March 10, 2009

Another road trip awaits the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team this weekend, as it heads to Clarksville, Tenn., for a four-game series with Austin Peay State University. The teams will play four games in three days, getting the action underway with a Friday afternoon contest starting at 3 p.m. Saturday brings a noon doubleheader and the series finale has a first pitch slated for noon as well on Sunday.

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The all-time series dates back to 1995 with APSU leading, 10-3. UWM made this same road trip in 2008 during the second week of March, taking two of three in the series a year ago. It won the first two games, 12-7 and 10-5, before falling in the finale by a score of 6-4. The win in the opener snapped what was a nine-game win streak in the series for the Governors.

Live statistics will be available for each game in the series through Austin Peay's website: www.apsugovernors.com. Click the "Multimedia" tab, then "Live stats". Milwaukee assistant SID Chris Zills will also detail the action on the Verizon Wireless Panther Blog Zone each day.

The 2009 campaign marks the 45th season of baseball at UWM. It is also the 40th season of varsity play (the program was played at the club level from 1982-1986) and the 19th in the Panthers NCAA Division I era.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Austin Peay is 5-6 on the season and coming off a series win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Governors put on an impressive offensive showing, batting .347 as a team with nine home runs and 50 driven in. Matt Kole and Adam Browett led the way at the plate over the week - Kole with four home runs and Browett with a 10-for-17 showing. Greg Bachman is the Govs leading hitter overall with a .359 average and .490 on-base percentage, while four others are currently over the .300 mark. On the mound, the team ERA is in the mid-fives, with Ryne Harper leading the way at 2.25. He has recorded 13 strikeouts in 16.0 innings this season, going 1-1 in four games, making three starts.

The team will play two games before hosting Milwaukee this weekend, taking on No. 21 Mississippi in single games Tuesday and Wednesday.

CARDINAL CLASSIC RECAP
The Panthers came up 0-4 at the Cardinal Classic, but could have been looking at 2-2 if a few breaks had gone their way, losing two, one-run games Saturday. Included in one of those is the game against Louisville that Milwaukee led, 7-3 in the seventh, only to see the host Cardinals come up with five runs scoring after two were out.

The offense continues to be solid, as five different regulars ended the weekend at .333 or better. Senior Josh Groves found his stroke, batting .500 (5-for-10) in three games, while fellow seniors Ben Long (.429/6-for-14), Andy Gerhartz (.389/7-for-18/3 SB) and Shawn Wozniak (.333/5-for-15) also recorded solid efforts. Junior Dan Buchholz (.333/2-for-6) was also over .300 on the weekend.

The struggles came on the mound, as just one starter avoided a loss and only two of the four had earned run averages under nine. Overall, the team allowed 54 hits and walked 18 in 33.0 innings. On the bright side, four pitchers did record ERA's of 0.00: junior Lucas Annen (1 K in 3.0 IP), freshman Cameron Amsrud (1.1 IP in 2 games), senior Craig Meier (1.0 IP) and freshman Kaleb Engelke (2 K in 1.0 IP over 2 appearances).

TOUGH SCHEDULE TO THIS POINT
The Panthers sit at 3-8 on the season, but if you take a look at the schedule, they have played ranked teams in seven of 11 games to this point and currently have the 36th-highest strength of schedule in the country. The teams that UWM has lost to so far have combined for an overall record of 25-8.

Arizona State (11-1) has risen as high as No. 4 in the polls, Louisville (8-4) remains at No. 25 and Eastern Illinois is now 6-3 on the season.

SPEED KILLS
Milwaukee senior Andy Gerhartz added three more stolen bases in three attempts last week, making him 7-for-7 on the season and 22-for-25 on the basepaths in his two seasons at UWM. As a team, the Panthers have stolen 13 bases in 15 attempts this year, an 87% ratio of success. In 2008, the team finished 36 of 56 (65%).

ARMS RACE
Senior Tim Hoy and freshman Cameron Amsrud have been very busy so far this season, with each appearing in seven of the 11 games on the schedule to this point. At this rate, either one could approach the school record of 37 appearances in a season.

If you take out a rough outing against Eastern Illinois, Hoy has a 4.15 ERA and has four scoreless outings out of six appearances. Amsrud has been making a great first impression, as he has already recorded two victories and has a 3.18 ERA in 5.2 innings of work. He has not allowed a run in six-straight appearances after giving up two against No. 6 Arizona State in his debut Feb. 21.

NOW THAT IS WHAT THEY CALL A TEAM EFFORT
Milwaukee did a lot of things right on offense to record the 19-11 victory over #25 Michigan Feb. 27, but one look at the box score will show that it was a true "team" effort. Every starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run, while every spot in the batting order also drove in at least one run.

