Sports

Warhawks Fall in Game One of NCAA Championship Series

Adam Cootway hitting home run in first inning (Photo Credit: Ryan Coleman/D3Photography)


Game of Streaks, Warhawks unable to overcome 10-0 run from the Cougars

Box Score

By Broderick Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball fell to Misericordia [PA] in Game 1 of the NCAA DIII Championship Series. The Cougars scored 10 unanswered runs starting in the 2nd inning, and the Warhawks were unable to match. The Cougars picked up the 12-9 victory to take a 1-0 series lead.

The Warhawks struck first, with Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) smashing a ball to left field, scoring the first two runs of the game. 

With a 2-0 lead, the Warhawks felt in control, but Misericordia put up a 5-run 2nd inning to take the lead. 

After holding the Warhawk offense in check, Misericordia collected another 5-run inning in the bottom of the 4th, taking a 10-2 lead.

The Warhawks ended the 10-0 run with a six run top of 5th. Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) got things started with a two-run home run. Cootway scored after an Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) single & Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) made it to first on a dropped third strike to keep the inning going. 

Bennett Frazer (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) continued the scoring with a sacrifice fly, sending Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) home. Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) added the final run with a RBI double down the left field line. 

Misercordia added another another run to extend the lead back up to three runs. Cootway closed it back down to two with an RBI single in the top of the 8th. 

The Cougars added another insurance run, making it three runs or three outs in the top of the ninth for the Warhawks. The Warhawks were unable to get runners on, with Misericordia picking up the 12-9 win.

The Warhawks will look to fight back on Thursday, June 4th. The first game is set to begin at 11:00 AM EDT [10 AM CDT] with a third possible game to follow if the Warhawks win. 

Warhawk Baseball Advances to NCAA DIII Championship Series with 5-2 Win

Hopper, Frank, & Cootway Celebrating the Victory (Photo Credit: Angela Kelm)

By Broderick Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

Warhawks Advance to 2024 Championship Series with 5-2 Win

Holland’s 8th-inning home run broke up the tie to lead the Warhawks to victory.

Box Score

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team takes Monday’s game two over Salve Regina, 5-2. With the win, the Warhawks advanced to the NCAA DIII Championship Series against Misericordia. A best of three game series will decide the 2024 DIII Baseball National Champion.

In the game against Salve Regina, a quick three-and-out bottom of the first gave the Warhawks some momentum heading into the second inning. Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) led the inning off with a double and Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) hit him in two batters latter to open up the scoring for the Warhawks. 

The Seahawks tied it back up after a solo home run from Tyler Cannoe. In the top of the third, Bennett Frazer (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) led off with a double, but the Slave Regina defense got out of the inning, stranding him on second.

The Warhawks responded right back defensively, with a three-up-three-down to get out of the third inning. 

The Warhawks regained the lead in the top of the fourth, with Paden hitting his second double of the night, scoring Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles). But Salve Regina tied it right back, with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth. 

The game remained tied 2-2 for the next three innings, with neither team able to put together a rally. Max Huseboe (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) came in to relief Jack Hagen (San Clemente, Cal./San Clemente) in the bottom of the 7th, taking the Salve Regina side down in order for his first inning. 

In the top of the 8th, Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) got the momentum back on the Warhawks’ side. Holland sent a lead-off homer the opposite way to finally break the tie and putting the Warhawks up 3-2. 

After Holland’s homer, the Warhawks tallied three straight singles from Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port), Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran), and Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) adding another run to their lead. 

In response, the Seahawks got a runner on first, but the Warhawk defense kept them off the board. The Warhawks tallied on an insurance run in the Top of the 9th. After video review, Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) was called safe on a single that scored Frazer, giving UWW a 5-2 lead. 

With another 3-run cushion, Salve Regina had three outs left to make up the runs. Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) came in as the closer for the bottom of the ninth. Eisenbarth fanned the first two batters, but the next two runners made it on base. With two outs and the tying run on the plate, the Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) secured the final out, claiming the victory for the Warhawks. 

