Baseball Preview: Blue Devils to host Finlandia in final home games of the season

THIS WEEK'S GAMES:  UW-Stout (17-19, 10-14 WIAC) close out the regular season by hosting Finlandia University (3-31, 0-24 WIAC), Friday, May 6 at noon at Nelson Field for Senior Day. The games move to Wakanda Park in North Menomonie, Saturday, May 7 as Stout. Friday is Senior Day for the Blue Devils and seniors Reese Vold, Paul Weise, Jace Baumann, Joel Thimsen and Charlie Szykowny will be recognized after the games.

DIRECTIONS TO WAKANDA PARK: From I-94, exit Highway 25 South. Follow 25 South (Broadway St.) to Pine Avenue. Turn left on Pine Avenue.  You may use the address for Wakanda Waterpark, to locate the field. The baseball field is directly across from the waterpark. Wakanda Waterpark, 909 Pine Ave, Menomonie, WI 54751

A QUICK LOOK AT THIS PAST WEEK: The Blue Devils had to work hard to sweep a non-conference series over Ripon College May 4. The Blue Devils won the first game, 5-4 in 11 innings, and the second game, 15-5 in seven innings. The Blue Devils had 10 in game one and 16 in game two.

PETS: While service animals are allowed, no pets are allowed at UW-Stout athletic events.


PARKING: There is no free parking for weekday baseball & softball games.   Regular parking restrictions are strictly enforced. Parking for baseball and softball spectators during weekday games is restricted to on-street parking and in Lot 29.  Spectators that park in Lot 29 (located just north of the outdoor track) must pay parking fees and register their license plate at the pay station near the main East entrance of the Sports & Fitness Center.  Lot 29 parking restrictions end at 4 pm on Monday through Friday.   DO NOT PARK in Lot 4 during the week. Lot 4 is the parking lot located to the west of the Sports & Fitness Center and north of Don & Nona Williams Stadium (the football stadium). Lot 4 is only open to the general public from 1 p.m. on Fridays until 9 p.m. on Sundays. There is no general parking in Lot 4 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays and not until 1 pm on Fridays. Team buses may park on the east side (outdoor track side - not the metered side) of 3rd Street East. Parking is permitted in all university lots on weekends.

 
2021 UW-Stout Baseball Schedule
Date / Opponent / Time or Result
Tue, March 8 / vs. Bethel University / L 5-1, L 10-5
Sun, March 13 / vs. Bethel University / W 7-5
Mon, March 14 / vs. Eastern Conn / L 20-3 (7)
Mon, March 14 / vs. Skidmore / L 13-12
Wed, March 16 / vs. St. Michael / W 14-8
Thu, March 17 / vs. Lasell / W 13-6 (7); W 11-0 (7)
Fri, March 18 / vs. Eastern Conn / L 24-9 (7)
Sat, March 19 / vs. US Merchant Marine / W 11-9 (10)
Mon, March 28 / vs. UW-Platteville* at Mauston  / W 7-5, W 13-5
Tue, March 29 / vs. UW-Platteville at Mauston / W 7-3, W 16-5 (7)
Sat, Apr 2 / UW-Eau Claire* at River Falls / W 11-6, W 16-3 (7)
Sun, Apr 3 / UW-Eau Claire* at River Falls / W 3-0, W 11-10
Sat, Apr 9 / at UW-Oshkosh* / L 11-2, L 13-4
Sun, Apr 10 / at UW-Oshkosh* / L 5-3, W 12-5
Fri, Apr 15 / at UW-Stevens Point* / L 6-3, W 8-3
Sat, Apr 16 / at UW-Stevens Point* / L 11-5, L 16-6
Sat, Apr 23 / UW-La Crosse* / L 11-3, L 5-4
Sun, Apr 24 / UW-La Crosse* / L 14-3, L 10-0
Sun, May 1 / at UW-Whitewater* / L 7-1, L 8-3
Mon, May 2 / at UW-Whitewater* / L 14-2, L 12-4
Wed, May 4 / Ripon College / W 5-4 (11), W 15-5 (7)
Fri, May 6 / Finlandia University* / 12 p.m.
Sat, May 7 / Finlandia University* / 12 p.m.
         at Wakanda Park
May 12-14 / WIAC Championship / TBA
*all conference dates 9-inning doubleheaders


UW-STOUT AT A GLIMPSE
Head Coach:  Ben Kincaid; 6th season; 82-110
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  24/11
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  6/3
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  5/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  3/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Charlie Szykowny, Sr., SS (2021-First)
Notable Returning Position Players:  Riley Boushack, So., OF; Joel Thimsen, Sr., 3B; Levi Wilson, Jr., 2B
Notable Returning Pitchers:  Jace Baumann, Sr., RHP; Brock Burg, Jr., RHP; Cody Urban, Jr., RHP


