2006 Baseball Preview Part 5 - UW-Milwaukee
Feb. 7, 2006
After having its season come to a close just one game away from a trip to the NCAA Tournament last year, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team will enter the 2006 campaign with high expectations. UWM returns six everyday starters in the field and, more importantly, all five starting pitchers from a season ago. Head coach Jerry Augustine will be counting on an experienced core group of 10 seniors to help the Panthers return to the top of the Horizon League standings.
"This is a very experienced team that is full of players who were in the lineup last season," assistant head coach Scott Doffek said. "These are guys who were on the field for the last out of the season last year [in the Horizon League Championship]. They are a motivated group who will use that experience to get back to that point."
The Panthers went 26-31 in 2005, the eighth time the last nine years they have won 25 or more games. They posted a 12-8 mark in Horizon League play, placing third in the regular season before making it all the way to the tournament championship, narrowly missing their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past seven years.
Many of the seniors on this year's squad are fifth-year players who had a taste of that NCAA Tournament experience as freshmen. They will count on their experience to help make a return trip in their final season in a UWM uniform.
INFIELD: The infield will be a solid spot for UW-Milwaukee, as they return their starting middle infielders from a year ago. Sophomore shortstop Grant Berkovitz earned Second Team All-Horizon League honors last year, hitting .286 in 43 games overall and .395 in league play. Sophomore second baseman Jesse Hart made 21 starts in 35 games, hitting .371 with a.414 on-base percentage.
"Berkovitz had a solid freshman campaign," Doffek said. "What he wants to put into his game, he will get out. Hart's baseball make-up is one of his best assets. It has been great watching him develop ... we'll look for big things from him."
Senior Joe Nowicki will be looked at to play first base every day for UWM after spending most of his career in the outfield. He was a First-Team All-Horizon choice last season, leading the team and league with his .376 average, nine home runs and .631 slugging percentage.
"Joe has proven that he is one of the best hitters in the league," Doffek said. "He is capable of carrying the team and has the potential to improve on last year's numbers."
Senior Matt Curran will see time at second base, while junior transfer Kyle Silver will play third base along with freshman Andy Hetebrueg. Curran hit.231 in 34 games last season after batting .364 as a sophomore.
"Matt is one of the most-determined players we have ever had," Doffek said."He has done everything in the off-season to bounce back offensively and have a solid senior season."
Silver is coming off two seasons at Duke and will be looked at to solidify the infield. The coaching staff sees the talented Hetebrueg pitching in addition to playing infield. Junior transfer Tyler Schill is a solid defender with great hands who gives the team flexibility with his glove.
Senior Zak Rivera is listed as a first baseman, but will see the bulk of his time as the DH. Rivera had a stellar junior campaign, earning First Team All-Horizon League honors. He batted .364, leading the team with a .643 slugging percentage and a .511 on-base percentage, thanks to a team-leading 37 walks.
"He proved himself last season as one of the best hitters in the league,"Doffek said. "Last year he finally got in a groove by playing every day. His greatest asset is his ability to control the strike zone."
OUTFIELD: The Panther outfield will provide experience and stability to the team. With Nowicki moving to first base, it will open up a spot. The others are covered, however, as senior Mike Goetz and junior Ross McCoy will be counted on as every day starters. Goetz made 50 starts in 53 games, spending last season as UWM's regular centerfielder and leadoff hitter. He hit .352 and was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. McCoy hit .256 in 54 games last year after being a Second Team All-League choice as a freshman.
"Goetz is one of those players who is able to change the game with his speed," Doffek said. "We look for Ross to be an impact player in the middle of the line-up and to do the same in the field as well."Junior Rob Brockel earned more playing time as the season progressed last year and was starting to come into his own at season's end. He has the potential to drive the ball and will see time in left field. Junior Nick Wichser is coming off two injury-plagued seasons where he never got comfortable, hitting .262 in 42 games last year. Sophomore John Sarcia will also look to play a larger role.
Junior transfer Troy Vesling and freshman Tim Patzman will give the team added depth.
CATCHER: Milwaukee will have a crowd behind the plate, with five players fighting for playing time. Senior Jeremy Wilson is the most experienced, playing 36 games a year ago.
"Wilson will look to step up as the only senior in the catching corps,"Doffek said. "He will be valuable as a mentor to the younger players as well."
Four freshmen comprise the rest of the group: Dan Buchholz, Shaun Wegner, Brett Summers and Josh Groves.
"Buchholz has all the tools physically and will be fun to watch grow,"Doffek said. "Wegner is mentally and emotionally the type of player wanted behind the plate. Summers has worked very hard to learn what it takes physically and mentally at the D-I level and has been a joy to work with.
Lastly, Groves brings a big left-handed bat and a great attitude to adapt to the needs of the team."
PITCHING: Easily the biggest strength of the squad, UWM returns all five of its starting pitchers from 2005. Returnees also account for 448 of 453.1 innings pitched, an amazing 98.9%. The coaches are confident that, barring injuries, the staff will have a solid year on the mound.
"Having experience like this is huge at this level," pitching coach Cory Bigler said. "Some of these guys have been on this team for five years ... it will make a big difference."
Senior Aaron Sorensen made a good first impression a year ago, tying the school record for wins in a 9-3 campaign. He earned Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and Second Team All-League honors and led the team with 76 strikeouts and 85.1 innings pitched.
"Once he was here [last fall], we knew he could be something special,"Bigler said. "With his stuff, he has a chance to beat any team in the country on a given day."
Senior Rick Cavaiani led the squad with a 3.86 ERA, but struggled with runsupport: UWM scored three runs or less in eight of his 10 starts and provided zero or one run of support in five of those games.
"We can count on him for a quality start every time out," Bigler noted.Senior Korey Keller (6-3 record) and juniors Robert Michalkiewicz (4-5) and Mike Rauwerdink (2-5) make up the returning rotation.
"Keller is a fifth-year guy who is very steady and has seen it all," Bigler said. "Michalkiewicz could do great things this season and Rauwerdink has very high potential."
Senior Jed Dolske has been a mainstay in the UWM bullpen the last couple of seasons. He led the team and Horizon League with eight saves last season and moved into second place on the all-time appearance list as well. The coaching staff knows he will be confident coming on in pressure situations.
Junior Rob Brockel and senior Leroy Pederson will also be counted on in certain game situations for the Panthers.
Three transfers will add quality and experience to the Milwaukee bullpen.Juniors Kelby Mack (10-2 in two years at MATC), Tom Zimmerman (drafted by the Texas Rangers out of high school) and BJ Klement (from UW-La Crosse) all bring something different to the table.
Lastly, three newcomers - Phil Kabat, Zach Hoch and redshirt freshman Tim Hoy - will look to make an impression this year as well.
Story provided by UW-Milwaukee Office of Sports Information