Huseboe earned the win on the mound and Eisenbarth was awarded the save as the Warhawks advance to the NCAA Championship Series for the first time since 2014. 

The Warhawks will take on Misericordia in a best of three-game series. Due to weather, the first game, [which was scheduled to be played on Wednesday,] will be on Tuesday, June 4th at 7 PM EDT/6 PM CDT. The second game will remain on Thursday, June 6th at 11 AM EDT/10 AM CDT with the third game to follow if needed. 

NCAA BASEBALL RECAP: UWW 7, SRU 4 – The two play again tonight to advance to Championship

 Adam Cootway making contact with ball (Photo Credit: Angela Kelm)

Warhawks Force Second Game against Salve Regina with 7-4 win

The two will battle it out for the last spot in the NCAA DIII World Series

Box Score

By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater forces a second game against Salve Regina after defeating the Seahawks 7-4 on Monday afternoon. 

The Warhawks got two base runners in the first inning, but Salve Regina closed out the inning without allowing a Warhawk run. One of the baserunners was Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South), who recorded his 86th hit, setting a new Warhawk single season hit record.

The Seahawks ended up being the ones to break open the scoreboard, a RBI double in the top of the third. 

Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) tied it up with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, scoring the first run for the Warhawks against Salve Regina. The Seahawks regained their lead after a runner scored from third as the Warhawks turned a double play.

Down 2-1, it didn’t take long for UWW to regain the lead. With bases loaded, Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) hitting a standing triple down the right field line to put the Warhawks up 4-2. One of the runners that scored was Scolan, who set yet another record with his 78th run, a single season high for the Warhawks. 

An inning later, Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) singled up the middle to drive in another run. The three-run cushion didn’t last too long, as Salve Regina’s D’Amato hit a two-run to close the Warhawk lead to just one. 

After a scoreless inning from both teams in the 7th, Cootway stepped up again with an RBI single. Paden followed him with his own RBI single, regaining the three-run cushion. 

Ethan Wickman (Spring Green, Wis./River Valley) and Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) closed out the game for the Warhawks on the mound. Eisenbarth picked up the save, with the Seahawks going down in order in the bottom of the ninth. 

Wickman picked up the win, pitching the 7th and 8th innings without allowing a hit. 

The Warhawks return to the field tonight (estimated start time 8:45 PM EDT – 7:45 PM CDT) against Salve Regina. The two will battle it out for the last spot in the NCAA DIII World Series Finals, [which will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.]

NCAA World Series: UW-W Beats Salve Regina on Mon. afternoon; Rematch on Mon. evening

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

In the Pool B Championship game on Monday afternoon, UW-Whitewater (#3) beat Salve Regina (#2) (SR) 7-4. Salve Regina had beaten the Warhawks earlier in the series, 2-0. With this victory, Whitewater stays alive once again and will face SR a third time on Monday evening in a game that will decide which team goes on to the championship on Wednesday and Thursday. The game is scheduled to begin on Monday at 7:00 CDT, but it appears that it could start somewhat later.

Editor’s note: We will hopefully be able to publish a UW-W provided recap of the above game before the start of tonight’s game.

UWW NCAA Baseball Recap: UWW 11, BSC 10

Team Celebration after Walk-off – Photo Credit: Ryan Coleman/D3Photography


Paden with Walk-Off Homer to Cap off Warhawk Comeback over BSC

Warhawks defeat Birmingham-Southern 11-10 to keep season alive

Box Score

By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater kept their season alive with an 11-10 win over Birmingham-Southern College. The Warhawks were down by five runs heading into the 7th, but the Warhawks kept their composure and rallied back.  The win was capped off by Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) hitting a walk-off homer one pitch into the bottom of the 9th.

