BB: WIAC: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[tomt4525]

Based on what they return which is essentially Erickson and their lack of recruiting or getting junior college transfers.  They were very mediocre last year and now lose doornik also and he was supposed to be one of the few bright spots returning.

Do you know what their recruiting class includes??  A lot of times in D3 baseball recruiting, kids don't announce where they are going and thus people don't find out until the roster comes out.  Transfers happen at semester, like Luke Thomka last year...I would be willing to bet once the roster is on the Point website, their will be some names nobody new about. 

As far as bright spots, they have a ton of young kids returning that I expect to improve.  Ray Greco and Cole Erickson are stars...Stanicek and Diedrick are guys that I think are bright spots with playing well as freshman at the end of the season.  Pitching depth I've thought should be a strength coming into this season as well.  Guys like Ben Miller coming back, Spaeth had a solid year....that incoming freshman that greyshirted or whatever...want to say Zach Miller??  He had a lot of good things said about him.

WW is loaded, their preseason rankings are well deserved.  Point isn't any slouch though.  I'm looking forward to seeing them next week against St Thomas.

I don't remember seeing Diedrick on the roster.....

I am curious to see how the trifecta of greyshirts perform, in P Zach Miller, IF Jordan Carlson, and UT Angel Ramirez....  All three were pretty highly regarded coming out of high school.

Diedrick isn't on the roster this season...was told he's concentrating on getting into med school.

[cubs]

Points roster is up looks like they got a d1 transfer who will pitch and they have a lot of arms.  No ray greco guessing he transferred to whitewater or d1 school.

I had heard he transferred to a D2 in Illinois, but that is apparently different from what tomt4525 has stated so I have no idea....

He's still listed in the student directory at UWSP.

I wonder when/how often that directory is updated?  Could that be something where upperclassmen are transferred over from the previous year regardless of whether or not they step foot on campus the following year?

[tomt4525]

Points roster is up looks like they got a d1 transfer who will pitch and they have a lot of arms.  No ray greco guessing he transferred to whitewater or d1 school.

I had heard he transferred to a D2 in Illinois, but that is apparently different from what tomt4525 has stated so I have no idea....

He's still listed in the student directory at UWSP.

I wonder when/how often that directory is updated?  Could that be something where upperclassmen are transferred over from the previous year regardless of whether or not they step foot on campus the following year?

It's updated every semester, if you're in school....you're listed in the directory. 

[cubs]

Points roster is up looks like they got a d1 transfer who will pitch and they have a lot of arms.  No ray greco guessing he transferred to whitewater or d1 school.

I had heard he transferred to a D2 in Illinois, but that is apparently different from what tomt4525 has stated so I have no idea....

He's still listed in the student directory at UWSP.

I wonder when/how often that directory is updated?  Could that be something where upperclassmen are transferred over from the previous year regardless of whether or not they step foot on campus the following year?

It's updated every semester, if you're in school....you're listed in the directory.

Are you able to see if he was enrolled first semester?

[tomt4525]

Points roster is up looks like they got a d1 transfer who will pitch and they have a lot of arms.  No ray greco guessing he transferred to whitewater or d1 school.

I had heard he transferred to a D2 in Illinois, but that is apparently different from what tomt4525 has stated so I have no idea....

He's still listed in the student directory at UWSP.

I wonder when/how often that directory is updated?  Could that be something where upperclassmen are transferred over from the previous year regardless of whether or not they step foot on campus the following year?

It's updated every semester, if you're in school....you're listed in the directory.

Are you able to see if he was enrolled first semester?

Yes, he was enrolled first semester this year as well.

[BDB]

Blue Devils playing a double header vs. Bethel at US Bank stadium today.

(click pic to enlarge)

[tomt4525]

http://athletics.uwsp.edu/news/2017/2/27/baseball-outlook-for-2017-season-bright-in-year-two-under-jirschele.aspx

Season outlook for the Pointers....looks to have a deep pitching rotation as I expected, lineup looks differently than I would have guessed.

C Mrozinski, 1B Popham, 2B Rose, SS Iloncaie, 3B Duddleston, LF Stanicek, CF Thomka, RF Gerber----Corner infield looks to be manned by 2 freshman

Pitchers named in this article and looked to be relied upon are Erickson, Kawlewski, Zeihen, Mulzer, B Miller and Spaeth.

[ShineTime]

I thought popham would play short with Greco out but at least he's on the field already I could see him having 400 career average or better.

