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No. 24 Baseball
The UW-Stevens Point baseball team will head to La Crosse, Wis., this Friday-Sunday, May 11-13 for the 2012 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Championship, hosted by UW-La Crosse.
 
Championship Website
 
The Pointers (27-13, 15-9 WIAC) enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed and will take on second-seeded UW-Whiteater (26-13, 16-8 WIAC) in the second game of the championship, scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Top-seeded and regular-season conference champion UW-La Crosse (30-9, 21-2 WIAC) takes on fourth-seeded UW-Oshkosh (14-21, 10-14 WIAC) in the tournament opener at 10 a.m.
 
Game Notes
 
Series History
Against UW-La Crosse: 50-30 overall, 2-2 this season in Stevens Point
Against UW-Oshkosh: 87-119-1 overall, 3-1 this season in Oshkosh
Against UW-Whitewater: 96-104 overall, 1-3 this season in Whitewater
 
WIAC Tournament Success
The Pointers have been by far the most successful team since the tournament's inauguration in the 1998 season. UWSP currently sports a 32-12 record in WIAC Tournament games with the next closest team being UW-Whitewater at 20-19. UWSP and UWW are the only teams to have over a .500 record in tournament games. The Pointers are the only team to qualify every year since its inception in 1998.
 
Last Season's Tournament
The Pointers cruised to a 10-0 victory over the Titans of UW-Oshkosh last season in seven innings, earning their sixth tournament title in the past seven years and ninth overall. Joel Delorit (Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door) went the distance, earning his fifth victory of the season, as he allowed three hits while striking out seven, walking one and hitting one batter. Dan Douglas (East Troy, WI/East Troy) and Sean Gerber (Stoughton, WI/Stoughton) led the team with three hits while Kevin Thomas (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) had a team-high three RBIs.
 
20-plus
With its doubleheader sweep against Edgewood on April 18, UWSP tallied its 20th victory of the season marking the 16th consecutive season the team has won 20 games. With 27 victories this season, the Pointers are approaching the 30-win plateau as they have accomplished in six of the last seven seasons.
 
Top-notch Pitchers
UWSP has the best pitching staff in the WIAC, leading the conference in earned run average (3.12), opponent batting average (.248), saves (11), runs allowed (145), earned runs (115), runners picked off (11) triples allowed (5) and home runs allowed (3) while ranking second in strikeouts looking (81), wins (27), hits allowed (303) and doubles allowed (46).
 
Gold Gloves
The Pointers are also the best defensive team in the WIAC with a .972 fielding percentage. They also lead the league in chances (1508), putouts (995), assists (471) and double plays (42). UWSP has 13 players who currently have a 1.000 fielding percentage led by Casey Barnes (Mequon, WI/Homestead) (72-72). Sean Gerber (Stoughton, WI/Stoughton) (.992), Ryan Schilter (West Bend, WI/West) (.989), Justin Jirschele (Clintonville, WI/Clintonville) (.974), Dan Douglas (East Troy, WI/East Troy) (.953) also has been solid with the glove this season.
 
Offensive Leaders
UWSP ranks in the top of most major offensive categories in the WIAC including first in on base percentage (.409), doubles (18), plate appearances (1582), stolen bases (69) and sacrifice bunts (42). They rank second in runs (282), RBI (254), walks (151) and third in batting average (.318), hits (417) and total bases (580).
 
Approaching Records
As a team, the Pointers have a chance to earn their spot in the programs record book. They currently rank tied for second in team saves with 11 with the record standing at 14 set last season. Their 69 steals ranks tied for third, 10 off the mark of 79 set in 1999. The pitching staff holds fourth place with a 3.12 earned run average, three spots behind a 2.08 earned run average posted in 1973.
 
Nail Biters
Of the Pointers' 13 losses this season, only one has been by four runs or more. Opponents have defeated UWSP by one run six times, two runs four times and three runs two times. Its largest defeat came at the hands of UW-Whitewater on April 30 in a 15-9 game in favor of the Warhawks.
 
Three-Peat
Junior Cam Sidel recently garnered his third WIAC Pitcher of the Week Award, the first time a player has accomplished that feat since Scott Williams (Baraboo/Baraboo) of UWSP last season. The season, Seidl ranks first in the WIAC in opposing batting average (.178), second in earned run average (1.34), runs allowed (13), earned runs allowed (10) and third in innings (67.1) and hits allowed (42). He also carries a 5-2 record with five complete games, three shutouts, and has recorded three saves.
 
Welcome to the Team
Junior transfer Ryan Schilter (West Bend, WI/West) has been a huge addition to the Pointers this season as he has started all 40 games behind the plate and leads the team with a .383 batting average. He also leads the team in total bases (84), RBIs (35), stolen bases (22), multi-hit games (19), doubles (18), multi-RBI games (12), slugging percentage (.545) while tying for the lead in hits (59), runs (29) and triples (2). Schilter also had a 30 game streak when he reached base safely which ended in the second game of the doubleheader against UW-Platteville on May 4. His 22 steals and 18 doubles also leads the WIAC along with 11 caught stealing. The last time a UWSP player had 20-plus steals in a season came in 2006 when Chuck Brehm stole 29.
 
