Game 1 box score
Game 2 box score

By Broderick P. Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team is heading to the World Series for the first time since 2016 after overcoming Friday’s loss to UW-La Crosse. The Warhawks battled back with a 8-0 first game before a 8-2 victory in the second game punched the Warhawks’ ticket to Eastlake, Ohio.

In the first game, the Warhawks opened up the scoring right in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. 

With Cade Berendt (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) doing his work on the mound, the Warhawks held the Eagles off the base path for much of the game. The Eagles did not have a runner past second the entire game.

A huge fourth inning added four more runs to the lead. Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) started off the scoring with a solo home run.

The Warhawks scored three more runs between the sixth & seventh, with the defense keeping the Eagles from scoring. The Warhawks forced game three with an 8-0 shutout win.

Berendt picked up the win, pitching one of his career best games in the battle. He pitched all 9 innings, recording a career-high 13 strikeouts as well as his first career complete game shutout. 

The Warhawks carried the momentum forward into the second game of the day, scheduled to begin only 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game, after tying the series up 1-1. 

UWW struck first once again, with Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) blasting a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to go up 2-0. The next inning, the Warhawks added two more to their lead, going up 4-0.

The Eagles scored their first run of the day on a sacrifice fly in the top of 5th, but the Warhawks answered back with a RBI single from Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) in the bottom of the frame.

The Warhawk lead was closed to just three runs in the top of the sixth as UW-La Crosse added another run to make it 5-2.

But in the bottom of the eighth, Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) all but sealed the game with a three-run homer to put the Warhawks up 8-2. 

The freshman pitcher Jack Hagen (San Clemente, Cal./San Clemente) only needed three outs and the Warhawks sealed their spot in the 2024 NCAA DIII World Series.

Hagen picked up his ninth win of the season, pitching the whole game. He allowed only eight hits, with no runs earned on the game.

Offensively, the Warhawks had home runs from Frank, Scolan, and Cootway between the two games. Frank and Scolan each had three RBIs in the second game. Holland had two RBIs in the first game.

The Warhawks will advance to the NCAA DIII World Series held in Eastlake, Ohio from May 31 to June 7. The tournament will be two double-elimination pods of four-teams. The winners of each pod will play a best of three series for the Championship. For more information visit https://www.ncaa.com/sports/baseball/d3

The Whippets had a great day competing at the WIAA Sectional Track and Field Meet hosted by Big Foot High School on Thursday night, May 23, and came home with several state qualifiers. 

Traysen Thomason earned his first trip to state in an individual event by finishing third in the 100m Dash with a new personal best of 10.93. Ethan Dugan once again punched his ticket to state by winning the 400m Dash with a time of 48.84. Jack Hefty battled through his illness all week and claimed another sectional championship in his signature event, the 1600m Run. He stopped the clock at 4:22.65. Also earning a trip on the boys’ side was the 4x400m relay consisting of Quincy Boudreau, Nate Holden, Jack Hefty, and Ethan Dugan. This relay was able to secure 3rd place behind Ethan’s 48.2 relay split and finish in 3:26.27.

Other competitors for the boys included Ty Bucholtz who narrowly missed out on the 110H final by .02 seconds but was under 17 for a second time this season in 16.96. Nate Holden finished 9th in the 400m in 52.75. The 4x200m relay finished in 5th place with a time of 1:31.65. The relay members consisted of Traysen Thomason, Nate Black, Akamion McHenry, and Quincy Boudreau. This relay ran the 8th fastest time in school history in that event. In the field events, Quincy competed in the long jump but did not make the finals. Jaylyn Ewing competed in the high jump and was able to clear 5′ 10″, but was unable to go higher. 

On the girls’ side, the 4x200m relay of A’lani Ross, Sydney Schilt, Calli Grosinske, and Athena Soto finished in 4th place to earn a trip to state as well! Their time was 1:48.22. The same relay then stepped onto the track for the 4×100 25 minutes later and had a very competitive race. In a tight finish, they took 5th place overall with a time of 50.99. Sydney Schilt also competed in the sectional meet in the 200m dash. Running her best open 200 of her life, she finished in 5th place overall, one place away from state. However, her time moved her up to #6 all-time in WHS history for that event.

The WIAA State Meet will take place on Friday May 31st and Saturday June 2nd. Good luck to all our Whippets competing at the State Meet!

FULL RESULTS: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/563413/results

WHIPPET TOP TEN LIST: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mi54eY7WKX5fgnuEiD-kCmlgCOKIkDsUsJsWVgsGsCk/edit?usp=sharing

STATE MEET INFORMATION: https://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Spring/Boys-Track-Field/Tournament#51061277-state

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