D3baseball.com: WIAC pitching-rich in 2011

(Editor's Note: When talking about the Midwest Region, the WIAC trio of UW-Whitewater, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh, MIAC powers St. Olaf and St. Thomas, and UMAC perennial champion St. Scholastica get most of the headlines. And deservedly so. Those six, with some hiccups along the way, are regular regional participants with long resumes. But when it comes to top pitchers in the region, the praise-worthy players come from a diverse range of programs. It stands to reason that the "Usual 6" is home to many of the region's top pitchers, but they don't have a monopoly.

In the D3baseball.com story published Saturday (4/16) writer Ricky Nelson takes a look at WIAC pitching depth)

WIAC: UW-Whitewater senior Riley Tincher is on pace to have an even better year than last, when he went 13-1 with a 3.87 ERA in 102.1 IP. This season Tincher is 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA while allowing just four extra base hits in five starts. Fellow Whitewater senior Jeff Donovan was a D3baseball.com Preseason All-American at the utility position. Donovan has earned the offensive side of that accolade with a .439 AVG and 1.161 OPS in the Warhawks' first 17 games, but it's his success on the mound this season that's been most impressive. Donovan is 5-0 with a 2.84 ERA while holding opponents to a .202 average in five starts for the ranked Warhawks. If the raw numbers aren't enough, Donovan also has wins over UW-Stevens Point and St. Olaf this season.

UW-Oshkosh has six pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched and an ERA at or below 2.12, leading the Titans to a 2.15 team ERA. Heading the Oshkosh staff are senior Jeremy Rubens (2-2, 1.83 ERA, 21:2 K/BB ratio, two shutouts, two extra base hits allowed in 34.1 IP) and junior Phil Schreiber (3-1, 1.84 ERA, .229 OBA). Oshkosh's No. 3 starter, junior Luke Westphal, is 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 24 K's in 24.1 IP.

The top four UW-La Crosse starters have gone a combined 9-3 with a 2.85 ERA and have 88 strikeouts and 27 walks in 98 innings. Comprising the rock-solid rotation are sophomore Tim Verthein (2-0, one save, 2.08 ERA, .194 OBA), sophomore Mitch Running (3-1, 2.86 ERA, .207 OBA), senior Bryant Rude (2-1, 2.88 ERA, 3 CG in four starts, 32 K in 25 IP) and junior Garrett Scray (2-1, 3.60 ERA, 4 BB, 24 K, 25 IP).

UW-Stevens Point's top starting pitchers, seniors Scott Williams and Joel Delorit, are off to so-so starts, but the pair remain among the top talents in the region. Williams is 3-2 with a 4.94 ERA while Delorit is 2-1 with a 3.75 ERA. But there's a reason why Delorit is climbing the all-time WIAC rankings in strikeouts (currently 12th) and wins (currently 23rd), and there's a reason why Williams was First Team All-Region last season. Those two may be among the best statistically in the end.