Eichstaedt has made his mark after transferring from UW-Oshkosh

Andrew Eichstaedt changed colors this season at UW-Whitewater. The junior from Appleton North High School played his freshman year at UW-Oshkosh prior to transferring to Whitewater.

Eichstaedt has batted in the No. 2 slot in the batting order for most of the season, starting all 44 games for the Hawks.

Hitting a solid .355, Drew has scored 50 runs in 2011 behind only Danny Putnam’s 58 runs. Eicher is tied for second on the team with 20 doubles and 3 home runs. His 32 runs batted in is third most for the Hawks this season.

Despite starting every game Eichstaedt was a bit of a “nomad” early in the year playing several postions.

Just after returning back to Wisconsin from 2011 spring training Drew told voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com that he was hoping to find regular spot on the infield.

A little past midway through the year head coach John Vodinlich switched up his infield with Eichstaedt moving from third to short stop. Travis Wessels making the jump from short to second, and Jared Fon made the everyday third baseman.

Eichstaedt, who had played mainly second base at Oshkosh, gives UWW a fundamentally sound shortstop with a very accurate arm.

(In the adjacent photo - UWW shotstop Andrew eichstaedt turns a doubleplay at second vs. Hamline on Thursday - phto courtesy of Jeff Seisser, Daily Jefferson County Union)

With freshman Dylan Friend in center field, Eichstaedt and Wessels manning the middle of the infield and Rob Coe catching the Warhawks became a very solid defense up the middle It made Whitewater a better team overall defensively.

When Putnam and Eichstaedt are in a rhythm hitting the baseball the UW-Whitewater offense turns very potent.

They’ll get there opportunity later this afternoon when the Warhawks play rival UW-Stevens Point at 4 p.m. A Warhawk win would propel UWW into tomorrow regioinal title game with an unbeaten record in the double-elimination tournament.

UWSP beats Hamline to set up a UWW-UWSP 4 p.m. game today

UW-Stevens Point will be next up for the UW-Whitewater baseball team. The Pointers scored three runs in the final two innings this morning to pull away from Hamline University 5-1 in the opener of day-three NCAA Division III Regional action on Prucha Field at James B. Miler Stadium.

Future MLB draft choice Coback went the first 7 2/3 innings, scattering 10 hits, giving up just the one run to earn his 12th win of the season against just 2 losses.

Line score in the game:
UW-Stevens Point – 5 runs, 9 hits, 1 error, 7 left on base
Hamline University – 1 run, 10 hits, 1 error, 11 left on base

Hamline concludes its season with a 29 & 15 record
UWSP will take a 34-9 mark into this afternoon’s 4 p.m. game vs. WIAC rival UW-Whitewater. UWW enters the game as the regional’s lone unbeaten team.

Day 3 underway in NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at the Mills

Day 3 action is underway in NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. 70 degress and mostly sunny skies at the first pitch to today's first game - and elimination game between UW=Stevens Point and Hamiline University.

Today's 1 p.m. game will have St. Scholastica playing St. Thomas in another elimination contest.

The Wahawks will play the winner of this morning's Stevens Point-Hamine game at 4 O'Clock this afternoon.

Winning in NCAA tournament play is often accomplished on a tightrope

To make a run in the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament the goal is very simple – survive and advance.

UW-Whitewater has done exactly that in the first two rounds of the 2011 NCAA Division III Regional in Whitewater.

The Warhawks remain the only unbeaten team remaining in the double-elimination tournament that will send the winner to Appleton next week as the region’s representative in the 2011 Division III World Series.

The Hawks slipped by St. Thomas 3-2 in the tournament opener. On Thursday UWW needed 10 innings for its 7-6 win over Hamline University.

Take a look at any team, any season, and the successful teams are able to win the close game by simply grinding it out.

“You look at any team’s “run,” whether winning a national championship in football – baseball – or any sport – each of those teams has those “turning point” wins,” Hawk head coach John Vodenlich explains. In this tournament we have two turning point game victories so far.

Whitewater is five and four in one-run games this season. A-matter-of-fact the Hawks last four games have been one-run games. The Hawks lost 5-4 to Stevens Point and 2-1 to Oshkosh in last week’s WIAC postseason tournament. They have come back with the two one-run games this week.

With your ultimate goal of winning a second NCAA Division III championship the margin for error is extremely small you must approach each hurdle inning by inning. If you are successful you get a good night’s rest and strive to do it again the next day.

Next up for the UW-Whitewater baseball team a 4 p.m. game today against the winner of this morning's Hamline vs UW-Stevens Point elimination game.

That is tournament baseball and that is what it is all about.

Beyer and Friend key cogs in UWW's early tournament run

A recurring theme of the currently UW-Whitewater run in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at Whitewater has been players “stepping up” one through nine in the batting order.

While the seniors like Danny Putnam, Rob Coe and Jeff Donovan have had big hits including home runs by Donovan and Coe in Thursday’s 7-6, ten-inning victory over Hamline.

It has been the plate appearances by a couple players deep in the order that has had a huge impact on the Warhawks offensive attack.

Matt Beyer (No. 7 in the order) and Dylan Friend (No. 8 in the order) have executed brilliantly at the plate in both regional wins for the Warhawks.

