Warhawk baseball no stranger to NCAA Tournament play

With the 2010 postseason getting underway next weekend, lets take a look at the four UW-Whitewater baseball teams that made it to the NCAA Division III World Series.

The Hawks first trip to the NCAA Division III “World Series” was back in 1989. The ’89 squad coaches by future hall-of-famer Jim Miller needed to get by archrival UW-Oshkosh in regional action in Oshkosh.

On the final day of regional action Oshkosh needed to beat the Warhawks twice to get back to the “World Series” for a sixth consecutive year.

The first “championship” game saw the Titans destroy Whitewater 36-10. Miller’s team was not fazed as it came back to beat Oshkosh 11-6 to punch the program’s first ticket to an NCAA Division III World Series. The 1989 NCAA Division III Championship was held in Bristol, Connecticut where the Hawks lost a tight 3-2 game to California State-Stanislaus in the opener and 5-2 to Johns Hopkins (Maryland) on day two. Whitewater finished the season with a 28 & 15 mark.

It would be 15 years later before the Warhawks would make it back to the “World Series.” The Hawks went through the Midwest Regional unbeaten at Prucha Field to earn the right to travel to Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton to play for a national title.

The Hawks opened play by losing 8-2 to Rowan (New Jersey). Whitewater responded with two consecutive wins – 8-1 over Salisbury (MD) and a 4-3 victory over SUNY-Brockport.

The following day the Warhawks appeared on the verge of making it to a championship match-up with George Fox (Oregon). The Hawks led Eastern Connecticut State 1-0 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. ECSU ended UWW’s championship run with a walk-off two-run home run with nobody out for a 2-1 victory. The Hawks went home with the 2004 third place trophy. The Hawks ended 2004 with a 39 & 9.

The 2005 Warhawk baseball team used the 2004 season as a springboard to bigger and better things. The ’05 team boasted incredible pitching depth on the way to a school record 45 wins.

Whitewater beat UW-Stevens Point 7-5 in the Regional to earn a return trip to Fox Cities Stadium.

The Warhawks swept Trinity (CT) 8-3, Chapman (CA) 7-6, Wooster (OH) 10-7 to advance to the championship game. The next day UW-Whitewater would earn the school’s first ever NCAA Division III Baseball Championship with a 10-4 victory over SUNY-Cortland. (see adjacent photo)

The Warhawks last championship run occurred in 2008.

Whitewater advanced to the 2008 NCAA Division III “World Series” with a 21-13 regional final victory over St. Scholastica (MN) on a windy day in Oshkosh.

The Warhawks lost its opening game at Fox Cities Stadium 5-1 at the hands of Linfield (OR). Having to advance through the “loser’s” bracket, the Hawks went on a three game winning streak beating SUNY-Cortland 10-2, Chapman (CA) 7-4.

The following day Whitewater would have to win two games to advance to the championship. The Warhawks won the first of the games 13-11 over Adrian (MI). The next game would be another slugfest as the Hawks fell to Johns-Hopkins (MD) 12-11 resulting in the Hawks to finish third for the second time in four years. The Hawks ended 2004 with a 42 & 10 record.

This year’s Warhawks will take a 35 & 4 record into the postseason. Whitewater will host both the WIAC postseason tournament and the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional.

Versnik impressive in the role of the Hawks' closer

One of the key aspects for the Warhawk pitching staff this year has been in the closer’s role. Ben Versnik has appeared in 17 games so far this season with all but one being in as the Hawks closer. His 3.00 ERA leads the Hawk pitching staff. Versnik’s strike out to walk ratio is excellent with 30 strike outs and just seven walks.

The sophomore out of West Allis Hale High School recorded six saves during the regular season to lead the WIAC. The six saves ties the school record set in 2004 by Collin Kuecker.

Versnik, who was a starter his freshman season, was given the “closer” role back in the Hawks spring trip to Florida.

“We needed him to be a starter last year and he’ll return to a starter later in his career,” head coach John Vodenlich tells Voices Eye on Baseball.

Why Versnik as a closer?

“He has a closer’s mentality,” Vodenlich said.“He’s got the stuff that if he’s on he will dominate and that is great to have for the backend of a game.”

Versnik was quick to adapt to his new role.

“I get to go out there and give everything I have for one inning,” Versnik said. “It is a lot different than when I was a starter and had to control my energy through several innings.”

The sophomore has made the most out of the experiment that began back in March.

“I had no clue what was going to happen going into the season,” Versnik said. “Ever since Coach (Vodenlich) put me in this role I’ve just rolled with it and it has been fun.”