Reliable Reliever
Ryan Iverson (Eau Claire, WI/Eau Claire North) has continued to be one of the more reliable reliever out of the bullpen this season as he has a 5-3 record with a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings with a team-high four saves. Before the UW-Whitewater series on April 29-30, the senior had a 0.90 ERA, allowing two earned runs in 20.0 innings before allowing seven earned in three innings. Iverson is back on track as of late, allowing one earned run in this last three innings and recorded one save. He also has 16 career saves, four saves off the school record on 20 set by Jeff Zielke (2006-09) and Jared Szews (2000-03).
 
On the Rise
Senior Justin Jirschele (Clintonville, WI/Clintonville) is approaching numerous career records for UWSP despite only playing three seasons in a Pointers uniform. Jirschele currently ranks in the top 10 in program history in at-bats (553), hits (193), RBIs (135) and is four doubles shy of tying for first place in doubles (45), currently ranking second. This season, the infielder has posted a .351 batting average with 59 hits, 33 RBIs, 30 runs, 15 doubles, one triple and one home run with a .470 slugging percentage.
 
Solid Starters
The Pointers have five starters that have started all 40 this season. Douglas (SS), Barnes (CF) and Schilter (C) have all started at the same position while Jirschele (39-2B, 1-3B) and Sean Gerber (Stoughton, WI/Stoughton) (32-1B, 8-3B) have started at multiple positions.
 
Women's Golf
Sophomore Mary Welch (Madison, WI/West) begins her march toward an NCAA Division III individual national title on Tuesday, May 8 at the Zollner Golf Course in Angola, Ind. Welch, who earned an at-large spot in the field of 14 teams and six individuals, will compete in the four-day, 72-hole event. Fans can follow Welch's progress on Twitter by following head coach Melissa Martin @CoachMartinUWSP.
 
Purple & Gold Spotlight – Jordan Zimmermann
Like many collegiate baseball players, Jordan Zimmermann didn't think much of his chances at playing professionally.
 
Despite few college offers, Zimmermann wanted to continue playing after high school. He opted to stay close to home and continue his baseball career at UW-Stevens Point.
 
“I just wanted to play baseball. I wasn't throwing very hard out of high school,” Zimmermann said. “When I got to Point, I got on a strict lifting schedule. I really worked hard with that. I just saw the miles per hour on the fastball start going up, and up, and up.”
 
By his junior year at Stevens Point, Zimmermann estimated that he added between six and eight miles per hour to his fastball. That progression led to some additional playing opportunities when the collegiate season was over.
 
During the 2006 season, Zimmermann played for the Eau Claire Express of the Northwoods League, one of the premier summer leagues in the nation. It proved to be an opportunity for him to make a name for himself.
 
“There were six to eight scouts at every game,” Zimmermann said. “I knew if I pitched well there, I'd have a decent shot at getting drafted.”
 
Zimmermann was named a NWL regular and post season allstar that year and his future continued to look brighter.
 
“I had an unbelievable summer that year. Not sure what my numbers were, but I know they were
pretty good. Everyone liked what they saw and come my junior year at Point, there were 10 or 12 scouts at every game.”
 
Zimmermann was a perfect 10-0 during his junior season with a 2.08 ERA and led the team in hitting with a .385 average. He finished his three-year career with a 20-7 record and helped lead the Pointers to back-to-back NCAA Division III World Series appearances.
 
Fast forward to the 2012 season and Zimmermann is once again a fixture in the starting rotation for a
team that is looking to make a postseason push.
 
The 25 year-old right-hander is now in his third season with the Washington Nationals. He has a 13-21 record and a 3.65 ERA in that time span.
 
Though he has made it to the major leagues, his pitching philosophy hasn't changed.
 
“I just try to go out there and pitch the way I have pitching my whole life, get after hitters and throw strikes and not walk anyone,” Zimmermann said. “If I go out there and I don't walk anyone, I feel like I am doing my job.”
 
Zimmermann currently stands as one of only seven former Division III players who are on a MLB roster and he is savoring the opportunity.
 
“Playing in a big-league stadium every single night and having 35 to 40,000 people there every night is a big thing for me,” Zimmermann said. “It's been a lifelong goal of mine to make it to the big leagues and I've finally made it.”
 
Though he hopes to have drawn more attention to smaller colleges and universities, he believes that true talent will be discovered and the door to the major leagues will be open to others in Division III.
 
“I think it always helps when guys are coming out of Division III and playing pro ball,” Zimmermann said. “The way I look at it, it doesn't matter where you go. If you are good enough, the scouts are going to find you.”
 
Cody Koback (Plover/SPASH), a fellow Pointer alumnus, is hoping to follow in Zimmermann's footsteps.
 
Koback, who played with UWSP from 2009-11, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
 
The 22 year-old outfielder is currently hitting .261 for the Greenville Drive, Boston's Single-A affiliate.
 
Zimmermann credits Pointers head coach Pat Bloom for building a program that nurtures athletes on and off the field.
 
“Coach Bloom is great. [It's] academics first with him. He's great on the field; he really knows what he is doing out there. He's good with the younger guys and helps you out with everything. He'll give 110 percent every day.”