Jeff Donovan primed for one more title run

Jeff Donovan has been part of many titles as a UW-Whitewater student-athlete. He told voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com Monday afternoon that he is primed for one more drive for a championship.

Entering this week’s NCAA Division III Baseball Midwest Region in Whitewater I asked Donovan what is on the mind of one the most successful two-sport athletes in school history?

“I have to say it is a feeling that I’ve never had before,” Donovan said. “It is the ultimate sense of urgency knowing that my college career could be over just like that. You want to enjoy it (the experience) but never want it to end. We’re wear we want to be, in the regional and the goal is to win four games this week and head to the next level (D III World Series in Appleton).”

The senior out of Wauwatosa East High School started his career as a two-sport athlete.

As the Warhawk football team’s starting quarterback in 2008 & 2009 Donovan helped lead the Hawks to the NCAA Division III championship game in Salem, Virginia both years. In his final collegiate football game, Donovan set the school record for passing accuracy (percentage) completed 26-40 for 323 yards in leading the Warhawks to its second Division III title in three years.

Donovan was named the 2009 WIAC Football Player of the Year.

One of the primary reasons for Donovan to select Whitewater as his college choice was because he was able to play football AND baseball at UW-Whitewater.

In his first two years at Whitewater Donovan played both football in the fall and baseball in the spring. The last two years the focus centered on UW-Whitewater baseball and as the sole sport for Jeff his baseball bloomed like a tulip in early May.

In 2010 Jeff was named 1st Team All-WIAC as both a pitcher and a 1st baseman. He led the conference in both home runs (13) and RBI (68) and hit .349 helping lead the Hawks to the 2010 WIAC title.

An outstanding pitcher in high school, but not pitching his first two seasons on the Warhawk baseball team, Donovan was asked to climb the mound again last season. He finished the year with a 4 & 1 record in his starting role.

This year, as a senior, Donovan again leads the WIAC with 47 RBI entering the NCAA playoffs. He is also second in home runs not to mention an outstanding .393 batting average batting clean-up for UWW.

(In the photo above - Jeff Donovan waits for a pitch at UW-Stevens Point his season. In the WIAC Tournament this past weekend the senior power hitter lauched a mammoth home run that hit the adjacent residence hall (under construction) on the fly. The Oshkosh rightfielder never moved his hands off his knees on the J-Doe home run - photo by Tom Pattison)

Meanwhile, on the mound Donovan enters the playoffs with a 9 & 0 season record, best in the WIAC.

What is it going to take for the 33 & 11 Warhawk baseball team to make a run at the regional championship this weekend?

“It is going to take everyone to play up to or even beyond our capabilities,” Donovan said. Everyone – 1 through 9 in the batting order – pitchers coming in and pitching – are going to have to play top level baseball. It will take total focus and every one of us to be willing to ‘put it on our own shoulders’ to be successful.”

Throughout his career Donovan has been one of those players that want the ball in pressure situations.

“I’m just tying to enjoy this (NCAA tournament run) as much as possible,” Donovan said knowing his college career is almost over. “I’m not worrying about my career being over. I just want us to keep playing as long as we can.”

UW-Whitewater will face St. Thomas (Minn) at 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon in first round NCAA Midwest Region play on Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.