Baseball Preview: Blue Devils heading to WIAC tourney

 WIAC Championship | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

THIS WEEK'S GAMES:  UW-Stout (20-15, 12-12 WIAC) will compete in the WIAC Baseball Championship for the first time since the 2014 season. The WIAC Championship is May 10-11 at UW-Whitewater, the top-seeded team. Stout earns the fourth seed and will play 13th-ranked UW-Whitewater (31-9, 21-3 WIAC) at 1 p.m. Friday, May 10. If the Blue Devils win, they will advance to play the winner of the  UW-La Crosse (25-13, 19-5 WIAC) and UW-Platteville (19-19, 14-10 WIAC) at 7 p.m. If they lose to the Warhawks, Stout will have a quick turnaround and will face the loser of the La Crosse/Platteville game at 4 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament. 

The Blue Devils bring a six-game winning streak into the tournament and have won seven of their last eight games. Stout's 20 wins is the most since the 2014 season when the Blue Devils finished 20-21. Stout is assured of their first .500 season since the 2007 season when the team finished 23-19 overall and 13-11 in the WIAC. The 12 WIAC wins this season are the most since the 2007 season. The 2014 team finished the conference season at 10-14.

This season, the Blue Devils 0-4 against UW-Whitewater, 1-3 against UW-Platteville and 1-3 against UW-La Crosse. 

WIAC TOURNAMENT: When the Blue Devils last competed in the conference championship (2014), they were also the fourth seed and played top-seeded UW-Whitewater in Whitewater, losing 15-14 in 10 innings. Stout was eliminated from the tournament in the next game, 13-3, by UW-Stevens Point. Stout also played in the championship in 2007 and 1999. The Blue Devils knocked off top-seeded UW-Oshkosh in the 2007 tournament, their only tournament win. Stout lost to UW-Stevens Point in the second round game and were eliminated by UW-Oshkosh. In 1999, the Blue Devils lost to UWOshkosh in a single elimination tournament. Stout is 1-5 in the tournament. Platteville will advance to the WIAC tournament for the first time since the 2010 season. The third-seeded Pioneers will play second-seeded UW-La Crosse, Friday, at 10 a.m.  The WIAC Championship first began in 1998 in the current format. This is the first time in tournament history that either UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point did not advance to the tournament. The 2018 WIAC Championship was cancelled midway through the season when it was apparent inclement weather would not allow completion of the regular season schedule in time for the tournament to be held. 

UW-Stout in the WIAC Championship Tournament
2019 - vs. UW-Whitewater,
2014 - vs. UW-Whitewater, L 15-14 (10 innings); vs. UW-Stevens Point, L 13-3
2007 - vs. UW-Oshkosh, W 9-7 (10 innings); vs. UW-Stevens Point, L 7-5; vs. UW-Oshkosh, L 11-2
1999 - vs. UW-Oshkosh, L 10-1

BLUE DEVIL OFFENSE: Hunter Merrill, Kasey Bass, Jordan Wilson, Charlie Szykowney and Joel Thimsen are all batting above .300, with Merrill leading the way with an average of .383 (23-60). With the extra games, Bass can continue his pursuit of the school single season doubles record. Bass, who is batting .376 (47-125), has 15 doubles and his chasing Jack Schneider's school record of 17. Bass is the team's leader in RBIs with 31, almost double over Wilson's 16. Bass and Wilson lead the team with three home runs. Wilson is hitting .349 (51-146) and has 12 doubles. Sykowney has played at shortstop during his 15 games on the field and the freshman is hitting .341 (14-41). Thimsen, who plays either at the designated hitter or at third base, is hitting .326 (28-86). Thimsen is tied for third on the team in RBI with 15. Danny Deis, who has played in 21 games, and Kyle Hamilton, the Blue Devils' regular second baseman, each have 15 RBI. Wilson leads the team in stolen bases with 13. Merrill has five stolen bases in five attempts. Deis and Jared Jarvensivu each have four stolen bases.  | 2019 Statistics

