UWW at UWSP postponed to Sunday and Monday

The UW-Whitewater and UW-Superior baseball doubleheader scheduled for Saturday at 12:00pm in Superior has been postponed until Monday at 12:00pm. Sunday's 12-Noon doubleheader now will be the first of the two twinbills.

The weather forecast calls for showers both Sunday and Monday. The forecast high is 57 Sunday and 52 Monday.

What began as a business weekend for Voices Eye on Baseball has turned into a mini-vacation!

UW-Superior much improved

UW-Superior is no pushover this year. The Yellowjacks are in the midst of it’s best season in over a decade. Superior enters this weekend’s four-game series vs. UW-Whitewater in third place in the WIAC with an 8 & 8 record. The Yellowjackets are 18 & 16 overall.

Superior has improved its record in each of the past four seasons. From 2004 through 2007 UW-Superior’s in-conference record was a paltry 4 & 92.

The Yellowjackets are improved offensively and on the mound this year.

T.J. Wink is unbeaten on the mound at 6-0, with a 2.82 ERA which is ranked second in the conference. Brett Olson leads UW-S with a .426 batting average.

While the Warhawks are looking to wrap up the WIAC Regular Season Title this weekend, Superior is battling for the third and final berth in next week’s WIAC Postseason Tournament.

Mostly cloudy skies with a temperature in the mid-50s and very windy for today’s game less than a mile from Lake Superior.

At this point I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to blog during today’s doubleheader.
At the least I’ll be giving you every three inning updates with a full game story following each game.

Plan on a chilly reception in Superior

Earlier this week I checked the Superior 10-day weather forecast. I was estatic! The Weather Channel was predicting high temperatures in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

Oops! Beginning Wednesday the forecast looked much different for the Twin Ports (Duluth-Superior). Forecasters are now calling for a chance of showers and 59 degrees on Saturday and a lingering shower or two and 53 degrees on Sunday.

If you are heading to Superior to back the Hawks this weekend their will be no need to bring snow shoes and a sweater, sweatshirt and jacket are advised.

A reminder, I'll be in Superior for the four-game series blogging as the Hawks look to wrap up the 2010 WIAC regular season championship.

Voice -

Hawks head north to Superior this weekend

The UW-Whitewater baseball team travels to Superior this weekend to wind up the WIAC regular season with four games against a solid UW-Superior team that is in the hunt for the third and final spot in next week’s WIAC postseason tournament.

The Yellowjackets enter the weekend at 8 & 8 in the conference and in third place. UW-Platteville is fourth at 9 & 11. Those two teams have the inside track at the final playoff berth.

For the Warhawks, the magic number is 2 to clinch at least a tie for a ninth WIAC regular season championship in the last 11 years.

Whitewater enters the weekend with a 17 & 3 conference mark. Second place Stevens Point is 11 & 5.

The Pointers host UW-La Crosse (6-10) for four games this weekend and travel to Stout next weekend to wind up the season with a pair of doubleheaders.

The three-team WIAC postseason tournament will be held at the site of the regular season champion beginning on Friday, May 14th.

Ben Kulmann set to play in his 106th consecutive game this weekend

Ben Kuhlmann has been a fixture at second base for the Warhawks over the past three years. The senior out of Minneapolis, Minnesota Southwest High School has started 105 consecutive games for the Warhawks.

Beyer played a major role in Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep of Oshkosh. Ben finished the day 4 for 7 including a home run and triple, knocked in two runs, scored six runs, and walked three times.

“It was really nice to actually see the ball better,” Kuhlmann told Voices Eye on Baseball Blog following the twinbill. “It’s been a kind of a struggle lately but today it felt real good at the plate.”

As far as beating archrival UW-Oshkosh 22-6 and 13-6 is concerned?

“It felt really good,” Kulmann said. “Anytime you sweep a team like Oshkosh its great. As I look back over the years I owed them that. They’ve been one of those teams that its nice to come out and sweep especially as a senior.”

Kuhlman admits there is plenty of baseball to play this season and the team still has goals to conquer.

“We’ll see what happens,” the senior second baseman said. “I’m really excited about this team, it’s the best team I’ve ever been on. I just hope we continue what we do, day in and day out, and get to the ship.”

The Hawks will take a 29 and 4 record to Superior this weekend to wrap up the WIAC portion of the 2010 schedule. UW-W is 17 & 3 in the conference, four games up on second place UW-Stevens Point..

Baldy honored Wednesday for his $200-thousand donation to Warhawk baseball

Eric Baldwin was back in Whitewater Wednesday to be honored for his $200,000 donation to the UW-Whitewater baseball program. The funding was used to install lights at Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium.

The highly successful professional poker player was honored in special pregame ceremonies prior to game-one of Wednesday’s doubleheader vs. UW-Oshkosh.

“Baldy” sat in with Gary Douglas and Tom Pattison for nearly 20 minutes on the KOOL 106.5 broadcast of game one.

Baldwin earned his degree at UW-W in psychology with a minor in mathematics. Baldwin was a true student athlete. Eric earned his way onto the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Scholastic Honor Roll all three years that he played for UW-W, also earned the league's Max Sparger Award as the Scholar Athlete for Baseball in 2005. He graduated Summa Cum Laude.

On the baseball field, Baldwin was a team captain on the 2005 NCAA Division III National Championship team along with the 2004 team that finished 3rd at the D III World Series in Appleton.

Eric is known as one of the most competitive players on the Pro Poker Circuit. He arrived in Whitewater Wednesday after winning just over $1-miillion finishing second at the Tournament of Champions World Poker Tournament at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Henderson, Nevada resident has earned $4-million in his career.

Baldwin told the radio audience that he had always known the moto once a Warhawk, always a Warhawk and his success on the Pro Poker Tour has allowed him to give back to the University.

Beyer has career day at the plate for the Warhawks

UW-W scored seven times in the bottom of the first, on six hits, to settle the issue early. Catcher Rob Coe doubled in two runs, leftfielder Matt Beyer tripled in two, and center fielder Jordan Stine singled in two to provide the key hits in the inning.

Whitewater scored in every inning, tacking on three in the second, two in the third, five in the fourth, one in the fifth and four more in the sixth for their biggest run production since a 27-12 win over Salem State (MA) March 21 in Florida.

Among the hitting leaders for Whitewater in the doubleheader was leftfielder Matt Beyer. The sophomore from Janesville was 5 for 9 in the doubleheader including a home run (see photo), triple and 8 RBI.

“I was seeing the ball really well today,” Beyer told Voices Eye On Baseball following the doubleheader sweep. “I don’t know what exactly was but it was definitely the best I’ve seen the ball in a while.”

Beyer has split time in left field for much of April with sophomore, Tim Conroy. Beyer spent last year as the primary left fielder for a Warhawk team that went all the way to the championship game of the Division III Regional in Moline, Illinois.

“It was a little tough but I understand that I was in a little slump,” Beyer said. “Whenever you get the chance take advantage of it just like I did today.”

Beyer is hitting a solid .345 with four home runs and 32 RBI.