Baseball Preview: Weekend series with UW-Oshkosh moved to Menomonie

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: UW-Stout (6-5, 0-0 WIAC) will will open conference play this week when they will host UW-Oshkosh (4-8, 0-0 WIAC), Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10. The games have been moved from Oshkosh to Menomonie due to inclement weather in the Oshkosh area.  Earlier this season, the Blue Devils had two dates on their home calendar, but weather postponed both events.  The University of St. Thomas game has been moved to Tuesday, April 19 and the Macalester College has been moved to Monday, May 9.

THE 2016 BLUE DEVILS: The Blue Devils return 11 pitchers from last year's squad and return all five pitchers who started five or more games. The pitching staff returning accounts for 307 of 324 total innings pitched last year. In the field, the Blue Devils return infielder Noah Brown, who plays at both first base and third base, as well as Austin Littmann, who has played predominately at second base. Tyler Nalbach has seen time at middle infield and Taryn Tierney has held down third base. Clay Gale and Tyler Kinderman are expected to share time at catcher. In the outfield, Brady Burzynski returns to center field, but an injury during the spring break trip may keep him out for an extended time. Josh Halling returns after seeing his 2015 season shortened due to illness. Hunter Dicus and Ryan Connor saw considerable time in the outfield. | 2015 Statistics

PITCHING STAFF:  The Blue Devils got some solid relief from some of their newer names. Wyatt Ernstmeyer  has allowed only one hit over three innings pitched and Brett Steinwagner has not allowed a over 2.2 innings, picking up both a win and a save along the way. Hayden Bowe, a first team selection last year, has pitched 12.0 innings, scattering nine hits and four runs, all earned, for an ERA of 3.00. Bowe trails only Zach Carlson in strikeouts, with Carlson leading the way with nine Ks, while Bowe has eight. Carlson has worked 11 innings, allowing nine hits and nine runs, eight earned. Both Bowe and Carlson are 1-0. Freshman Luke Eide (3.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 2K) picked up a win in relief in Florida and Max Sires (3.60, 10.0 IP, 2K) went the distance for his first win. 

HITTING THE BALL: Brady Burzynski began the season on a tear, hitting .615 over the first three games before being injured and sat out the remaining of the games in Florida.  Junior infielder Noah Brown picked up where Burzynski left off and is hitting .442 (19-43) with a team-high 10 RBI. Austin Littman has started 10 of the 11 games and has responded with a batting average of .368 (14-38) with five RBI. Freshman Nate Sorenson has started seven games and has responded with a .368 batting average (7-19). Freshman Dane Helnore is hitting .348 (8-23) and sophomore Tyler Nalbach is hitting .304 (7-23). Hunter Dicus has eight RBI, freshman Jon Krueger six and Ryan Connor and Josh Halling five. | 2016 Statistics

UW-STOUT LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils went 6-5 in Florida and in their last outing split with Vassar College. In their final doubledheader in Florida, Stout came back from a 3-0 deficit and scored five runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth for a 7-3 win. Hunter Dicus and Noah Brown each drove in a pair of runs. In the second game, Stout took a 1-0 lead, but Vassar scored seven runs in the second and added five in the fifth to take a 13-3 win. | Game Story and Statistics


UW-OSHKOSH BASEBALL: The Titans are in almost the same boat as the Blue Devils, with only one game played since their spring break trip to Florida and that came Thursday, a big offensive 17-5 win at Concordia-Wisconsin. The Titans went 3-8 in Florida, getting wins over Allegheny College (7-3) and Salve Regina (20-3, 10-9). Johnny Eagan is hitting .426 (20-47) with 10 RBI and Robbie Kleman is hitting .319 and trails Eagan with nine RBIs. Jack Paulson has eight RBI and is hitting .304 (14-46).  | 2016 Statistics

LAST TIME OUT: Andy Brahier hit a home run and drove in five runs, Johnny Eagan and Trent Whitcomb collected four hits apiece, and the UW-Oshkosh baseball team defeated Concordia University Wisconsin, 17-5, in seven innings on Thursday (April 7) in Mequon. UW-Oshkosh (4-8), playing its first game in 14 days, scored multiple runs in each of the first five innings and registered 22 hits. The Titans tallied four runs in the first, second and third innings before tacking on three in the fourth frame and two in the fifth for a 17-1 lead. Every UW-Oshkosh starter recorded at least one run, one hit and one RBI as the Titans used 18 position players and eight pitchers before the game ended by the 10-run rule. | Game Story and Statistics

LAST TIME STOUT AND OSHKOSH MET: The Blue Devils won the first game of the four-game series, 5-2, in Menomonie, but dropped the following three games, 10-5, 4-2, 8-5. Over the last five seasons, the Titans own a 14-6 lead in the series. |  Day One Story and Statistics | Day Two Story and Statistics


2016 TEAM CAPTAINS: Team captains for the 2016 season are Brady Burzynski, Hayden Bowe, Patrick Gullickson and Austin Littmann.

AWARDS AND HONORS: Brady Burzynski was selected as the most valuable player for the Eau Claire Express last summer. The Express play in the Northwoods League, a circuit made up of predominately Division I players...Hayden Bowe was a first team all-WIAC pick last season at pitcher...Brady Burzynski and Zach Carlson were first team all-WIAC selections in 2014.

COACHES: Toby Gardenhire, (72-97) is in his fifth season with UW-Stout. Gardenhire coached the Blue Devils to a 17-22 record in 2015. In the fall, 2013, Gardenhire played for Germany in the World Baseball Classic. Gardenhire received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in community health in 2005.  UW-Oshkosh: Kevin Tomasiewicz (tom-ah-shev-its) is in his third season as UW-Oshkosh's head baseball coach. Tomasiewicz played his collegiate ball at UW-Whitewater where he twice earned All-America honors. He was drafted in the 26th round of the Major League Baseball draft.


2015 BLUE DEVILS: Stout finished the 2015 season at 17-22 overall, 5-19 in the WIAC. | 2015 Statistics

DOWN THE ROAD: The Blue Devils will be at St. Olaf College, Thursday, April 14 for a single nine inning contest, then come home for what could be the home opener when they host UW-Stevens Point, Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17.