Cladis and Friend holding there own as first year starters

A couple of positions UW-Whitewater head baseball coach John Vodenlich needed to fill prior to the season was in center field and second base.

Jordan Stine and Ben Kuhlmann were part of a memorable senior class last spring that also included Nick Rechlitz, Mike Kenseth, and Jason Hooper.

Stine, Hawks starting center fielder, was a WIAC first team selection all four years on the Warhawk baseball team (along with sitting out the entire 2009 season due to injury.)

Ben Kuhlman arrived at U-Dub-Dub in 2008 and hit over .300 all three seasons as UWW’s starting second baseman.

A number of names were brought up by Vodenlich in the preseason when talking about potential replacements for the graduated duo.

Dylan Friend, a freshman from Burlington High School and wearing Stine’s No. 15 jersey has been manning center field for much of the early season. David Cladis, a sophomore out of Joliet (Ill) Catholic High School, has done likewise at second base.

Cladis is hitting an even .300 with four runs batted in. In the field, the freshman second baseman has committed just one error in 35 chances.

Friend has yet to commit an error out in center field.

Add Travis Wessels (JR) to the mix at shortstop and Rob Coe (SR) at catcher and the Hawks are building to have an outstanding team in the field “up the middle.”