WIAC's 3rd seed will be determined Sunday

It will come down to the final day of the reguler season to determine the third and final berth in next weekend's WIAC postseason tournament.

Whitewater clinched the No. 1 seed and UW-Stevens Point the No. 2 seed last weekend.

Entering this weekend's games Platteville had a 9 & 11 conference record. Oshkosh, Superior and La Crosse were all at 8 & 12.

Platteville and Superior split Saturday's doubleheader at Superior. Oshkosh swept two from La Crosse.

Subday's playoff scenario includes:

Platteville controls its own destiny. They sweep Superior Sunday and they are clinch a playoff berth regardless of what else happens.

Superior needs to sweep Platteville Sunday, AND have La Crosse beat Oshkosh one time.

Oshkosh needs to sweep La Crosse Sunday AND have Superior beat Platteville at least once. If Oshkosh loses once they are eliminated regardless of what happens in the other games, due to losing tie-breakers with both Platteville and Superior.

The 2010 WIAC Baseball Tournament will be held March 14th and 15th in Whitewater. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. Friday with the No. 2 seed taking on the No. 3 seed. The Warhawks will will play the winner of game-one at 1 p.m. Friday.

Warhawks turn thoughts to the postseason

The Warhawk baseball team set some lofty goals heading into the 2010 season. They secured a huge goal over the weekend by clinching the WIAC regular season title for the seventh time in the last eight years.

Whitewater will take a sensational 35 & 4 record into postseason play beginning with the conference tournament in Whitewater on May 14th & 15th.

According to UW-Whitewater "closer" Ben Versnik the team's mindset in the postseason will be to focus on the present - not the future. In other words, one game at a time.

"We want to win the conference tournament and we know we have to win the first game and then one more," Versnik told Voices Eye on Baseball following Thursday's doubleheader sweep. "Once thats over we must do it all over again, one game at a time in the regional.

After that? "We want to get back to the (Division III) World Series and compete for another national championship.

The Warhawks won the 2005 national title and finished 3rd in Appleton in 2004 and 2008.

Whitewater will play host to both the WIAC Postseason Tournament and the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. The Division III World Series will again be played at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.

Warhawks close out regular season with sweep of Concordia

Following a sluggish start the UW-Whitewater baseball team closed out the 2010 regular season Thursday afternoon with a pair of nonconference wins, 7-4 and 12-1, over Concordia (WI) at James B. Miller Stadium.

The Hawks trailed 3-2 in game one before scoring four times in the sixth and once in the seventh to put the game away. Whitewater ripped four doubles (Stine, Coe, Leavitt and Beyer) in the game. The red-hot Beyer also added a triple.

Jeff Donovan got the start and went five innings giving up four hits, two runs (one earned) and striking out four. Eric Schmitz (2-0) got the win with two innings of relief. Kyle Lee and Ben Versnik each pitched a hitless inning to finish the game.

Whitewater played long-ball in its game-two victory. Danny Putnam, Rob Coe, and Jeff Donovan all homered. For Donovan it was his 11th of the season. Coe and Jordan Stine added two-base hits.

Aaron Leitner (6-1) started and went five innings surrendering a single run on two hits. Tom Kerndt, Jason Hooper, Andrew Bauer and Riley Tincher all pitched a single inning in relief with Kerndt, Hooper and Tincher each striking out two

The Hawks close the regular season with a 35 & 4 record, one of the finest in school history.

Hawks 7, Concordia 4 (Game One)

The Warhawkbaseball team defeated Concordia (Mequon) 7-4 in game one of this afternoon's regulars season ending doubleheader at Him Miller Stadium.

The Hawks trailed 3-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inninng. Thats when the bats came alive scoring four runs to takea 6-3 lead. Ben Kuhlman & Matt Beyer led the way at the plate going 2 for 4 with 2 |RBI

Jeff Donovan started the game for the 'Hawks and pitched the first five innings to a tie, giving up two runs, before giving way to Eric Schmitz who eventually earned the win. Schmitz is 2-0 this season. The Warhawks used four different pitchers in the game and they combined for eight strikeouts.

Game Two is underway with the Hawks leading 4-0 in the fourth inning.

Fresh off its WIAC title-clinching weekend in Superior the Warhawks came out rather flat in today's opening game vs. Concordia University.

The Hawks trailed 3-2 entering the bottom of the sixth innning. The Warhawk bats got going in the bottom of the sixth by plating four runs to take a 6-3 lead.

Eric Schmitz came on in relief of UWW starter Jeff Donovan.

After six-and-a-half inninngs: Warhawks 6,Concordia 4