Titans Begin Baseball Schedule In Illinois
The UW-Oshkosh baseball program commences its challenging 2020 schedule with three games, including two against nationally ranked teams, Feb. 29-March 1 in Sauget, Ill.
UW-Oshkosh, which concluded the 2019 campaign with an 18-21-1 record, opens the 2020 season against North Park University (Ill.) and Concordia University Chicago (Ill.) on Saturday (Feb. 29) before battling host Webster University (Mo.) on Sunday (March 1).
Webster University (37-13 record in 2019), the defending West Division champion in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and reigning Northern Collegiate Athletics Conference champion Concordia University Chicago (42-10) enter the season ranked second and 19th, respectively, in the NCAA Division III by D3baseball.com after claiming regional titles a year ago. Webster University, which led the country in fielding percentage and ranked second in earned run average a year ago, won its super regional over Concordia University Chicago to advance to last year's Division III World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. North Park University (24-18) placed sixth last season in the College Conference of Illinois of Wisconsin.
UW-Oshkosh's 40-game schedule features 19 home contests at Tiedemann Field and 16 nonconference games opponents that combined for a 297-148-1 record a year ago. The Titans, who played just 16 total games at Tiedemann Field the past two seasons, will play their most home games since also hosting 19 contests in 2013. UW-Oshkosh's home-opening doubleheader is set for March 25 against The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.), which produced a 24-14 record in 2019 on the way to winning the regular season title in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.
Among the Titans' 10 nonconference opponents, five appeared in the Division III postseason last season and four were crowned conference champions a year ago.
Following the season-opening trip to Illinois, the Titans will trek to Georgia, Kentucky and back to Illinois before returning home to host The College of St. Scholastica.
UW-Oshkosh plays host Berry College (Ga.) on March 6, Adrian College (Mich.) on March 7 and Denison University (Ohio) on March 8 in Rome, Ga. Denison University, which enters the season ranked 12th in the country, went 39-9 last season en route to finishing second in the North Coast Athletic Conference and making an appearance in the NCAA postseason while 15th-ranked Adrian College (37-9) won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title and reached an NCAA regional final. Berry College (28-15) placed third last year in the Southern Athletic Association.
The Titans' trip to Kentucky begins with games against Otterbein (Ohio) and host Transylvania universities March 14 in Lexington. UW-Oshkosh then closes the weekend against Transylvania University on March 15. Otterbein University (26-18-1) tied for third in the Ohio Athletic Conference and appeared in last year's Division III Championship while Transylvania University (16-24) placed fifth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
On their return to Oshkosh, the Titans play at Concordia University Chicago for a three-game series that includes a doubleheader March 21 before battling the nationally ranked Cougars for the fourth time in 23 days with a single game on March 22.
Rounding out UW-Oshkosh's nonconference slate is a home-and-home series with Ripon College. The Titans travel to Ripon on April 1 and host the Red Hawks on April 25. Ripon College (24-18) is coming off a runner-up finish in the Midwest Conference North Division.
The Titans get their conference season underway with a four-game series at UW-Stout (20-17) on March 28-29. UW-Oshkosh also travels to UW-Stevens Point (14-24) for WIAC doubleheaders April 14 and April 29.
UW-Oshkosh's 19-game home schedule also includes four-game conference series against defending league champion and nationally ranked UW-Whitewater (35-12) on April 4-5, UW-Platteville (20-21) on April 10-11, Finlandia University (Mich.) (4-32) on April 18-19, and UW-La Crosse (28-15), Division III's leader with a .978 fielding percentage a year ago, to wrap up the regular season May 1-2.
The WIAC Championship will be held May 8-10 at the league's regular season winner.
Last year UW-Whitewater won the WIAC title with a 21-3 record and participated in the NCAA postseason. The Warhawks, who enter 2020 ranked 17th by D3baseball.com, were followed in last year's conference standings by UW-La Crosse in second with a 19-5 record, UW-Platteville third at 14-10, UW-Stout fourth at 12-12, UW-Oshkosh fifth at 11-13, UW-Stevens Point sixth at 6-18 and Finlandia University seventh at 1-23.
Seventh-year UW-Oshkosh head coach Kevin Tomasiewicz brings back 11 letterwinners from last year's team that finished second in the conference with 58 stolen bases and third with 22 home runs. Tomasiewicz has compiled a 136-108-1 record with the Titans. His win total ranks third in program history and 13th on the WIAC's all-time list.
Junior second baseman Hunter Staniske, a 2019 All-WIAC Honorable Mention selection, headlines the returning Titans after hitting .333 last season with a team-leading 50 hits and 29 runs batted in.
UW-Oshkosh also welcomes back two other regular starters in junior outfielders Sean Cummins and Matt McNabb. Cummins paced the Titans with five home runs a year ago and scored 20 runs while McNabb hit .260.
Junior Will Milchalski is UW-Oshkosh's top returning pitcher. He contributed 35 innings pitched last season across 11 appearances, including six as a starter.
UW-Oshkosh, the 1985 and 1994 national champion, has won a league-record 29 WIAC regular season titles.