defense committed four errors in the game.

"I can't sugarcoat it," UWW head coach John Vodenlich said following the game. "We played poorly. We had four errors. We got three guys picked off. And we got five hits.

Maietta picked shortstop Andrew Eichstaedt off second in the first inning. He got Donovan at first in the second inning and caught senior rightfielder Daniel Putnam napping at first in the fourth inning.

(In the adjacent photo the scoreboard tells the story - Tom Pattison photo)

Incredibly, following the laundry list of miscues, Whitewater was in position to win the game.

Trailing 3-0 in the seventh inning, Jeff Donovan got the Hawks back in the game on one swing. The senior drilled a two-run homer to left field to draw his team within one run.

On the mound for the final time in his Warhawk baseball career, Riley Tincher deserved a better fate. Two of the three runs allowed by the big lefthander in were unearned. The senior pitched his way out of trouble three times keep the game close.

"He was not the reason we lost today," Vodenlich said. "Again, it's four errors and three picked off players. When you play that type of baseball, sometimes you can't overcome it."

His team tried by getting the tying run to second base with one out in the 8th inning with one out. Pinch hitter Sam Keller his a rocket line drive off Maietta – but right at Chapman 1st baseman Mark Saatzer.

In the ninth inning, Donovan drew a two out walk, but was stranded on 1st base when Brent “Aussie” Young gounded to 2nd base to bring a curtain down on the season for the Warhawks.

Whitewater finishes the year with an outstanding 37-13 record.

Much more reaction and analysis will be posted Monday morning here on voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com.

CLICK HERE for UWW-Chapman box score

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Sunday's UWW vs Chapman game has been moved to 940 WFAW

ATTENTION WARHAWK BASEBALL FANS...

Sunday's (today's) UW-Whitewater Division III World Series game broadcast WILL HE HEARD ON AM-940 WFAW.

Due to a conflict with the Indianapolis 500 Sunday's (today's) UW-Whitewater Baseball game at the College World Series will be heard on 940 WFAW starting at 11:50.

CLICK HERE to listen to game via audio stream

Warhawks to face Chapman (CA) Sunday at 12-noon at DIII World Series

The UW-Whitewater baseball team is set to play Chapman University (CA) Sunday in 2011 Division III World Series action at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.

Chapman drew No. 1 ranked Marietta (Ohio) in Saturday’s winner’s bracket action.

Austin Blaski was dominant on the mound as the Pioneers defeated Chapman 9-4 in Day 2 of the Division III Baseball Championship. Blaski had eight strikeouts and overcame two errors of his own to advance Marietta to the winner’s bracket final

Meanwhile, the team that beat UW-Whitewater on Friday night - Buena Vista, unranked entering the NCAA Tournament, will play in the winner’s bracket championship after the Beavers defeated Keystone 8-5 in a winner's bracket game at the 2011 Division III Baseball Championships.

Buena Vista, following the path blazed by Central Regional champion Illinois Wesleyan in 2010, will play Marietta on Sunday night in a game scheduled for 6 p.m.

Future Warhawks too much for current Warhawks

The UW-Whitewater was fresh off staying alive in the 2011 NCAA Division III World Series with an 8-3 victory over Western New England College Saturday afternoon at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.

Following the game the Hawks were quick to jump on the Van Galder Warhawk Express motor coach back to the team hotel – right?

Wrong! Less than 24 hours after its emotional 5-4 loss to Buena Vista in opening round action, the UW-Whitewater baseball team hung around the stadium to enjoy the elimination bracket win with family and friends.

Jefferson County Daily Union sports editor Jeff Seisser called me to say there was a postgame wiffle ball game going on out in the parking lot.

For about an hour, some Warhawk players and friends played a wiffle ball game with some "future Warhawks," including Sam Vodenlich, son of Warhawk baseball coach John Vodenlich; Tyler Seisser, son of Daily Jefferson County Union sports editor/photographer Jeff Seisser; and Landon and Lindsay Leipold, children of Warhawk head football coach Lance Leipold.

You think the kids will have memories of playing wiffle ball against the Warhawks in years to come?

Final score: Future Warhawks 75, Current Warhawks 0!

Seniors played key role in the Hawks 8-3 win over Western New England College

The one thing I have discovered over my many years of blogging here on voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com and over on warhawkfootball.com is the importance of senior leadership.

The senior leadership has been outstanding on this 2011 Warhawk team. Dan Putnam, Rob Coe, Riley Tincher and Jeff Donovan have played plenty of “championship caliber” baseball wearing a Warhawk baseball uniform. That leadership has stood out as brightly as Kim Kardashian’s $2 million engagement ring leading up to and during Saturday’s 8-3 elimination bracket victory over Western New England College (MA).

Less than 24 hours after suffering an emotional, bottom of the ninth inning loss to Buena Vista (IA) in 1st round NCAA Division III World Series action, the Hawks arrived back at Fox Cities Stadium Saturday morning relaxed and looking forward to exorcizing the “demons” from the previous day.

Prior to the game, as the Hawks were standing in front of the dugout waiting for the NCAA to send them out for pregame infield. I look down from the press box and there is Rob Coe and Jeff Donovan dancing to the music out of the Fox Cities Stadium public address system.