Jack Hagen (San Clemente, Cal./San Clemente) only needed six batters to get through the first two innings, keeping the Panthers off the base path. The Warhawks offense capitalized in the bottom of the 2nd, with Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) starting off the scoring with a solo home run. Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) followed suit, hitting his own solo homer immediately after. 

Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) finished out the 3-run second inning with an RBI single to send Bennett Frazer (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) home.

Birmingham-Southern used the top of the third to close the gap, as Eli Steadman hit a 2-run homer to close the gap 3-2.

After the Panthers held the Warhawks scoreless in the 3rd, they took the lead with a 3-run 4th inning. The scoring started with another home run.

The game turned into a home run derby, as Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) sent a 2-run homer to right field in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game back up at 5 a-piece.

With the tie game, Birmingham-Southern flipped the momentum back to their side with a four-run frame in the top of the 5th. 

In the top of the 6th, the Panthers extended the lead once again, taking a 10-5 lead over the Warhawks. With a three-up-three-down inning for UWW in the bottom of the 6th the Warhawks were running out of outs to play with.

Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) sparked some life back into the Warhawks, hitting a two-run double after a Birmingham-Southern error extended the inning. 

With Max Huseboe (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) and Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) combining for a scoreless inning, the Warhawks entered the bottom of the 8th down 10-7.

Scolan kept up his amazing game, with an RBI double to score McVay and close the gap to 10-8. After being quiet offensively for most of the game, Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) was due as he scored himself and Scolan with a home run to tie the game up. 

Eisenbarth got things done in three batters, including winning a 9-pitch at bat for the final out. 

The Warhawks had three outs to score in regulation, but Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) only needed one pitch to walk things off. Paden hit his second home run of the night, keeping the Warhawks’ season alive.

The Warhawks defeated Birmingham-Southern 11-10 after the walk-off. Eisenbarth picked up the win, pitching the final four outs of the game. 

The Warhawks will head back out for a rematch against Salve Regina in the Pool B championship game. The first pitch is set for Monday at 1:15 PM ET [12:15 PM in Whitewater.] The Warhawks will need to win two in order to advance to the NCAA World Series Championship Game. 

Editor’s note: This game was the last that Birmingham-Southern will ever play, as the college closed effective May 31 due to declining enrollment and financial struggles. Here’s the link to a story about how much being in the World Series meant to Birmingham-Southern’s fans.

Day Two State Track Recap – All Whippets Competing on Day 2 Bring Home Medals, Hefty Earns State Championship

Under cloudy skies and a steady, gentle rain, junior Traysen Thomason settled into the blocks for the final of the 100m dash one last time. Once the gun fired, Traysen lived up to the phrase “shot out of the blocks” as he easily had the best, and most explosive, start in the field. Traysen then began to put together his most complete race of the season over 100m. His drive phase was smooth and he battled as the finish line neared. His ability to stay loose through the finish line, rather than tightening up and forcing it, allowed him to be faster than Eli Kerner from Northland Pines as both athletes finished in 11.14, and the officials needed to go the 1000th of a second to break the tie. Traysen was faster, 11.134 to 11.139, and earned himself a spot on the podium for the first time in his career in 4th overall. Traysen finished his season as the fourth fastest 100m sprinter in school history with his season best time of 10.93 at the WIAA Sectional Meet. Traysen is the highest finisher in this event for the Whippets since Matt Gordy finished 3rd in 2006.

