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Hall Of Fame Inductee: Chad Kopitzke

Hall Of Fame Inductee: Chad Kopitzke

This is the 12th in a 14-part series that introduces the 14 members of the 2024 UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Class. Their inductions will take place Friday, August 2 (3:30 p.m.) at the Culver Family Welcome Center (625 Pearl Avenue) on the UW-Oshkosh campus. Tickets ($45 each, aged five and older) for this event are open to the public and will be on sale through July 1. Tickets are required to attend and will not be available for purchase at the event. All purchased tickets will be available for pick up at the event. Click here to purchase tickets.

UW-Oshkosh then celebrates 50 years of inductions into its Athletics Hall of Fame during a special event held Saturday, August 3 (3:30 p.m.) at the Oshkosh Convention Center (2 North Main Street). Hall of fame members in attendance will be recognized and receive a variety of commemorative items. The keynote speaker is Iowa State University Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard, a 1999 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame inductee. Tickets ($45 each, aged five and older) for this event are open to the public and will be on sale through July 1. Tickets are required to attend and will not be available for purchase at the event. All purchased tickets will be available for pick up at the event. Click here to purchase tickets.

Compiling one of the lowest career earned run averages in WIAC history, All-American Chad Kopitzke enjoyed a spectacular three seasons as a member of the UW-Oshkosh baseball program from 1991-93.

Kopitzke pitched in 30 contests for the Titans and registered a 20-8 record with 20 complete games, eight shutouts, 111 strikeouts and a 2.25 earned run average. The right-handed hurler totaled 188.1 innings on the mound while allowing three-plus runs in a game only 10 times.

In the present WIAC career statistical categories, Kopitzke ranks second in the league in shutouts, seventh in earned run average and ninth in complete games.

Kopitzke owns one of the 11 no-hitters in UW-Oshkosh baseball history. He pitched the seven-inning gem with two strikeouts during the Titans' 1-0 victory over the University of St. Francis on April 4, 1993, in Joliet, Ill.

Kopitzke, who allowed just 11 runs during his final 66 innings pitched as a Titan, possesses several other notable pitching performances as well. Among them were a five-hit, nine-inning 9-0 shutout of UW-Whitewater in the championship game of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional on May 18, 1991, and a two-hit, seven-inning 5-0 shutout of Minnesota's Winona State University on April 5, 1992. He also pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory during the Titans' 3-2 triumph over NCAA Division I University of Arkansas on March 18, 1992.

Two of the longest scoreless innings pitched streaks in Division III history also belong to Kopitzke. He pitched 29 scoreless innings, currently the seventh-longest streak in Division III history, from April 26, 1991, to April 14, 1992, and 23 scoreless innings from April 25 to May 8 of 1993.

Kopitzke helped UW-Oshkosh to a 91-45 record, including a 36-8 mark in 1992. The Titans won WIAC and Division III regional championships all three seasons while finishing second at the Division III World Series in 1993, third in 1991 and fifth in 1992.

A 1990 De Pere High School graduate, Kopitzke earned All-WIAC and Division III All-Midwest Region First Team honors in both 1992 and 1993. He was selected to the Division III All-America First Team in 1992 and chosen to the Division III Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team in both 1991 and 1993.

Kopitzke's 1991 season, his first as a Titan, featured him composing a 5-4 record with one shutout, four complete games, 19 strikeouts and a 3.27 earned run average in 52.1 innings pitched. The following year he accumulated an impressive 8-1 record with four shutouts, eight complete games, 39 strikeouts and a 1.31 earned run average in 62 innings pitched.

In 1993, Kopitzke tallied a 7-3 record with three shutouts, eight complete games 53 strikeouts and a 2.31 earned run average in 74 innings.

Kopitzke was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 17th round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. He went on to play in 59 minor league games over the 1993 and 1994 seasons while totaling a 7-5 record with two saves, 62 strikeouts and a 3.55 earned run average in 99 innings pitched.

Kopitzke received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UW-Oshkosh in 1998 and 2011, respectively. He worked as an internship and operations manager at UW-Oshkosh from 2004-16 before becoming founder, owner and president of Nextgen Advantage, a consulting firm located in Appleton that is dedicated to helping employers attract, motivate, and retain talent for long-term sustainability.

Kopitzke, who lives in Appleton with wife Becky and daughters Clara and Noelle, joins his brother Casey as a member of the UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame. Casey was inducted in 2015 for his outstanding baseball career at UW-Oshkosh as well.

2024 UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Announcements

Wednesday, April 24: Danielle (Rankin) Salm, Whitney (Tyriver) Stenbroten
Thursday, April 25: Leah (Rosenbaum) Cisler, Jordan Timm
Friday, April 26: Tammy (Milz) Baugnet-Heesacker, John LeRoy
Monday, April 29: David Hochtritt, Robin (Schmidt) Schunke
Tuesday, April 30: Phil Devine, Nadine (Pieske) Schuette
Wednesday, May 1: Nick Boehlke, Chad Kopitzke
Thursday, May 2: 10 a.m. • TBA, 2 p.m. • TBA

The UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1974 to enhance school tradition and give lasting recognition to those student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and friends of the university who distinguished themself at an exemplary level.

Each hall of fame member represents greatness, with their accomplishments built on campus, after graduation or through meritorious efforts that benefit the UW-Oshkosh athletics program.

The first UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held April 28, 1974, at The Pioneer Inn & Marina. The five inductees were Edward Boguski, Edward Hall, Burton Karges, Robert Kolf and Robert Williams.

Four venues have hosted the UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony – The Pioneer Inn & Marina (1974-2001), Hilton Garden Inn Oshkosh (2002), UW-Oshkosh's Reeve Memorial Union (2003-13) and UW-Oshkosh's Culver Family Welcome Center (2014-19, 2021-Present).