The rivalry between UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point is unmistakenly one of the top rivalries in all of NCAA Division III baseball.Last year the two WIAC rivals met 10 times – the Warhawks won six of the 10 games including a sweep of the regular season four-game series in early April in Stevens Point.
The two teams battled it out for the WIAC postseason tournament title. UW-Stevens Point beat Whitewater 10-7 on day-one of the tournament. The Warhawks battled back to capture the 2010 WIAC postseason tournament by beating UWSP twice on “championship Saturday.”
The Warhawks beat Point 5-3 in the “first” championship game. Whitewater then defeated Stevens Point 6-2 to capture the conference’s postseason tournament and earn the WIAC’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championship.
The following week UW-Whitewater would “stay home” as host of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional.
Much like the previous week’s WIAC postseason tournament, the Pointers beat Whitewater 12-4 in the battle of unbeatens. The UWSP victory sent Point to the championship round while the Warhawks would have to battle back after suffering the loss.
The Hawks rose to the challenge and earned the chance to play UW-Stevens Point, needing two wins to capture the Regional Title.
The Warhawks couldn't pull it off as they defeated the Pointers in the first championship game 9-3, but fell in the second 4-3. The win for UWSP means they advance to the NCAA DIII World Series at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.
Despite losing to the Pointers in the Midwest Regional championship game the Warhawks defeated the Pointers six of the ten games last season.
This weekend’s early-season conference showdown isn’t the “end-all” in determining the 2011 WIAC regular season champions but having success at Point would “set the table” for a run at UW-Whitewater baseball’s 8th WIAC title in the last 9 years.
More will be coming up as the week goes on in advance of this weekends four-game series at University Field in Stevens Point
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