University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is the preseason favorite to secure the 2011 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) baseball championship according to the league’s sports information directors.
The Pointers received four first-place votes in the conference poll and have captured eight first-place trophies in program history. UW-Stevens Point is coming off a 2010 campaign that had them reach the finals of the NCAA Division III Championship for the third time in the last five years. The Pointers are ranked No. 2 nationally in a preseason poll conducted by D3baseball.com and will field a starting lineup that includes a junior or senior at every position. Senior Eric Fritz, the 2010 WIAC Position Player of the Year, established a school single-season record with 91 hits a season ago, while classmate Scott Williams set a program mark with 11 wins.
UW-Whitewater picked up the remaining three first-place votes in the WIAC poll and is pegged for second in the seven-team derby. The Warhawks have secured nine of the last 11 conference crowns and enter the season ranked No. 5 in the D3baseball.com poll. Senior Riley Tincher claimed WIAC Pitcher of the Year honors a season ago and led the league with 13 victories and 102.1 innings pitched. UW-Whitewater will host NCAA regional games at Prucha Field at Miller Stadium for the second consecutive year. Head coach John Vodenlich is 18 wins away from reaching 300 in his career.
Before last season, UW-Oshkosh had just one losing record in the previous 42 years. The Titans have won 27-plus games in 17 of the past 20 seasons and own a conference-best 29 titles. Senior Nolan Fadness ranked third in the NCAA Division III with nine triples last year and led the WIAC with 24 stolen bases (in 26 attempts). Head coach Tom Lechnir owns the most victories in league history, while his .734 winning percentage ranks sixth among active NCAA Division III head coaches.
After playing its first seven games in Phoenix, Ariz., UW-La Crosse plays 13 of its next 17 games at home, including 10 of 14 in the WIAC. Last year’s team smacked 39 home runs, the most since 2002 when they belted 52. Senior Matt Trocke led the squad with 16 multi-hit games in 2010, while junior Jay Fanta finished the season with a 13-game hitting streak. The Eagles need nine wins to reach 900 in school history.
UW-Platteville tied for third in league standings a year ago for the best finish since the conference merged divisions in 1998. The Pioneers also qualified for the WIAC tournament for the first time since 2005. Last year’s squad tied a program record with 22 wins and set single-season marks with 473 hits, 336 RBIs and 363 runs scored, while setting the second-highest totals with a .320 batting average and 81 doubles. Senior Brett Benesh had 20 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI contests.
UW-Superior’s 18 overall wins a year ago were the most in program history, while the 10 WIAC triumphs were the most since the 1975 campaign. The Yellowjackets had a pair of individuals chosen to the All-WIAC first team in 2010 - the most since 1996 when four were picked. Senior Mike Swanson led the team with a 2.88 earned run average and 14 appearances. UW-Superior will face University of Illinois-Chicago March 18, the first-ever Division I opponent to appear on the schedule.
UW-Stout welcomes 15 new players to the program, including six transfers (three of which are pitchers). Senior Brian Giebel led the club with a .319 batting average, 46 hits, 40 runs scored and 13 doubles last season. Head coach Seth Maier was a four-time All-WIAC selection with the Blue Devils and claimed Position Player of the Year accolades in 2007.
2011 WIAC Preseason Baseball Poll
1. UW-Stevens Point (4) 34-18, 16-8
2. UW-Whitewater (3) 42-7, 21-3
3. UW-Oshkosh 18-20, 11-13
4. UW-La Crosse 17-23, 9-15
5. UW-Platteville 22-20, 11-13
6. UW-Superior 18-20, 10-14
7. UW-Stout 11-28, 6-18
( )--First-place votes
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