UW-Whitewater baseball kept its strong conference play rolling in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) over the weekend, sweeping UW-River Falls in a four-game series to extend their win streak to 30 and its conference record to 22-0, as well as setting a new WIAC win-streak record, with the teams 29 consecutive victories, dating back to their spring trip to Florida. The sweep secured the WIAC regular season title for the Warhawks, their third-straight honor and 24th in program history.
The weekend showed both why the Warhawks are defending national champions and why this year’s group is still finding its full identity.
Saturday opened with a pair of wins at Prucha Field, including a tight 3-1 opening game that pressured Whitewater. River Falls made a push in the ninth inning, finding themselves down two with two runners on base, but Whitewater’s defense cleaned up when they needed to.
The first game was highlighted with a second inning triple by junior two-way player Jackson Koenig, who spoke highly of the team’s abilities this weekend.
“We have the best defense in the country,” Koenig said. “I think all aspects of the game this weekend were great.”
The Warhawks backed up Koenig’s statement, throwing two shutouts (7-0 and 10-0) alongside a 9-3 win.
For the second game, Koenig pitched all nine innings and allowed just two hits. Similarly, Whitewater held River Falls to three hits in the other shutout.
Game three was put away by senior infielder Andy Thies, who hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to stretch the Warhawks’ lead to six. Junior pitchers Sam Steuber and Ethan Wickman were able to contain River Falls’ bats.
Game four was all Warhawks, with home runs from senior infielder Leyton Bowers and junior catcher Aaron Holland. Junior pitcher Ben Lee helped fuel the 10-0 mercy-rule win with six scoreless innings.
With this weekend in mind, along with the success they have had all season, head coach John Vodenlich said the group is in a good place, even if there is still another level to reach.
“I love where this team is,” Vodenlich said. “We’re playing well, but I don’t think we’re playing as well as we can. But I’m very pleased with where they are.”
That message has been persistent this season as the team adjusts to a roster with significant turnover following last year’s national championship run. While the Warhawks only returned 15 players from that 33-man squad, the foundation has not changed.
“We did lose a lot, but we have some great leadership,” Vodenlich said. “We have four starters that came back from the national championship team, and I think it’s their leadership that has been able to pull this team together.”
That leadership has shown up across the diamond, especially from Holland, who has stepped into the leadoff hitter role.
“I hit in the leadoff spot the last two years, so I’m pretty comfortable with it. Just back to what I was doing and I enjoy doing it,” Holland said.
Behind the plate, Holland’s impact has been just as key as his bat. Controlling baserunners and helping pitchers stay steady has been a big part of Whitewater’s defensive identity.
“It helps out the pitchers a lot,” Holland said. “They don’t have to worry as much about guys on base stealing. They can just focus on the hitter.”
The combination of pitching and defense set the tone for the weekend. Whitewater was able to tack on runs while limiting River Falls.
Koenig was very much at the center of the winning weekend, contributing both on the mound and offensively. He said the biggest takeaway from the weekend was how complete the team’s performance felt.
“Our pitchers showed up, they threw a lot of strikes and our defense was really strong. It seemed like everyone was getting the bat going too,” Koenig said.
Even when River Falls made things uncomfortable early, Koenig said the confidence inside the dugout never wavered.
“Our guys competed every at-bat, it’s just sometimes you hit it hard right at guys,” Koenig said. “A lot of guys want to prove that we can do it again, and that’s our goal.”
Vodenlich pointed to late-game composure as a defining trait of the group.
“When we get to the seventh inning, I think that’s where we really shine,” Vodenlich said.
The weekend also carried added meaning, as Whitewater recognized its 2016 College World Series team, honoring one of the program’s historic runs.
With the four-game sweep complete, the Warhawks can finish the regular season with a little less stress, as they have already clinched the WIAC regular season championship. Even with success stacking up, the focus inside the program has not shifted. Warhawk baseball has their eyes set on repeating as national champions. If they accomplish this feat, Whitewater baseball would be the first program to win back-to-back titles since the 1970s.
The Warhawks finish up WIAC play by heading to UW-Eau Claire for a makeup game April 29, then hosting alumni weekend against UW-Stout.