UW-STOUT: Charlie Szykowny's 7 of 8 day against Ripon College moved his batting average up from a very respectable .386 to a .412. The senior shortstop is hitting 61 of 148 with 13 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 52 RBI and 45 runs scored. Joel Thimsen is batting .374 (49-131) with 13 doubles, a triple, two home runs, 37 RBI and 30 runs scored. Jacoby Endreas is hitting .330 (32-97) with seven doubles, five home runs, 24 RBI and 22 runs scored. Jack Schirpke is hitting 311 (33-106) with six doubles, two home runs, 27 RBI and 24 runs scored. Levi Wilson has scored 25 runs and Colin Hageman has scored 32 runs. Hageman and Riley Boushack have each hit two home runs. Drew Ries and Jason Schnell have also contributed a round-tripper. 

PATIENCE, GENTLEMEN, PATIENCE: Levi Wilson and Joel Thimsen have each drawn a team-high 22 walks. Charlie Szykowny has drawn 19 walks, Colin Hageman 13, and Jacoby Endreas 11. Szykowny has drawn five intentional walks and Endreas, two, both coming on the same day. 

BLUE DEVIL PITCHING: Jace Baumann (5.36 ERA, 50.1 IP, 40K), Cody Urban (6.80 ERA, 47.2 IP, 25K), Drew Buss (7.36 ERA, 36.2 IP, 42K), and Ethan Kjellberg (8.29 ERA, 33.2 IP, 22K) have drawn the majority of the starts on the mound. Connor Hemme (3.86 ERA, 14,0 IP, 11K), Dak Doyle (6.89 ERA, 15.2 IP, 12K) and Brock Burg (10.95 ERA, 12.1 IP, 9K) have all seen more than nine innings pitched. Quintin Gonzalez, Luke Kallod and Doyle each have a save and Szykowny and Hemme each have a win and a save.

JACOBY'S BIG DAY: Jacoby Endreas had a day baseball players dream of. On the first day of the UW-Eau Claire series, April 2, the Blue Devil transfer from Ellsworth Community College smashed out four home runs, of which two were grand slams, and finished the day with 12 RBI. In the first game alone, Endreas hit three home runs (one of them a grand slam) and had an eight RBI game, driving in single runs on two home runs, four with the grand slam and had a two-run single midway through the game. For the season, Endreas is hitting .375 (21-56) with five doubles, the four home runs and 18 RBI. Endreas has been steady at first base. He had a perfect fielding percentage last week in the eight combined games with UW-Platteville and Eau Claire. For the year, Endreas has a .982 fielding percentage, committing only two errors in 111 chances.

CLIMBING THE LADDER: Charlie Szykowny's tied and broke the school single season home run record by smashing three home runs against Ripon Wednesday, running his total to 17 home runs getting past the previous record of 15 held by Brad O'Connell (2000) and Ryan Freitag (2014). Szykowny now has 21 career home runs, tied with Seth Meier (2003, 2005-07) for eighth. Szykowny has recorded three triples in each of the 2020 and 2021 seasons and has four this season,  bringing his total to 10career triples, tying the school record of 10 owned by Brandon O'Connell (2008-11).  Szykowny currently has 37 career doubles, tied for second with Chris Larson (1987-90). Maier holds the record with 50 doubles. Szykowny is ninth in career runs scored with 117. Szykowny's 52 RBI is currently second on the single season season list. John Filas drove in 54 runs in 1989 to lead the category. Joel Thimsen currently has 33 career doubles and is tied for ninth on the all-time Stout list. 

WIAC STATS: The Blue Devils have several players in the WIAC top 10 in individual statistical categories. Charlie Szykowny is second in batting average (.412), first in slugging percentage (.899), second in on-base percentage (.488), first in OPS (1.387), third in runs scored (45), second in hits (61), second in RBI (52), second in doubles (13), tied for first in triples (4), first in home runs (17). Joel Thimsen is seventh in average (.374), ninth in on-base percentage (.466),  fifth in hits (49), sixth in RBI (37), tied for second in doubles (13). Jacoby Endreas is tied for ninth in home runs (5). Thimsen and Levi Wilson are tied for fourth for walks drawn (22).  | WIAC Stats

UW-STOUT LAST TIME OUT:  While Charlie Szykowny stole the headlines, the Blue Devils put together a team effort to sweep Ripon College Wednesday, 5-4 in 11 innings and 15-5 in seven innings. Riley Boushack led off the Blue Devils offense with a first-pitch-seen home run and Szykowny hit the walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th. Stout had 10 hits in the game. After surrendering a run to Ripon in the first inning of game two, the Blue Devils sent 15 batters to the plate in their half of the first. Szykowny had two home runs in the game, but Connor Hemmer, who started the opening game as pitcher, came on in the seventh inning to finish off the game with an RBI single to put the Blue Devils over the 10 runs needed to call the game early. Szykowny was 7 of 8 for the day and Boushack was 5 of 7 on the day. Of the 16 batters that went to the plate throughout the day, 13 got at least one hit. Between the two teams, 19 different pitchers saw action on the hill. | Ripon College Game Story and Stats | The Blue Devils were unable to pick up a game against UW-Whitewater last weekend. First, potential inclement weather pushed the opening games back one day. The Warhawks took all four games, 7-1, 8-3, 14-2, 12-4, May 1-2. |  Day One Game Story and Stats | Day Two Game Story and Stats | 


