Blue Devil teammates face off against each other in Northwoods League action

Northwoods League | Wisconsin Woodchucks | Rockford Rivets

ROCKFORD, Ill. (August 12, 2020) - For the last three years, Kyle Hamilton and Jace Baumann were teammates on the UW-Stout baseball team. This week, the two are scheduled to face each other as opponents for the first time when Baumann's Wisconsin Woodchucks traveled to Hamilton's Rockford Rivets for a pair of Northwoods League contests.

Baumann is a pitcher for the Blue Devils who is to be a senior in 2021 and Hamilton is a second baseman whose collegiate career wrapped up with the shortened 2020 season. The teams met Tuesday, Aug. 11 with the Woodchucks taking an 11-2 win. Baumann is scheduled to take the mound for the Wednesday, Aug. 12, 6:05 p.m. game and Hamilton has played in every game for the Rivets since joining the team in early August.

The teams had met earlier in the season, but Hamilton was yet to join the Rockford, Ill., team, which is located only about 20 miles south of Hamilton's hometown of Rockton, Ill.

Baumann is in his second year playing for the Woodchucks, which are based in Wausau about 20 miles from Baumann's hometown of Mosinee. 

"I received a call in June and was asked to play the full season with them this year," Baumann said. 

With the uncertainty of the Northwoods League being able to play this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baumann was unsure if he would get a chance to play, so decided he needed to get a job. That job didn't last long when the Woodchucks called.

"I had to find a job, and then quit my job and go straight into playing," Baumann told the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram in mid-July. "I was training and stuff. I just hadn't been in competition since really late February. So after three months of not doing anything competitive was really a struggle, but we had a couple of practices and I got back in the groove."

Of course, the pandemic has been on everyone's mind and has disrupted everyone's day-by-day routine - and the Northwoods League has been no exception. 

Because of the virus, the Rivets had to take a break in late July and that is when Hamilton's opportunity came about.

"I signed a two-and-a-half week contract during the corona break since a lot of the guys on the team already had to quarantine themselves before heading back to school," Hamilton said. "I heard about the opportunity from the general manager, Chad Bauer, and knew it was an opportunity that I could not give up. I am able to play in front of my family and friends since the stadium is very close to home. The season so far has been an amazing experience, I love playing the game of baseball, especially at this high of a level. Everyone on the field has the same goal in mind - to play the game as long as they possibly can."

"The COVID rules have changed the normal game a little bit," continued Hamilton. "We have to stay six feet away as much as possible, we have to wear masks in crowded areas and the fan seating is set in place where people are spread apart. Other than that, it's the same old game of baseball."

"We were all tested and required to quarantine until the results came back," Baumann said. "There are many rules that we are required to follow. Everyday we have our temperature taken when we arrive and are required to wear face masks at all times except for when we are on the field. We also have our own designated bathroom. We have our own water bottle and individual hand sanitizer too."

The season has gone well for Baumann and his year sounds similar to his Stout baseball career - starting out as a reliever and going on to assume a starting role.

"The season has been good," Baumann said. "I started out as a reliever and then worked my way into the starting rotation. Having a schedule of when I will pitch has been nice. As a reliever I could have gone into any game and was not exactly sure of my role until the third or fourth appearance."

And about tonight's game?

"Facing Kyle will be fun and a unique experience knowing someone on the other team," Baumann said.

"I am excited to face Jace tomorrow (Wednesday) since he is the starting pitcher for the other team," Hamilton said Tuesday evening. "He is a great pitcher and it will be a great matchup between him and our team as a whole."

While Hamilton's four-year collegiate career ended last spring after what turned out to be a three-game season due to the cancellation of the spring schedule by the NCAA because of COVID-19, Baumann is looking forward to getting back to school for what could be his final collegiate season in 2021. Getting a chance to play in the Northwoods League again this summer put Baumann back into upper-level competitive baseball. 

"Playing this summer is important to me because I hate the unknown," Baumann said.  "I prepared for a full offseason to see my improvements on the field and never got the chance. Going a full year without competition would have been extremely hard for me. I am glad that I get to compete and see my improvements along with things I am already preparing to fix in the coming offseason.  I truly appreciate the opportunity that the Woodchucks have given me knowing many players did not get the chance to play this year."

"I am done with the class portion at Stout," Hamilton said. "However, I still have to attend the academy which counts for credits toward my degree. After the academy is finished, I will be awarded my degree of Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation. This is my last opportunity for baseball and I am treating it as my senior season since I got that taken away from me. I am beyond grateful that I got this opportunity to play the game I love one last time."

The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of the top college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid, so as to maintain their college eligibility.