TAKING ON THE BIG TIME
UWM has played numerous ranked foes over the years, including its opening series against No. 6 Arizona State this season. However, it was during the 1999 postseason that the team made the biggest splash against a ranked opponent, defeating then-No. 1 Rice at the NCAA Regionals for the program's first-ever victory over a ranked team. Since that time, the Panthers have gone 5-30 against ranked opponents, including a 19-11 victory over #25 Michigan Friday Feb. 27.

UWM vs. Ranked Opponents Since 1999
2009: March 7: L, 8-7 at #25 Louisville
2009: March 6: L, 19-6 at #25 Louisville
2009: Feb. 27: W, 19-11 vs. #25 Michigan
2009: Feb. 20-22: L 15-3; L 13-5; L 14-1; L 11-0 at #6 Arizona State
2007: March 2-4: L 16-3; L 7-3; L 18-2 at #21 Kentucky
2007: Feb. 18-19: L 8-3; L 28-2; L 8-1 at #6 Arkansas
2006: March 3-5: L 14-3; L 9-5; W 7-2 at #20 Missouri
2005: April 20: L 2-3; L 9-1 at #28 Creighton
2004: March 30-31: L 10-0; L 9-0 at #20 Nebraska
2003: March 7: L 8-0; L 9-6 at #12 Nebraska
2002: May 31: L 7-2 at #13 Nebraska
2002: April 2-3: L 10-1; L 16-1 at #13 Nebraska
2001: May 25: L 12-4 at #8 Notre Dame
2001: March 28: L 16-2; L 16-10 at #8 Nebraska
2000: April 24-25: L 11-0; L 8-5; W 9-7 at #15 Nebraska
2000: March 29: W 14-3 at #21 Notre Dame
1999: May 29: L 8-5 at #21 Texas Tech ... L 27-1 vs. #1 Rice
1999: May 28: W 8-4 vs. #1 Rice

LONG STREAK COMES TO A CLOSE
Milwaukee was shut out Feb. 22 for the first time in nearly two years. The 11-0 loss to ASU marked the first time the UWM offense had been held without a run since a 14-0 loss at Austin Peay on March 11 of 2007 - a span of 112 games. That established a school record, breaking the former mark of 98 games covering the final 21 games of the 2001 season, all 56 games in 2002 and the first 21 games of the 2003 campaign.

FOR OPENERS
As a northern team that cannot practice outdoors before the start of the season, it is no surprise that Milwaukee does not have a great record in season openers. It is now 4-15 in such contests at the Division I level after falling to Arizona State Feb. 20.

PRESEASON NATIONAL SHOWINGS
Rivals.com predicted the Panthers to finish fourth in the league standings, following UIC, Wright State and Youngstown State. However, they then went on to pick UWM as the league "Team on the Rise" and state that the Panthers could definitely finish third. The site also picked a preseason all-conference squad that included senior Shawn Wozniak.

Collegebaseballinsider.com did not project an order of finish, but did select the Flames as the team to beat. The website polled the league head coaches in late 2008 and came up with the following spots where UWM was represented:

-The hitter you least want to face is: Shawn Wozniak, Milwaukee
-The biggest power threats are: Shawn Wozniak, Milwaukee; Jeff Mercer, Wright State and Brett Schaefer, UIC
-The best pure hitters are: Shawn Wozniak, Milwaukee; Kyle Schultz, Butler; Casey McGrew, Wright State and Brett Schaefer, UIC
-The best base-runner is: Andy Gerhartz, Milwaukee
The most recent issue of Baseball America featured its 2009 College Preview as well. The Panthers were slotted for third in its version, behind WSU and, once again, UIC as the top pick. Wozniak appeared on the Preseason All-Conference Team.

The website CollegeBaseballToday.com projected UIC and Wright State as the favorites and Milwaukee as a "contender". It lists Wozniak, Gerhartz, seniors Ben Long and Brad Lusti and sophomore Doug Dekoning as all-conference candidates.

WOZNIAK SERVING NOTICE
Senior Shawn Wozniak became the second Panther to ever be named to the College Baseball Foundation Brooks Wallace Award Watch List in December. The Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate baseball player.

Wozniak had a breakout season in 2008, setting career-highs in every category while finishing in the top 10 in numerous lists in the Horizon League: doubles (second), walks (third), hits (sixth), total bases (sixth), on-base percentage (sixth), slugging (seventh), runs batted in (eighth) and average (10th). He earned Second Team All-Horizon League honors at first base, leading the team with a .364 batting average, appearing in all 61 games (a school record), while making 58 starts. He scored 42 runs, had 26 doubles, hit six home runs and drove in 51 while leading the team in walks (29) and slugging percentage (.564). He also finished seventh in the NCAA with his 26 doubles.

Wozniak is one of six players from the Horizon League to make the list, joining Brett Schafer and Steve McGuiggan of UIC and the Wright State trio of Jeff Mercer, Alex Kaminsky and Quentin Cate. Wozniak is just the second Panther to ever be named to the list, joining Josh Groves, who made the cut in 2008.

