The UW-Whitewater baseball team is wrapping up its annual spring break trip to Florida in mid-70's temperatures. The Hawks will open the home portion of the schedule Saturday afternoon with a double-header vs. Ripon College at brand new James B. Miller Stadium.
Naming the stadium for Miller reflects his long-time role in UW-Whitewater’s baseball program and the Intercollegiate Athletic Department. Miller served as head baseball coach for 17 years and retired as coach in 2003 after setting a school-record 416 victories. He has never had a losing season during his coaching career at Whitewater. He remains with the department, beginning his 41st year. He is a three-time Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association College Coach of the Year and a three-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
Miller led the Warhawks to seven NCAA Division III play-off appearances, in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2000, 2001 and 2003. He also captured three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships in 2000, 2001, and 2003, and made four National Collegiate Athletic Association regional appearances in 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1996. Miller coached one Position Player of the Year and two Pitchers of the Year since the WIAC established the awards in 1997. In his 17 seasons at Whitewater, Miller also reached 12 All-Americans.
He was inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003 and the UW-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
“When you start out as a coach you’re not looking for these honors… you just want to win the next game,” Miller said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to stay at UW-Whitewater and build up a strong resume. It’s very flattering to think that in 50 years from now my name will be on something. It’s just unbelievable.”
“‘Mills’ has invested a lot of blood, sweat and tears into Warhawk baseball and personally I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this naming opportunity than he,” Intercollegiate Athletics Director Paul Plinske said. “He and his wife, Carol, have given of their personal resources in ways that have significantly enhanced the student-athlete experience.”
Prucha Field has long been one of the finest baseball fields in Wisconsin. The renovations have made the facility much more than just a baseball field - it is now a stadium.
Workers are now just finishing up with phase-one of a $900,000 facility expansion project. The just completed upgrades include an upgraded sound system, new warning track, new masonry backstop with suspended netting, extensions to the dugouts, new bullpens, underground irrigation in the outfield and an indoor shower and bathroom. The infield features synthetic turf.
Lights have also been added to the Mills Stadium baseball facility. Funding for the lights are courtesy of a $200,000 donation from 2006 UW-Whitewater graduate, Eric Baldwin. Baldwin, a team captain as member of the 2005 NCAA Division III national championship team is currently an emerging star of professional poker. The Beaver Dam native had a monster year in 2009, putting his psychology major and math minor to use while winning more than $1.5 million in tournament play. He picked up a coveted World Series of Poker bracelet by winning a No-Limit Texas Hold'em event and was named player of the year by "Card Player" magazine.
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