The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team pushed its winning streak to 24 by sweeping Platteville in a four-game series April 18-19. Elite pitching and an active offense dominated the field, allowing the Warhawks to prevail.
Whitewater took the series opener 9-6 and followed with a dominant 12-1 win in seven innings on Saturday. Sunday’s first game came with a 3-1 victory and the series finished off with a 4-3 battle as the Warhawks closed out the series.
Across all four games, Whitewater showcased its identity: explosive offense, steady pitching and late-game composure that continues to separate this group from its opponents.
Game one set the tone early with a massive second inning that set the momentum immediately. Whitewater broke the game open with a six-run frame that featured a single, double, triple and home run, a team cycle that highlighted the lineup’s depth.
Andy Thies delivered the biggest swing, launching a three-run homer in a 13-pitch at-bat that opened the floodgates.
“I’ve seen a lot of everything,” Thies said. “The big thing for me was just staying present on every pitch and trying to hammer whatever they threw. If it wasn’t my pitch, I was just trying to foul it off until I got it.”
(Charlie Clark)
That approach carried through the inning as Whitewater stacked quality at-bats across the lineup.
“It’s a game of momentum,” Thies said. “An inning like that makes it easier to carry things forward and just keep playing clean baseball.”
Platteville answered late, cutting into a once comfortable lead with a four-run seventh inning, but Whitewater steadied itself with an insurance run and closed out the 9-6 victory.
Game two followed a similar early-game path. Whitewater jumped ahead early and didn’t look back, scoring three runs in the first inning and continuing to pile on runs as the game continued. They eventually came to a 12-1 run-rule victory.
Ben Lee anchored the performance on the mound, working efficiently while limiting Platteville to just one run. He also provided an early defensive spark, turning an unassisted double play off a pop-up and tagging the runner himself to escape a first-inning threat.
“It was big,” Lee said. “Anything that I can do to get the dugout going and build our momentum is always positive.”
Once settled in, Lee said his focus remained simple.
“Just trusting my pitches and getting ahead of hitters,” he said. “Letting them put the ball in play and working effectively.”
With the offense producing early and often, Lee was able to cruise through his outing as Whitewater’s bats built an 11-0 advantage.
“It makes pitching a lot easier when you’ve got that kind of support behind you,” Lee said.
Sunday brought the tightest test of the weekend. Whitewater opened with a 3-1 win in game three, relying on timely pitching and situational hitting in a low-scoring battle. The Warhawks held Platteville in check throughout and responded when needed to preserve the win.
The series finale followed another close contest, but Whitewater again found a way to finish, earning a 4-3 victory to end the series and complete the sweep.
Across the four games, Whitewater’s consistency of explosiveness stood out most, according to head coach John Vodenlich.
“You see that with stars like Lee,” Vodenlich said. “That sets the tone for everything we do. If pitching is there, hitters can go up and compete without pressing. They just let the game come to them.”
Vodenlich also credited the team’s leadership for maintaining composure during late game pressure moments throughout the weekend.
“We’ve got great leadership,” he said. “Guys like Thies, Holland, McVay; they’re great at slowing the game down. That helps us stay ready when things get tight.”
The Warhawks ability to win in multiple ways from offensive explosions to one-run defensive battles has been the staple of its 24-game streak and is what has separated this team from others in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
As the Warhawks continue their season, they will continue WIAC play on the road as they take on UW-Oshkosh April 22.