BLUE DEVIL PITCHING: Three seniors have moved into the regular rotation. Jack Donahue (5-3) has thrown 57.1 innings with 31 strikeouts. Brad Rindfleisch (4-3) has a team-best 53 strikeouts and is five strikeouts short of 100 career Ks. Rindfleisch has tossed 47.1 innings. Casey Ryan (4-0) has won four straight outings and has 26 strikeouts.Ryan, who came out of the bullpen until this season, has tossed 39.0 innings. Aaron Plotsky (2-4) has worked 25.0 innings in his first season with the Blue Devils and has 26 strikeouts.  Brandon Bohl has two saves, while Jace Baumann, Tyler Seymour and Robert Pilz have each recorded a save.  

UW-STOUT LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils completed their conference play April 29, and wrapped up their regular season with a non-conference 9-2, 7-1, sweep over St. Thomas,May 2  |  St. Thomas Game Story and Stats


BLUE DEVIL SEASON PREVIEW: UW-Stout's seven WIAC wins a year ago were the most since accumulating 10 victories during the 2014 campaign. The Blue Devils bring back eight starting position players from last season's group, including Jordan Wilson, who led the squad with a .327 batting average, 12 doubles, 34 RBI and 23 runs scored. Jack Donahue had a team-high 60.0 innings pitched, while Brad Rindfleisch was second with a 2.91 earned run average and 33 strikeouts. Stout will return starters at every position except right field. Six seniors - all-conference outfielder Jordan Wilson, catcher Tim Bott, infielder Jared Jarvensivu and pitchers Brad Rindfleisch, Casey Ryan and Jack Donahue - provide a solid group of leaders. | Complete Season Preview

WIAC PRESEASON POLL: UW-Stout is picked to finish fifth in the WIAC, according to a preseason poll conducted by the conference. UW-Whitewater was picked to win the conference, followed by UW-Oshkosh, UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Platteville and WIAC newcomer Finlandia University. | Complete WIAC Preview

JARVI GOES YARD: Coming into the season, UW-Stout senior captain Jared Jarvensivu had not hit a collegiate home run.  Jarvensivu launched his first collegiate home run when he led off the third inning and sent the ball over the left field fence against Millikin University, March 25, then hit his second round-tripper against Finlandia University, April 6. 

OVER THE FENCE: Jarvensivu is not the only Blue Devil to clear the fence. The Blue Devils have 12 total home runs, exceeding last year's total of 11. Kasey Bass and Jordan Wilson lead the way with three home runs each, followed by Jarvensivu with two each. Reid Akerman, Joel Thimsen, Hunter Merrill and Alex Jinkins each have a single round-tripper. 


UW-WHITEWATER: The Warhawks are ranked 13th in the latest ABCA Division III poll. Whitewater wrapped up their third straight WIAC title, and their 19th overall regular season conference title. The Warhawks are among the national leaders in home runs, punching out 44, fifth in Division III. Whitewater is posting a team batting average of ..348, fourth in the country. Cal Aldridge has 15 home runs, third nationally. Noah Jensen leads the WIAC in average at .412 (47-114) with 31 RBI. Aldridge is third in the league at .406 (56-138) with 52 runs scored and 42 runs batted in. Jensen leads the team in stolen bases with 13. Four Whitewater pitchers are among the top five in ERA in the WIAC. Connor Spear (7-0/1.51 ERA) had thrown 41.2 innings with 30 Ks and leads the conference. Matt O'Sullivan (7-3/1.88) has 71.2 inning pitched with 77 strikeouts. Westin Muir (6-0/2.32) has thrown 50.1 innings with 60 strikeouts. Michael Kaska (5-3/2.95), last season's WIAC pitcher of the year has worked 64.0 innings and has a league-best 79 strikeouts, 25th in the country. The Warhawks are riding a six game winning streak, but had a 14-game winning streak midway through the season. This season, the Warhawks are 4-0 against UW-Stout, 2-2 against UW-La Crosse and 4-0 over UW-Platteville. | 2019 Statistics