Boys’ 4 x 400m Relay: Jack Hefty, Nate Holden, Quincy Boudreau, Ethan Dugan

The rain had stopped moments before junior Jack Hefty stepped onto the track in an attempt to defend his state title from one year ago. After a physical start that saw Jack get tripped up, he regained his footing and settled into the back 1/3 of the race. Like an African lion hunting his prey, Jack methodically made moves throughout the race, first moving up from 11th after lap one to 6th place after two laps. Still eyeing his prey, and knowing it would take every ounce of his ability to earn another title, he moved up after three laps into 4th place. Moving onto the shoulder of Owen Clark of Lakeland and Cam Weiland of Lakeside Lutheran with 300m to go, the race was truly on. Cam was soon left behind, and it became a two-horse race at that point. With 120 to go, and the over 6,000 fans in attendance beginning to roar, Jack sprang into attack mode and went for the jugular. They were neck and neck down the homestretch before Jack was able to inch away and secure his second straight state title. To make the victory even sweeter, Jack ran a new lifetime best by over 3 seconds, lowering his school record from one year ago, down to 4:13.00. Across all divisions, Jack’s time was the fourth fastest and earned him All-State Honors in this event. The top six individuals in each event earn this honor. 

Senior Ethan Dugan was ready to take on the 400m dash final one last time in his career. Having finished eighth last year, he was ready to make his first appearance on the podium and see how much he had in him as he tried to take down Addison Uddin from Osceola. As the second fastest seed in the final, Ethan was lined up with Addison to his (left) inside lane and would not see him due to the stagger, but rather Addison had the advantage to see him to his right, on the outside lane. As the race unfolded. Ethan got out quickly trying to distance himself from Addison. Ethan did just that and later said he felt Addison coming up on his left, and he continued to press on the accelerator. Ethan continued to fly down the backstretch and final curve before going into overdrive to put all he had left in the final 100 meters. Ethan charged across the finish line to secure a silver medal and ran a lifetime best, lowering his school record. Ethan’s time of 48.61 was the 5th fastest across all divisions, and like Jack, earned All-State recognition. Ethan is the highest Whippet finisher since Matt Ninneman was 2nd in 1999.

Ethan Dugan
Quincy Boudreau
Jack Hefty
Nate Holden
On the Podium

The 4x400m relay was the final race of the day on the track, and the Whippets did not disappoint. Ethan Dugan started very well and made up the stagger on the field early on. He stormed down the front stretch splitting a 49.4 second relay leg as he handed off to teammate Quincy Boudreau with the lead. Quincy took the stick around the track uncontested as the team held the lead. Quincy ran a lifetime best of 51.6 as he handed off to Jack Hefty. Jack then took off around the first curve trying to run away from a storming Lakeside Lutheran athlete before battling down the front stretch to hand off the baton for the final time to Nate Holden with the relay in second place. Jack also ran a lifetime best, a 50.93 fully automatic timed split. Nate Holden ran with guts and determination and chased the Lakeside Lutheran athlete as he rounded the curve for the final time in a Whippet uniform. Nate was only passed by one runner as he, like Quincy and Jack, also ran a lifetime best in his leg of the race, a 51.29 second fully automatic split. The team secured the third position and a spot on the podium to cap off a terrific day. Their time of 3:23.52 was just .10 seconds off the school record, but the third best time in school history. This is the highest relay finish in the 4×400 since 2008 when the relay team of Aaron Holschbach, Sam Moffatt, Alex Adkinson, and Grant Bughman won the state title. 

Full Results: D2 BOYS , D2 GIRLS

Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Track and Field Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Erica Holden

UWW Baseball Recap: UWW 0, Salve Regina 2 – NCAA World Series

Michael Hilker Jr. (Taken by RYAN COLEMAN/D3PHOTOGRAPHY)

By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

Pitching Battle in Eastlake as Warhawks fall 2-0 to Salve Regina

The two teams battled it out for only 104 minutes, the shortest recorded game in NCAA DIII World Series history.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater fell to Salve Regina in the winner’s bracket game of the NCAA [D-III] World Series. Two runs in the bottom of the second were the only runs scored in the game, in favor of Salve Regina.

The two Hawk teams played in a classic pitching battle, with the Warhawks featuring Michael Hilker Jr. (Yorkville, Ill./York), the Region IX pitcher of the year, versus the Seahawks pitcher Sean Mulligan, the Region I pitcher of the year.