“It’s our senior year and we didn’t want to go into the game too tight,” Coe said following the game. “Jeff and I have had fun all year. It wasn’t our first dance. You gotta do what you’ve been doing all year because we still have a chance to win this thing (D III title)."

For Donovan, it is making sure everything is left out on the field win or lose this weekend.

“We went into the game realizing how great a season we’ve had and it could end today (Saturday), Donovan tells voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com. “We’ve talked about from here on out, everyone’s going to continue to lay it on the line. You are going to see some great baseball from us.”

Now back to the senior leadership aspect to this story. The seniors took the challenge of elimination bracket baseball from the “get-go” vs. WNEC.

Senior Dan Putnam opened the bottom of the first inning with a walk. Senior Rob Coe hit a grounder through the left side to put runners on the corners, and senior Jeff Donovan drilled a triple to the wall in right center for a 2-0 lead. One pitch later Donovan came home on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

How’s that for the UWW seniors leading the way?

The seniors were back at it again in the sixth. Coe walked, and Donovan hit his school record twenty-second double of the season to plate Coe. Kevin Jeffries came on to replace WNEC starter Zach Cloft, and Warhawk third baseman Jared Fon greeted him with a double to score Donovan and build the Whitewater lead to 5-2.

It was Putnam again in the seventh, hitting a sharp single back up the box and taking second on a ball that got tangled in the catcher's legs. Andrew Eichstaedt walked. Putnam then took off for third and the catcher's attempt to throw him out sailed into left field. Putnam scored and Eichstaedt moved to second. Coe knocked in Eichstaedt with a single. Coe moved to second on a ground out, and scored on Brent Young's single to increase Whitewater's lead to 8-2.

You’re final senior scorecard reads: Donovan and Coe with two hits. Donovan's were both extra base hits, and he drove in three and scored twice. Coe scored three times, and Putnam scored twice and was on base twice.

Another of the UWW seniors is expected to get his opportunity in Sunday’s elimination bracket game vs. Chapman (CA). Riley Tincher will likely be on the mound for the Warhawks for the 12-noon start at Fox Cities Stadium.

CLICK HERE for 5/28 Warhawk postgame press conference

Hawks bounce back in big way with win over Western New England College

The UW-Whitewater baseball team fought off the disappointment of Friday night’s loss to Buena Vista (Iowa) with a stress-free, 8-3 victory over Western New England (Mass) Saturday in second day action at the NCAA Division III World Series at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.

The Hawks played error-free baseball while pounding out nine hits, including three for extra bases, a left just six runners on base vs. WNEC compared to the 12 left on base Friday night.

The top of the batting order was outstanding, as the top four in the order combined to go 6-for-14 with eight runs scored and four RBI. Danny Putnam went 1-for-4 with two runs scored, Andrew Eichstaedt went 1-for-3 with a run scored and Rob Coe was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI.

(In the adjacent photo - UWW's Rob Coe catches a glance back at his dugout after lacing one of his two hits in Saturday's 8-3 Warhawk win over Western New England College at the NCAA Division III World Series in Appleton - photo courtesy of Jeff Seisser, Daily Jefferson County Union)

Jeff Donovan, less than 24 hours after seeing his team fall short vs. Buena Vista, let his bat talk Saturday afternoon.

The senior out of Wauwatosa East High School wasted little time putting Whitewater on the board. The Warhawk first baseman crushed a triple that bounced just in front of the 405-foot marker on the right-center field wall. Danny Putnam and Rob Coe scored on the play.

Donovan scored one pitch later on a passed ball to put UW-W up, 3-0.

In the sixth inning “J-Doe” did it again, lacing a double to nearly the exact same spot as his first inning triple. Coe scored from first base on the play.

Putnam stole third in the bottom of the seventh and scored a throwing error by the Golden Bear catcher. Later in the frame, Andrew Eichstaedt scored on Coe's RBI single. Coe came home on Brent Young's RBI base hit two batters later.

Coe, an Appleton North High School graduate, was 2-for-3 in front of his home-town crowd. Jared Fon added a 2-for-4 effort on the day as well.

UW-Whitewater stating pitcher, Justin Lamber,t turned in a gem, pitching seven innings of two-run ball.

"He's really pitched well down the stretch," Vodenlich said of the right-hander, starter who ate up seven innings. "(No. 1 starter Riley) Tincher's going to be in the mix for us, and we're going to need them all."

Mathew Roberts took care of the eighth inning, setting down Western New England in order. Jack Larsen closed out the game in the ninth after surrendering one run.

According to veteran Warhawk coach John Vodenlich, when you are in the “elimination bracket” of a double-elimination tournament the task at hand is simple – to survive and advance.

"Hopefully, we're here for a while," Vodenlich said. "It's an elimination game from this point on. Our guys know that our back is against the wall."

Next up for Whitewater is a 12-noon game Sunday vs. the loser of Saturday night’s Marrietta (Ohio) vs. Chapman (California) game.

CLICK HERE for Whitewater - Western New England Box Score

More coming up following prime rib at Texas Roadhouse

- Voice

Hawks roll to 8-3 win over Western New England University at D III World Series

Whitewater bounces back big Saturday afternoon to defeat Western New England University 8-3. More to come following postgame media conference.

Voice