STOUT VS. WHITEWATER: The Warhawks took all four games against the Blue Devils, including a pair of 7-inning shutouts. 10-0, 19-0, on the second day of doubleheaders in Whitewater. The game of baseball can be a funny game because two days earlier, (there was a one day delay because of weather) the Blue Devils held their own in 11-9, 4-3, losses. The Warhawks have a 21-game winning streak over the Blue Devils. Stout's last win over Whitewater came April 27, 2014, a 2-1 win in Menomonie.  | Day One Games and Statistics | Day Two Games and Statistics 


UW-PLATTEVILLE: Jonathon Kelso leads the Pioneers in average, hitting .408 (58-142) with 35 RBI and two home runs. Kelso leads the WIAC in stolen bases with 20. Tyler Vogler (4-3/3.50 ERA) has thrown 43.2 innings with 49 strikeouts. Caleb Kaufman (4-4/5.40) has tossed a team-high 51.2 innings with 58 Ks. Keegan Madigan (4-1/4.70) has pitched 38.1 innings with 20 strikeouts. This season, the Pioneers are 3-1 against UW-Stout, 0-4 against UW-Whitewater and 1-3 against UW-La Crosse.  The Pioneers are 7-2 over their last nine games. | 2019 Statistics

STOUT VS. PLATTEVILLE: The Blue Devils defeated the Pioneer 2-1 in 11 innings in the team's first meeting this season, March 30, but the Pioneers swept the remaining three games, 5-2, 4-1, 7-6. Over the last 12 meetings, the series is split at six wins apiece.  | Day One Games and Statistics | Day Two Games and Statistics 


UW-LA CROSSE:  Brennan Schmitt and Carson Youngquist top the Eagles this season in average. Schmitt is hitting .378 (51-135) with 39 RBI, a league-best 18 doubles and six home runs. Youngquist is hitting .365 (42-115) with 31 RBI and five home runs.  This season, the Eagles are 3-1 against UW-Stout, 3-1 against UW-Platteville and 2-2 against UW-Whitewater. Three-year first team all-conference pick Nate Heili is hitting .345 (57-165) with 32 RBI and four home runs. Toeing the rubber, Zach Pronchinske (5-1/2.13 ERA) leads with 50.2 innings pitched and 65 strikeouts. Mason McMahon (4-3/3.50) has thrown 46.1 innings and notched 64 strikeouts.The Eagles' Connor Cook threw a seven-inning no-hitter against top-ranked Concordia-Chicago April 18. The Eagles are receiving votes in the ABCA Division III poll. This season, the Eagles are 3-1 over UW-Stout, 2-2 with UW-Whitewater and 3-1 with UW-Platteville. | 2019 Statistics

STOUT VS. LA CROSSE: Weather played havoc with the Blue Devils' supposed home games with the Eagles. The first doubleheader was delayed a week, then was moved to La Crosse April 16 where the Blue Devils won the first game, 7-3, but were blanked in the second game, 9-0. A week later, the teams bet in Mauston with La Crosse earning the sweep, 6-0, 16-7. The Eagles have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with Stout. | April 16 Games and Statistics | April 25 Games and Statistics


2019 TEAM CAPTAINS: Team captains for the 2019 season are seniors Jared Jarvensivu, Jordan Wilson, Jack Donahue and junior Ben Vanhove. Jarvensivu and Wilson are team captains for the second consecutive year..