WIAC PRESEASON POLL:   UW-Stout is picked to finish fifth in the 2022 preseason poll. UW-Whitewater is first, UW-Stevens Point second, UW-La Crosse third, UW-Oshkosh fourth, UW-Platteville sixth, UW-Eau Claire seventh, and Finlandia eighth



SCOUTING FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY: The Lions are still looking for their first conference win of the season. Jacob Mead, outfielder and pitcher, is leading the team in batting, averaging .343 (36-105) with 23 runs scored, six doubles, five home runs and 18 RBI. Jordan D'Angelo is averaging .325 (37-114) with seven doubles and 15 RBI. As a pitcher, Mead leads the team in strikeouts with 42.  Cole Fransen has 36 and Brandon Hale has 29. Mead, Jeff Bishop, Hale and Fransen have started the majority of the games. | Baseball Website | Schedule | Coaching Staff | Statistics |

Finlandia University (Mich.)
Head Coach:  Evan Brandt; 5th season at FIN; (17-128)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  17/23
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  4/5
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  2/4
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost:  0/0
Returning All-WIAC:  None
Notable Returning Position Players:  Jordan D'Angelo, So., 2B; Jacob Mead, So., OF
Notable Returning Pitchers:  Brandon Hale, Jr., RHP; Tyler Hale, Jr., RHP; Alex Tallman, Jr., RHP

LAST TIME OUT: The Lions dropped all four games to UW-Eau Claire this week. The Blugolds took wins of 26-2, 14-6 on May 2 and in an evening doubleheader at Carson Park, May 4, Eau Claire captured wins of 17-9, 11-1.  |  May 2 Game Story and Stats | May 4 Game Story and Stats

LAST TIME THEY MET: The Blue Devils have won all 10 meetings since 2010, including all four last season. Stout took wins of 14-6 and 11-5, May 15, 2021, fresh off the heels of 9-0, 11-1 wins a day earlier. | May 14 Game Story and Statistics | May 15 Game Story and Statistics



TEAM CAPTAINS: Charlie Szykowny, Joel Thimsen and Cooper Beving will serve as 2022 team captains.

2022 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Week Seven: Pitcher of the week:  Cody Urban, Jr, Deerbrook, Wis. (Antigo)...Week Six: Player of the week:  Charlie Szykowny, Sr, Palos Heights, Ill...Week Five: Pitcher of the week:  Quintin Gonzalez, Fr, Apple Valley, Minn. (Rosemount). Week Four: Position player of the week: Levi Wilson, Jr, Minneapolis, Minn. (Southwest); Pitcher of the week:  Connor Hemme, Jr, Eden Praire, Minn.  Week Three: Position player of the week: Joel Thimsen, Sr, Minnetonka, Minn; Pitcher of the week:  Cody Urban, Jr, Deerbrook, Wis. (Antigo)  Week Two: Position player of the week: Charlie Szykowny, Sr, Palos Heights, Ill. (Alan B. Shepard); Pitcher of the week: Cooper Beving, Sr, Norwalk, Iowa; Week One: Position player of the week: Joel Thimsen, Sr, Minnetonka, Minn; Pitcher of the week: Jace Baumann, Sr, Mosinee, Wis.

AWARDS AND HONORS: 2022:  Joel Thimsen was named the WIAC/Kwik Trip position player of the week April 5 after hitting 13 RBI over eight games as the Blue Devils swept UW-Platteville and UW-Eau Claire to open the conference season...Charlie Szykowny was named the WIAC/Kwik Trip position player of the week and the NCBWA honorable mention hitter of the week after driving in 18 runs and hitting five home runs during Stout's Florida.


COACHES: Ben Kincaid (82-110) is in his sixth year as the Blue Devils' head coach with the 2022 season, 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 right-handed 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, Kincaid played for the local Eau Claire Express. (Ben Kincaid was 65-91 to start 2022 season)


2021 BLUE DEVILS: Stout finished the 2021 season at 23-19 overall, 16-12 in the WIAC, and advanced to the WIAC tournament, where they played four games, heading into the final day of the tournament. | 2021 Statistics

DOWN THE ROAD:  The WIAC Baseball Tournament is scheduled for May 12-14 at the highest seeded team. 


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