Titans Picked For Fourth In WIAC Softball Race
UW-Oshkosh is projected to finish fourth in the 2020 WIAC softball standings, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Three-time defending league champion UW-Whitewater topped the preseason poll. The Warhawks were followed by UW-La Crosse in second, UW-Eau Claire third, UW-Oshkosh fourth, UW-Stout fifth, UW-Platteville sixth, UW-Stevens Point seventh and UW-River Falls eighth.
UW-Whitewater (28-14 record in 2019) claimed its 13th WIAC title a year ago with an 11-3 mark while UW-Eau Claire (28-13-1) was the runner-up at 9-4-1. Rounding out last year's standings were UW-La Crosse (29-20) and UW-Platteville (18-20) in third with 8-6 records, UW-Oshkosh (23-17) and UW-Stout (19-18) in fifth at 7-7, UW-Stevens Point (17-20-1) in seventh at 3-10-1, and UW-River Falls (8-26) in eighth at 2-12.
UW-Oshkosh seventh-year head coach Scott Beyer welcomes back 11 letterwinners, including six players to the starting lineup and four former all-conference selections from last year's squad that led the WIAC in scoring (5.35), on-base percentage (.379) and fielding percentage (.972).
Beyer, who guided the Titans to an NCAA Division III regional title in 2017 and an appearance in the national tournament in 2018, has compiled a 161-80 record and at least 23 wins each of his first six years as the Titans' string of 16 consecutive winning seasons is the longest active streak in the conference. Beyer's .668 winning percentage is the best in program history.
Senior All-WIAC performers Natalie Dudek, Amanda McIlhany, Claire Petrus and Acacia Tupa headline the returning Titans. Tupa, a two-time all-conference first team selection, was named an All-Great Lakes Region Second Team outfielder the past two seasons. Petrus received All-WIAC First Team laurels last year and honorable mention accolades in 2018 at designated player while Dudek, a shortstop, was a league honorable pick in both 2017 and 2019, and second baseman McIlhany was tabbed to the honorable mention team a year ago.
Tupa batted .347 and slugged .584 with a team-leading 27 runs scored, eight doubles, four home runs, 26 RBIs and eight stolen bases to go along with a 1.000 fielding percentage.
Petrus hit .356 with a team-high six home runs, 29 runs batted in, 61 total bases and a .587 slugging percentage while compiling a 9-9 record in the pitcher's circle with two shutouts and a save.
Dudek led the team last season with a .374 batting average, 40 hits, eight doubles, 16 walks and a .465 on-base percentage while adding 22 runs scored, 22 runs batted in and 57 total bases.
McIlhany, who started all but one of the Titans' 126 games the past three seasons, hit .325 a year ago with 24 runs scored, two home runs and 50 total bases. Her .976 fielding percentage last season was the best among all WIAC middle infielders.
The Titans' returning letterwinners also include junior outfielders Natalie Dillon, Katie Fontanetta and Kailee Garstecki; sophomore infielders/outfielders Gabby Buikema and Chloe Lambie; sophomore pitcher/first baseman Sidney Budzinski; and sophomore catcher/infielder Grace Stevens.
Dillon, who has a .326 career batting average, is back after missing most of last year due to injury. Budzinski had a .349 batting average last season while Budzinski, who hit .349 in 2019, Garstecki and Stevens all homered last season. Lambie drove in 10 runs, and Fontanetta and Buikema scored 11 and six times, respectively, a year ago.
UW-Whitewater, which reached a NCAA regional title game last season, returns four players to its starting lineup and senior two-time WIAC Pitcher of the Year Bella Matthias, who compiled a 14-4 record last year with a 1.50 earned run average and ranked fourth in the country by allowing 3.85 hits per seven innings. Senior Dani Biesiada is also back after leading the nation with six saves and pacing the conference with a 1.48 earned run average a year ago. Last season the Warhawks led the WIAC with a 2.07 earned run average and 12 shutouts.
UW-La Crosse brings back all but two starting position players and one starting pitcher from last year's team that won a regional championship and paced the conference with 30 home runs and a .441 slugging percentage. Eagles junior Mia Schmidtke led the WIAC with 13 home runs a year ago.
UW-Eau Claire also returns seven players to its starting lineup along with three pitchers from its 2019 squad that played in an NCAA regional final and finished second in the WIAC with a 2.29 earned run average.
UW-Stout is seeking its third straight winning season as its welcomes back three starting pitchers and seven players to its starting lineup that last season led the conference with 66 stolen bases.
UW-Platteville, which finished in the top four in the league for the first time since 2012 last year, returns all but one player to its starting lineup under first-year head coach Becca Lowe.
UW-Stevens Point hit a league-best .315 a year ago but must replace three starting position players and a pair of pitchers. Junior Lauren Luedtke, the 2019 WIAC Position Player of the Year, is back after leading the league with a .429 batting average in 2019.
UW-River Falls brings back just four players to its starting lineup and one starting pitcher as it attempts to finish in the top half of the WIAC standings for the first time since 2012.
UW-Oshkosh opens the season with a doubleheader against Marian University at the UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex on Feb. 21. The Titans begin conference play with a pair of games at UW-Whitewater on April 1.