Pingbaseball.com selected its All-Ping! 2009 Preseason Teams in January and Wozniak was an honorable mention selection there as well.

2008 REWIND
Head coach Scott Doffek's squad recorded 25-plus wins for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons in 2008, and he has established new marks for most victories by a first-year head coach (25) and most after his first two seasons (50). The 2008 season ended just one victory away from the Panthers making their first trip to the NCAA Regionals since 2002, with UWM falling to UIC in a one-game, winner-take-all, title contest. Milwaukee rode three upsets and a potent offense to the title game, batting .347 in the six games, averaging almost nine runs and 14 hits per contest.

Eight players earned postseason honors from the Horizon League and the offense ended the season ranked 73rd in the NCAA with its .309 batting average. Its 412 runs scored led the Horizon League and ranked 67th in the country. Its 672 hits were second all-time in program history, led the league and ranked 16th in the country. The Panthers were a doubles machine, recording 156 two-baggers to smash the old school record of 143 and end the season ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.

HART LEAVES IMPRESSION ON RECORD BOOK
Jesse Hart left his name in the UWM record books in numerous spots over the course of his final season a year ago when he became the first-ever Panther to bat over .300 in each of his four seasons in a Milwaukee uniform. The two-time All-Horizon League First Team selection finished his career as the program leader with his 267 hits (old record was 245), 778 at-bats (was 737) and 66 doubles (was 58). He finished second with his 380 total bases (just missing mark of 382) and 149 runs scored. His 66 doubles also tied Adam Casillas of Oral Roberts (1984-87) for the Horizon League career mark in the category. As a senior, Hart led the Horizon League in RBI's, doubles, total bases, at-bats and infield assists and was second in hits and third in runs scored

READY FOR BUS RIDES AND MOTEL STOPS...
The Panthers will be busy waiting for the snow to melt and Henry Aaron Field to be ready for them to play in Milwaukee. While that happens, they will be playing "just" 23-straight road games to open the 2009 slate. The previous record for longest season-opening road trip was set at 30 games a year ago. In 2008, UWM was originally scheduled to only play its first 27 games on the road, but the Wisconsin weather moved a three-game series with Cleveland State to UIC's Les Miller Field to extend it to 30.

The Panthers will travel close to 10,000 miles (approx. 9,375) over the course of the first six weeks of the season via plane or bus, visiting eight different states (Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Iowa and Illinois) before playing their home opener April 3 vs. UIC.

PROFESSIONAL PANTHERS
Another summer of baseball meant another summer of former Panthers playing professionally across the United States.

Mike Goetz spent the majority of the season with the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums before having his contract sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in early August. He carried a batting average over .400 into mid-June and posted hits in the first 11 games of the season, ending the season at .301 overall. Goetz had three four-hit games to tie the franchise record and recorded a team-leading 22 multi-hit contests (eight games of three or more hits). He ended the year by playing in 12 games for Lynchburg, recording seven hits and two runs batted in.

Ross McCoy started the season with the Lincoln Saltdogs, but was traded to the Reno (Nev.) Silversox of the Golden League in mid-June. He spent the first 16 games with Lincoln before finally getting healthy after the trade, batting .260 with the Silversox, scoring 47 runs in 66 games. He also had 10 home runs and drove in 38 runners.

Joe Nowicki spent the entire season with the Delmarva Shorebirds, where he earned South Atlantic League All-Star honors and was also tabbed SAL Player of the Week. He led the team in home runs, triples and RBI while also ranking near the top with 136 hits and 74 runs scored.

PRESEASON POLL
The Panthers were picked third in the 2009 Horizon League preseason baseball poll. The Panthers, picked third for the third-straight season, will look to improve on their fifth place finish from a year ago, when they had their season come to a close just one game away from their first NCAA Regional appearance since the 2002 season.

UIC was the unanimous choice for the top spot after winning its seventh-consecutive regular season title in 2008 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Flames were 35-22 last season and return eight starters to the diamond this spring. They received six first place votes and 36 points. Wright State was second after going 30-23 last season. The Raiders finished second a year ago, but did lose three players to the MLB Draft. WSU tallied the other first place vote and garnered 29 points. UWM sits just behind in third with 26 points after a late-season surge took then all the way to the Horizon League Tournament Championship last season.

1. UIC (6) - 36 points
2. Wright State (1) - 29 points
3. Milwaukee - 26 points
4. Youngstown State - 21 points
5. Valparaiso - 15 points
6. Cleveland State - 14 points
7. Butler - 6 points

ON TAP
Milwaukee plays its first midweek games next, traveling to play a Wednesday doubleheader at Central Michigan. The Panthers will then enjoy a rare weekend off, returning to action March 24 at Northern Iowa.