Salve Regina scored the only two runs in the bottom of the second, after a single with bases loaded scored two. 

Hilker pitched a stellar game after that, pitching hitless baseball from the fourth inning to the end of the game.

The Warhawks had an opportunity to strike in the top of the 7th, with runners on second and third, but the Seahawks found a way to keep the Warhawks off the board.

The Warhawks were held to just four hits, their lowest total hits since the fourth game of the season against Trinity (TX). In addition, this was the first scoreless game from the Warhawks this season.

The Warhawks will fight to keep their tournament hopes alive against Birmingham-Southern tomorrow evening. The first pitch was pushed back to 5 PM ET [4 PM in Whitewater] with rain projected in the area on Sunday morning.

Warhawks Bounce Back Quickly, open NCAA WS with an 11-3 Win

Warhawks were down 3-0, but score 11 unanswered over the next 8 innings

By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater opened up the 2024 NCAA World Series Tournament with a 11-3 win over Randolph-Macon. After allowing three runs in the first inning, the Warhawks scored 11 unanswered runs to take the win. 

The Warhawks found themselves down early after a base-clearing double put Randolph-Macon on the board first. But the Warhawks responded right back with a 3-run play to tie things back up.

After a scoreless second [Randolph-Macon] inning, the Warhawks really showed off their offensive prowess with a 6-run second frame. Capping off the inning was a lengthy home run trot from Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine). Hopper sent a ball deep to left center, and after a video review, the hit was ruled a home run, putting the Warhawks up 9-3.

As the Warhawks started to get their footing on defense, a three-up-three-down in the third and fourth kept the Yellowjackets off the board. A Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) single added the Warhawks’ 10th unanswered run in the bottom of the third.

Randolph-Macon slowed the Warhawks down in the fourth, with a quick three-&-out for the Warhawks first scoreless inning. However, the Warhawk defense did the exact same.

With Cade Berendt (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) rolling on the mound in the sixth inning, Scolan sent another home run to left field to put the Warhawks up 11-3.

An inning later, Max Huseboe (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) came in for relief and picked up right where Berendt left off, only allowing one base runner in his two innings of relief. 

The Warhawks closed things out in the first game with an 11-3 win over Randolph-Macon.

With the win, the Warhawks advanced to play Salve Regina in the Winner’s Bracket. First pitch is scheduled for 8 PM ET [7 PM in Whitewater] in Eastlake.

Day One State Track Recap

In beautiful La Crosse, Wisconsin, athletes from the Whitewater Track and Field program competed their guts out at the highest level with several athletes advancing to Saturday’s final day of competition.

Traysen Thomason started things off in the 100m dash with an incredible start out of the blocks and placed 2nd in his run, running 11.16 into a headwind. Combining the heats qualified Traysen into the final seeded fifth.

Next up was the girls’ 4x200m relay. The quartet of A’lani Ross, Sydney Schilt, Calli Grosinske, and Athena Soto ran their second fastest of the season to stop the clock in 1:49.02. They placed 14th overall and will not advance into Saturday’s final.

Ethan Dugan breezed through his 400m prelim in 49.01 to win his heat and is the second fastest seed going into Saturday’s final.

The final event was the boys’ 4x400m relay. The team of Ethan Dugan, Quincy Boudreau, Jack Hefty, and Nate Holden debuted a different relay order and strategy in the prelim. It paid off as the team handed off in first place at every exchange and was clear of the chaos that can sometimes clutter up the exchanges in this event. They placed third in their heat and advanced to the finals as the fourth seed. Their time of 3:24.38 is the fifth fastest time ever run in program history, and just shy of a full second from being school record holders. They will get another chance to give it their all Saturday in the final.

Jack Hefty will also compete on day two in the 1600 where he looks to defend his state title from one year ago in the same event.

Go, Whippets!

Article Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Track and Field Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org