Hawks senior leadership key to return to Fox Cities Stadium

(Adjacent photo and display courtesy of Tim Gumz and UWW athletic department)

Can the UW-Whitewater baseball team capture the 2011 NCAA Division III Baseball Title this weekend at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton?

You bet!

In the Warhawks three previous trips to the Division III World Series, 2005 (Championship), 2004 (3rd Place) and 2008 (3rd Place) senior leadership played a huge role in UWW’s success on the field. This weekend will be no different.

"One thing we've talked about is we're playing for a championship," Vodenlich told the Daily Jefferson County Union. "We're not going to win a national championship by going out there and playing an average game. Each of our individuals should understand that 1-for-3 and making routine plays is no longer acceptable - it's no longer what we need to win the big games. The challenge is out there for each of our individuals to step up their game.

Jeff Donovan, Rob Coe, Riley Tincher, Dan Putnam, and Lee Kimbell make up this year’s senior class.

• Putnam enters the World Series hitting a team-high .411, 59 runs scored and 28 stolen bases. The Ashland native was leading the nation, hitting over .500 into the third week of April.

• Donovan is ending his career this weekend among a handful of the top UW-Whitewater players in school history.

The Wauwatosa native is the school record-holder in at bats, runs, hits, runs batted in, and doubles. He ranks 3rd in career home runs behind only Pat Tobiasz (1995-98) and Brady Endl (2001-2004).

The former UW-Whitewater starting quarterback was named the 2009 WIAC Football Player of the Year and followed that up by leading Warhawk football team to the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship.

• Coe is the “quarterback” of the UWW defense and pitching staff. The Appleton native possesses a rifle arm behind the plate. In the Hawks’ regional championship victory over St. Scholastica, Coe threw out SCC centerfielder Joe Link on first inning steal attempt of third base. It was the first “throw-out” of Link in 45 stolen base attempts this season.

The senior, who had not pitched at all in his career, was installed into the Warhawks’ closer role late in the season.

Coe, who throws in excess of 90 miles per hour on a regular basis - enters the weekend with nine appearances – all in relief – he sports a 1 and 1 record with 2 saves and a team-best 0.78 earned run average.

• Brent Allen and Lee Kimbell transferred to Whitewater this season as seniors from the now defunct Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee.

• Allen is a native of Brisbane, Australia and is among the most popular players on the team. The energetic “Aussie” has been an important utility player for much of the season. His dramatic, game-winning three-run homer last Saturday propelled the Warhawks past St. Scholastica and into the team’s fourth D III World Series for the fourth time in the last eight years.

The Warhawks' pitching rotation is anchored by left-hander Riley Tincher (10-3, 3.02 ERA) and righty Jeff Donovan (10-0, 3.38). The talented duo has been the No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers each weekend for Whitewater. “Tinch and J-Doe” have been one of the top one-two pitching combinations in the WIAC for the past two seasons. They are entering the final weekend of outstanding Warhawk baseball careers.

Earlier this month, Tincher was named the recipient of the 2011 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete Award.

A senior from Oregon, Wis., Tincher is majoring in health, human performance and recreation with a minor in coaching and maintains a 3.32 grade point average. He is a two-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been recognized on UW-Whitewater’s Dean’s List.

A two-year team captain, Tincher is a two-time All-WIAC first team selection and secured WIAC Pitcher of the Year honors a season ago.

As you can see, the senior class has stepped up all season on the way to a 36 & 11 record.

Tincher and Donovan speak for the five seniors when talking about playing for the final weekend in a UW-Whitewater baseball uniform.

“For us seniors it is all or nothing,” Tincher said. “It is just keeping that mentality of leaving it all on the field, doing your best at all times, and not really regretting anything."

“We have everything we need,” Donovan said. “Coach (Vodenlich). Following Saturday’s Midwest Region championship game told us – guys, I’ve seen a lot of teams and we have everything we need – now we just have to go out and play good baseball.”