Titans Battle UW-La Crosse To Open WIAC Softball Championship
UW-Oshkosh opens the WIAC Softball Championship against nationally ranked UW-La Crosse on Friday (May 5).
UW-Oshkosh (29-9), seeded third at the five-team league tournament, plays second-seeded UW-La Crosse (26-12) at noon at UW-Whitewater's van Steenderen Softball Complex.
The double-elimination tournament, hosted by top-seeded UW-Whitewater, begins with fourth-seeded UW-Eau Claire (27-9) opposing fifth-seeded UW-Stout (16-22) at 10 a.m.
Four-time defending WIAC tournament champion UW-Whitewater (33-7) will play at 2 p.m. against the victor of UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout, and Friday's action will conclude with the losers of the first two contests playing an elimination game at 4 p.m.
The league tournament will continue with three games on Saturday (May 6) before concluding with the final on Sunday (May 7). The winner of the WIAC Championship will receive the league's automatic berth to the 62-team NCAA Division III Championship that begins May 12.
UW-Oshkosh is seeking its second WIAC Championship title while UW-La Crosse is in search of its third tournament crown. The Titans won their lone championship in 2008, and the Eagles won consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010.
UW-Whitewater owns a league-high eight WIAC Championship titles, including the debut event in 1989. UW-Eau Claire has claimed six league postseason championships, including back-to-back titles in 2006-07, while UW-Stout won its only championship in 2005.
This year's WIAC Championship features a pair of nationally ranked teams as UW-Whitewater lists ninth and UW-La Crosse 23rd by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
UW-Whitewater won last year's league tournament as the fourth seed, defeating top-seeded UW-Eau Claire in the final by a 2-1 score in 13 innings.
UW-Oshkosh enters the WIAC Championship ranked third in the country with a .977 fielding percentage. The Titans also lead the conference with a program-record 76 doubles.
The Titan offense is led by sophomore catcher Abby Menting, junior third baseman Erika Berry, freshman utility Claire Petrus, sophomore first baseman Kaitlyn Krol and sophomore outfielder Emma Fionda.
Menting, who enters the tournament on a 12-game hitting streak, paces the team with a .393 batting average, 42 hits, 13 doubles, 25 runs batted in, 19 walks, a .626 slugging percentage and a .484 on-base percentage.
Berry is hitting .354 with a team-best five home runs and six stolen bases while Petrus is hitting .348 with 13 doubles, Krol is batting .339 with 25 RBIs, and Fionda is hitting .302 with a team-leading 31 runs.
The UW-Oshkosh pitching staff, which sports a 2.21 earned run average, is comprised of senior Sara Brunlieb, sophomore Bailey Smaney, junior Clare Robbe and Petrus.
Brunlieb sports a 12-3 record with a 2.31 earned run average and 94 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched.
Smaney has compiled a 5-1 record and a 2.18 ERA in 54.2 innings of work while Robbe has a 6-4 mark with two saves and a 2.75 ERA in 51 innings, and Petrus is 6-1 with four saves and a 1.41 ERA in 44.2 innings.
UW-La Crosse, which swept a doubleheader at home against UW-Oshkosh on April 17, lists second in the conference in batting average (.319), stolen bases (78) and earned run average (2.17).
Leading the Eagles offensively are junior outfielder Brittany Baldwin, freshman outfielder Stephanie Cole, sophomore outfielder Ashley Lindstrom and freshman first baseman Grace Mindrup.
Baldwin has a team-leading .443 batting average, 31 runs, 16 walks, 33 stolen bases a .522 on-base percentage.
Cole is hitting .432 with a team-best 54 hits, 12 doubles, two home runs, 31 runs batted in and a .592 slugging percentage.
Lindstrom is batting .352 with 25 runs batted in while Mindrup is hitting .342 with two homers and 22 RBIs.
In the pitcher's circle, Jessie Carignan and Caitlyn Hughes have combined to start 37 of the Eagles' 38 games this season.
Carignan has a 10-4 record with a 1.21 earned run average in 86.2 innings pitched while Hughes is 9-4 with a 2.84 ERA in 88.2 innings.
Eagles relief pitcher Katie Klein, who has appeared in 28 games this year, leads the nation with eight saves. She has compiled a 7-4 record and a 2.54 ERA in 71.2 innings of work.
UW-Whitewater paces the WIAC in several statistical categories, including batting average (.344), runs per game (6.6), home runs (29), slugging percentage (.488) and on-base percentage (.412). The Warhawks have won 10 straight games and 16 of their last 17.
Highlighting the Warhawk offense are five players hitting better than .380 on the year. Junior outfielder Mallory Klotz leads the conference with a .458 batting average while senior outfielder Haley Morelli is second in the league at .454, senior first baseman Amy Ricci lists fifth at .411, sophomore outfielder Caitlin Catino is ninth at .392 and freshman third baseman Meg Cohrs is 10th at .386.
Klotz also paces the conference with 60 hits, 52 runs and a .529 on-base percentage while Morelli leads the league in home runs (12), runs batted in (44), total bases (97) and slugging percentage (.815).
The UW-Whitewater pitching staff is headlined by freshman Bella Matthias and sophomore Julia Camardo.
Matthias leads the WIAC with 15 wins (15-3 record), a 1.19 earned run average, 116 strikeouts and a .200 opponent batting average. Camardo has a 10-2 record with a 3.28 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 83.1 innings pitched.
UW-Eau Claire, which is riding an eight-game winning streak, has a WIAC-best 79 stolen bases while leading the league with a 1.35 earned run average.
Senior shortstop Evie Schaller sparks the Blugold offense with a .402 batting average, six home runs, 36 runs batted in, and .722 slugging and .487 on-base percentages.
UW-Eau Claire senior outfielder Rachel Heffel is hitting .350 with 41 runs and a WIAC-leading 39 stolen bases.
Blugold pitchers Lauren Blasczyk and Sarah Peka have combined to start 34 of the team's 36 games on the year.
Blasczyk owns a 13-7 record with a 1.40 earned run average and 89 strikeouts in 124.2 innings pitched while Peka has an 11-1 mark with a 1.72 ERA in 81.1 innings of work.
UW-Stout, which has lost six straight games, heads into the weekend with a .303 batting average and a 4.23 earned run average.
Blue Devils junior utility Beth Wood leads the squad with a .368 batting average at the plate and seven wins (7-9 record) in the pitcher's circle.