[cubs]

I thought popham would play short with Greco out but at least he's on the field already I could see him having 400 career average or better.

I'll say he doesn't finish a single season with a .400 or better batting average, much less an entire career.....  Care to make a wager??

[Baseball Geek]

Warhawk roster is up. Handful of freshmen, but a lot of veterans.

http://www.uwwsports.com/roster.aspx?path=baseball

[cubs]

Warhawk roster is up. Handful of freshmen, but a lot of veterans.

http://www.uwwsports.com/roster.aspx?path=baseball

Noticeably missing are a pair of kids from Oconto Falls, Riley Gruetzmacher and Evan Sigmund.  Be interested to see if Sigmund is "grey-shirting" or he chose to go to school somewhere else.

BW-Any details on Gruetzmacher?

[Baseball Geek]

Warhawk roster is up. Handful of freshmen, but a lot of veterans.

http://www.uwwsports.com/roster.aspx?path=baseball

Noticeably missing are a pair of kids from Oconto Falls, Riley Gruetzmacher and Evan Sigmund.  Be interested to see if Sigmund is "grey-shirting" or he chose to go to school somewhere else.

BW-Any details on Gruetzmacher?

FWIW, Gruetzmacher is not listed in the online UWW Student Directory. Sigmund is.

[tomt4525]

Point loses the first game 6-2 after having a 2-0 lead into the 4th.  Erickson looked solid but Point's defense was atrocious.  Duddleston at 3rd struggled mightily.  Nobody looked all that great at the plate and you include awful defense, that's what happens.

Kawlewski and Stodola both pitched an inning in relief and both weren't around the zone most of their inning.

If this is Point's best, they aren't going anywhere.

[cubs]

Point loses the first game 6-2 after having a 2-0 lead into the 4th. Erickson looked solid but Point's defense was atrocious.  Duddleston at 3rd struggled mightily.  Nobody looked all that great at the plate and you include awful defense, that's what happens.

Kawlewski and Stodola both pitched an inning in relief and both weren't around the zone most of their inning.

If this is Point's best, they aren't going anywhere.

Not sure I would go as far as saying Erickson was "solid," however he was probably the most productive Pointer in Game #1 as the offense failed to have any batter get multiple hits or even a single extra-base hit.  Erickson seemed to be in control the first couple of innings, but then allowed four hits and a walk the second time through the order.  It didn't appear as though he was "fooling" anyone.  He was pretty fortunate to get out of a bases loaded/nobody out jam in the fifth inning allowing just one run, but that is a sign of a good pitcher!

The bullpen needed to get six outs without allowing a run and were unable to do so..... 

St. Thomas leads the nightcap 7-3 in the Top of the 5th inning....

[TitanDoubles]

Here are my predictions for the season...

Conference Standings:
1. Whitewater - Too much coming back on offense, defense, and pitching. They're going to be tough to beat.
2. Oshkosh - Lost a lot of pitching and some key bats but they have several juniors who are now in their third year of starting. Expecting many guys to either take a big leap forward or to bounce back from the struggles they had last spring. I expect the Titans to have one of the best offenses and defenses in the conference. If the pitching comes along they could make a run at UWW and the title. Will need to find an arm out of the pen to replace what Sabel was giving them at the end of last spring, a guy who could come in and seal the deal.
3. La Crosse - It's hard to replace the production that they lost offensively. They had some real studs swinging the bats. Pitching will be thin.
4. Stevens Point - If the pitching is healthy I think they'll have a hard time falling out of the top four. They have return a lot of bats but none that were overly impressive. Hard to replace a player like Hanke as well.
5. Platteville - Don't know too much about them but I think they've got more coming back than Stout. I think they've got the potential to crash the top four.
6. Stout - Late shake up in the coaching staff doesn't look good but who knows? Maybe it'll encourage the guys to play like they've got nothing to lose.

Bold prediction: Watch out for RHP Scott Gorsuch of UW-Oshkosh this year. Traditionally came out of the pen in the past. Could see significant innings as a Day 1 starter. Played in a tough league this past summer down in South Carolina. He's got the stuff to be a dominant pitcher in the WIAC but whether or not he has the command is another issue. Walks have been a problem for him in the past. If he keeps his walks down and is able to keep hitters behind in the count he could be lights out. He could be the type of ball player who comes out of nowhere this year and steals WIAC Pitcher of the Year and potentially puts himself on the radar of some big league organizations.