Beyer, a junior out of Janesville Parker High School, is 5 for 7 at the plate through two games in this week’s Midwest Regional play. The Hawks leftfielder has scored two runs and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in UWW’s 3-2 opening round victory over St. Thomas. Beyer was 4 for 5 in Thursday’s extra inning win setting up the victory by tripling to in the 10th and scoring on Dylan Friend’s game-winning double. Matt has also stole two bases in the tournament.

“I’m just seeing the ball really well at the plate,” Beyer said following Thursday’s 7-6 win over Hamline.

Success can be equated with confidence according to Hawk head coach John Vodenlich.

“Confidence is high right now,” Vodenlich indicated during his post-game press conference Thursday. “With a continued confidence and strong play we are capable of going a long way in this tournament.”


Dylan Friend continues to impress in the No. 8 spot in the UWW batting order. The freshman centerfielder is 3 for 7 in regional play. Dylan has driven in three runs included his dramatic two-out, 10th inning double to score Matt Beyer with the game-winning run vs. Hamline.

Not often does a “raw” freshman spend his first season as a starter. Friend has been penciled in the starting line-up as the Hawks centerfielder in 39 of the 40 games he has played in.

The Burlington native tells voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com that he is a much better hitter now than he was early in the season.

“As a hitter I’ve gotten a lot smarter,” Friend said. “I credit Coach Vodenlich for teaching me to be smarter and more aggressive at the plate. I’m able to anticipate at the plate much better than I did early in the season.

Friend, Beyer and the rest of the Warhawks will take on the winner of Friday’s 10 a.m. UW-Stevens Point vs. Hamline elimination game.

First pitch for Friday’s Warhawk action is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium on the campus of UW-Whitewater.

Wahawk pitching in good shape heading into Friday's Regional action

One of the aspects of postseason tournament runs is the momentum a team can put together will a couple of wins.

On the field following Thursday’s 7-6, 10 inning win over Hamline University there was no doubt that the UW-Whitewater baseball team is “riding high” as the only unbeaten team left in the double-elimination NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at James B. Miller Stadium.

“If you can’t feel good and positive about what’s going on right now then your in the wrong place,” Warhawk head coach told voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com. “Confidence is high right now and we hope to ride the positive momentum to a win tomorrow (Friday).”

Despite using five pitchers in Friday’s 10 inning win, the Hawks still haven’t used several key pitchers out of the bullpen and Donovan, Tincher and Lambert can be used.

Remember, Jeff Donovan only pitched three innings in the Warhawks’ “pitch by committee” approach in its 3-2 game-one win over St. Thomas.

Donovan says he looks forward to taking the mound again.

“This is what its all about,” the senior indicated after Thursday’s win. “I’m ready to go nine innings if they ask me.”

Whitewater remains unbeaten and in a favorable position heading into the final two day’s of this week’s Division III regional.

Click here for Midwest Region brackets, box scores and game recaps

Rob Coe pitches final three innings to slam door on Hamline

Rob Coe has only been pitching for the Warhawks since mid-season. With the limited experience the senior from Appleton has been given the ball in a closer's role and asked to seal the deal by getting the final three outs of the game.

Coe rose to the occasion in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over St. Thomas by retiring the Tommies one-two-three to earn his second save of the season.

Coe was asked to extend his mound-time Thursday afternoon as head coach John Vodenlich replaced Riley Tincher with nobody out and the bases loaded in the 8th inning.

“I was trying to get out of there with minimal damage,” Coe tells voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com.

“I struck out the first guy out on a strikeout and I felt pretty good. On the next guy we had a bit of a defensive lapse resulted in all three Piper runners to score to tie the game.”

It was at that point of the game when the talented senior said to himself, “self it is time to step up and get out of this inning. I want to get out of this inning and be able to keep playing baseball.”

Coe eventually would get out of the jam by getting a two-out come-backer to the mound to end the inning and stranded the go-ahead runner at third base.

(In the adjacent photo - Rob Coe took his catchers gear off for the second straight day for a walk to the mound in the closers roll. Coe pitched a career-high three innings to earn his second save in two days. UW-Whitewater defeated Hamline University (Minn) 7-6 in 10 innings - photo courtesy of Jeff Seisser, Daily Jefferson County Union)Coe gave up a lead-off single in the ninth but retired the next three batters to force extra-innings tied at six-all.

The Hawks took the lead on Dylan Friends two-out double to drive in Matt Beyer who tripled with two out in the 10th.

Coe slammed the door on Hamline retiring the Pipers one-two-three in the 10th to keep UW-Whitewater unbeaten in the double-elimination Midwest Regional.

The feeling of momentum was distinctly palatable for UW-Whitewater players, coaches and fans following the extra inning victory to stay unbeaten in the tournament.

“I really feel good about tomorrow,” Coe said.

Th Warhawks need two wins to advance to the Division III World Series next week in Grand Chute.

Remember, if it was easy to accomplish the feat everybody would be doing it!”

Whitewater will play either UW-Stevens Point or Hamline in Friday’s final game set for 4 p.m. at James B. Miller Stadium.

Click here for UWW vs Hamline box score