The UW-Whitewater baseball team is good, but you already know that. The team is ranked in the top five nationally. What you didn’t know is that the team went 9-1 on the spring trip in Florida and will now begin play closer to home.

The team’s high-powered offense scored three or more runs in nine of the first ten games, including reaching the 10-run mark twice.

So yeah, they’re good. And they have plenty of former players who were too.

Former Warhawk Marty Herum just clobbered a home run in an MLB spring training game for the Arizona Diamondbacks but will start the year in the minors.

Former pitcher Lake Bachar was taken in the fifth round of the MLB draft last year by the San Diego Padres and will be in the lower level of the minors, slowly working his way up to a hopeful MLB debut in the next few years as well.

Starting pitcher Austin Jones was selected in the 26th round by the Chicago Cubs but came back to school this year. After his and the team’s hot start, his draft stock is skyrocketing.

Jones has won all three games he has started, including a complete game, allowing two hits and one earned run while retiring the last 15 Clarkson University batters he faced in the  3-1 victory March 21.

Jones could be joined by other Warhawks in the MLB draft pool if the Warhawks stay as hot as they are right now.

After being ranked 13th in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll, the team has climbed its way up the rankings and currently stands third or fourth depending on which national poll you look at.

This loaded ’Hawks squad has scored an absurd 60 runs in 10 games, averaging 9.2 hits per game with 32 walks and 28 stolen bases. Five starters have batting averages above .250 and ops (on base plus slugging percentage) above .9000 which is a number great hitters possess.

Sophomore outfielder Matt Wary leads the team in average (.457), ops (1.201), hits (16) and four stolen bases. Small sample size be damned, these numbers are phenomenal.

The pitching staff has given up 2.1 earned runs per game as the ’Hawks are averaging 7.9 strikeouts per game. No starting pitcher has a loss on their record, and UW-W pitching has only given up .201 batting average to their opponent.

Senior reliever Mike Nompleggi is filling the role as the bullpen workhorse, with 8.1 innings pitched in seven appearances with a strikeout percentage 36.66 percent that would lead the major leagues.

The hitting and pitching are dominant. Sensing a theme?

If the Warhawks can keep dominating opponents throughout the conference season, the team could be a major factor when the Division III World Series comes around.