AWARDS AND HONORS: 2019: Brad Rindfleisch was selected the UW-Stout/Toppers Athlete of the Week, May 6, after posting a win over UW-Stevens Point and one relief inning of scoreless ball with St. Thomas...Casey Ryan was selected the UW-Stout/Toppers Athlete of the Week April 22 after pitching consecutive wins over UW-La Crosse and UW-Oshkosh...Kasey Bass was selected as the UW-Stout/Toppers Athlete of the Week after hitting .615 over four games against Finlandia University...Jordan Wilson was selected as the WIAC athlete of the week after driving in six runs in a sweep over Principia College...2018: Jordan Wilson was a first team all-WIAC selection. Brad Rindfleisch, Kasey Bass, Jon Krueger, and Ben Vanhove were honorable mention selections...Jordan Wilson was the WIAC athlete of the week after his performance against UW-Platteville to close out the season...Brad Rindfleisch was selected the UW-Stout/Toppers Pizza Athlete of the Week, April 17, after throwing eight innings and allowing only one run in an eventual 14-inning loss to UW-Stevens Point, April 11.


COACHES: Ben Kincaid (40-69) is in his third year as the Blue Devils' head coach, following two years as a Blue Devil assistant coach where he worked primarily with the pitchers. Kincaid played collegiately at at Minnesota State University-Mankato, where he was a four year letter winner, playing in 149 games. He finished with a .339 batting average, 38 doubles (5th on MSU's career list), six home runs and 140 runs batted in (6th on MSU's career list). As a righthanded pitcher he sported a 14-8 record with a 3.45 earned run average and had 148 strikeouts in 172 innings pitched. Kincaid was named to the All-Central Region team three times in his career. An Eau Claire native, Kincaide played for the local Eau Claire Express. UW-Whitewater:  John Vodenlich  (600-222-1 (overall) / 571-182-1 (WW) is in his 16th season at the helm of the UW-Whitewater baseball program and his 18th overall. He has taken the Warhawks to heights unreached prior to his arrival on campus. While the Whitewater program has had longstanding success, Vodenlich has set a new standard, turning the Warhawks into a NCAA Division III college baseball power. During Vodenlich's 14 seasons as head coach, the Warhawks have won 10 WIAC championships, qualified for the NCAA Championships 12 times and appeared in the NCAA Division III College World Series six times, including winning the 2014 and 2005 NCAA Division III National Championships.  UW-La Crosse: Chris Schwarz  (379-264-1) is in his 15th season as head baseball coach at UW-La Crosse in 2018-19. He led the Eagles to their third straight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Midwest Regional Championship game in 2017. UWL finished 31-19 overall in 2017, marking its fourth 30-win season in school history, including third straight. The Eagles made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship in 2015 and 2016. UWL made its first ever appearance in the NCAA III Championship in 2015 in Appleton, Wisconsin, advancing to the best-of-three championship series and a runner-up national finish. The Eagles finished third in the final 2015 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Collegiate Baseball and D3baseball.com Polls. UWL made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship in 2016. The Eagles were fourth in the final 2016 ABCA/Collegiate Baseball and D3baseball.com Polls. The Eagles made their fifth appearance in the last six years in the NCAA Division III Championship in 2017. UW-Platteville: Chad Harris (146-192) is in his first year at UW-Platteville, but brought 17 years of collegiate coaching experiencing, most recently served as assistant coach and pitching coach at the University of Dubuque (Dubuque, Iowa). Harris returns to UW-Platteville after serving as an Academic Retention Specialist and Academic Coach from 2017-18. Harris has spent 17 years coaching baseball at the collegiate level which includes stops as head coach at AIB College of Business in Des Moines, Iowa (2013-15), head coach at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa, (2006-2012), and assistant coach at University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas (2001-2006).  He most recently returned to his passion of coaching full-time in the spring of 2018 and joined the staff at the University of Dubuque after serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the Spartans during the 2017 season.  
 

2018 BLUE DEVILS: Stout finished the 2018 season at 10-27 overall, 7-16 in the WIAC. | 2018 Statistics

DOWN THE ROAD: Selection to the NCAA Championship will be in the hands of the selection committee. WIAC baseball does not receive an automatic bid. Last season, UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh earned at-large bids.