UW-Oshkosh's Jirschele and UW-Whitewater's Endl Top All-WIAC Baseball Team

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 19, 2004

UW-Oshkosh's Jirschele and UW-Whitewater's Endl Top All-WIAC Baseball Team

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Jeremy Jirschele was voted the Position Player of the Year and UW-Whitewater's Brady Endl was selected the Pitcher of the Year to top the 2004 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Team.

Jirschele earned first team honors for the first time in his career after he claimed honorable mention status last season. He leads the conference with 81 hits, 65 runs scored, 59 RBIs and 20 doubles, while ranking second with a .431 batting average, 28 walks and three triples and fourth with a .665 slugging percentage and .493 on-base percentage.

Jirschele had 30 multiple-hit games in 2004, including 11 contests with three or more hits. He registered 16 multiple-RBI games, including 11 competitions with three or more RBIs. Jirschele put together 10-game and 12-game hitting streaks and committed only one error in the team's last 32 contests, a span of 175 chances.

Jirschele becomes the fourth Titan in school history to claim the conference's position player of the year honor, joining Vince Mancuso (2003), Tom Gessner (2000) and Erik Morrell (1997).

Endl earned first team honors for the sixth-time in his career after helping UW-Whitewater secure the WIAC regular-season and tournament championships and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. He earned the conference's pitcher of year award for the second time in his career, after receiving the honor in 2001, and becomes the first two-time winner in the eight-year history of the prize.

Endl leads the WIAC with eight wins and 11 starts, while ranking second with a 2.29 ERA and 85 strikeouts and third with 70.2 innings pitched. Opponents have a .226 batting average against him, the second-lowest mark in the conference. He recorded a season-high 12 strikeouts against UW-La Crosse on April 4 and UW-Oshkosh on April 26 and threw at least 7.0 innings in five of his 11 starting assignments.

Endl's 85 strikeouts have established a UW-Whitewater single-season record, while his 233 career strikeouts, 247.1 innings pitched and 25 wins top the Warhawks' all-time list. His 233 strikeouts and 25 victories rank fourth on the conference's all-time chart.

Endl also secured first team recognition as a first baseman. He leads the league with a .845 slugging percentage, 15 home runs and 29 walks, while ranking second with a .537 on-base percentage, third with a .430 batting average, 55 RBIs and 52 runs scored and eighth with 61 hits. Endl has committed only one error this year and recently had a 20-game hitting streak snapped. His 52 runs scored rank second on the school's single-season list and his 36 career home runs are second on the all-time list.

Endl was united on the first team with teammates Ryan Callahan, Greg Reinhard, Eric Stangel and Nic Teach.

Callahan earned first team recognition for the third time in his career after receiving the honor in 2003 and 2001. This season, he leads the conference with a 2.14 ERA and an opponents batting average of .189, while ranking third with 70 strikeouts, sixth with five wins and seventh with 63.0 innings pitched. Callahan's 187 career strikeouts and 196.2 career innings pitched rank second on UW-Whitewater's all-time list, while his 16 career victories rank fourth.

Reinhard leads the league with eight victories, while ranking sixth in the conference with a 2.67 ERA and ninth with 60.2 innings pitched. Opponents have batted .247 against him in 2004.

Stangel ranks fourth in the league with eight home runs, fifth with a .613 slugging percentage, sixth with 47 RBIs, seventh with a .380 batting average, eighth with 44 runs scored and ninth with 57 hits.

Teach has played in 35 of the Warhawks' 41 contests and has accumulated a .435 batting average with 40 hits, 31 runs scored, 22 RBIs, eight stolen bases, seven doubles and one home run.

Jirschele was joined on the first team by teammates Korey Feiner, Kyle Heckendorf, Ben Huffman, Lucas Lechnir, Josh Shere and Jordan Timm.

Feiner secured first team accolades for the second consecutive season after ranking second in the conference with nine home runs, third with 55 RBIs and 52 runs scored, fourth with 27 walks, fifth with a .466 on-base percentage, sixth with 13 doubles and eighth with a .589 slugging percentage.

Heckendorf was a honorable mention selection a year ago. This season, he ranks second in the league with three triples, third with 65 hits and 14 doubles, seventh with 47 runs scored, ninth with 38 RBIs and 10th with a .569 slugging percentage.

Huffman ranks third in the conference with seven wins, fourth with 64.2 innings pitched and 64 strikeouts, eighth with a 3.48 ERA and opponents batted .249 against him. He was a honorable mention pick in 2003.

Lechnir received first team honors for the second straight season after being a honorable mention choice in 2001. In 2004, the switch-hitter ranks second in the WIAC with 53 runs scored, 28 walks and nine home runs, fourth with 64 hits, fifth with 51 RBIs, seventh with a .459 on-base percentage, ninth with a .366 batting average and .571 slugging percentage. He enjoyed a team-best 17-game hitting streak this year. Lechnir's 634 career at-bats rank lead the conference's all-time list, while his 46 career doubles are third.

Shere ranks second in the conference with 58 RBIs, fifth with 51 runs scored, sixth with a .461 on-base percentage, 63 hits and 26 walks and seventh with a .590 slugging percentage. He secured first team accolades for the second consecutive season.

Timm was a first team selection for the second straight year after leading the league with 98 strikeouts, 83.1 innings pitched and seven complete games, while ranking third with a 2.38 ERA and seven victories and seventh with 14 appearances. His 98 strikeouts are the fourth-highest single-season total in conference history and his 283 career strikeouts established a league record, while his 264.1 career innings pitched rank third on the conference's all-time list.

UW-Stout had Greg Meinertz, James Foreman and Tim Nielson recognized on the first team. Meinertz earned first team honors for the second straight season after ranking sixth in the conference with a .596 slugging percentage and ninth with 38 RBIs. He accumulated a .362 batting average with 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, six home runs and two triples. Meinertz also threw out 63 percent (12-of-20) of runners attempting to steal.

Foreman ranks sixth in the league with a .390 batting average and 10th with a .439 on-base percentage, while adding 31 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 11 doubles and three home runs.

Nielson ranks fifth in the conference with a .417 batting average and eighth with a .452 on-base percentage. He also contributed 27 RBIs, nine doubles, two home runs and one triple to the Blue Devil offense in 2004.

UW-Stevens Point's Matt Peetz captured first team honors for the second consecutive year after leading the conference with a .465 batting average and .554 on-base percentage, while ranking second with a .732 slugging percentage and 66 hits, third with 14 doubles, fourth with 27 walks and eight home runs and seventh with 46 RBIs. He set UW-Stevens Point career records with a .396 batting average, 199 hits and 43 doubles.

Peetz was joined on the first team by teammate, Jake Frombach, who ranks eighth in the league with a .367 batting average and added 32 runs scored, 19 RBIs, six doubles and two home runs. Frombach was a honorable mention selection a year ago.

UW-La Crosse's Chester Janke received first team honors for the third straight season after earning honorable mention accolades in 2001. He batted .306 this year with 48 hits, 40 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 28 walks, five home runs and five doubles. Janke ranks first on UW-La Crosse's career list with 27 home runs, 25 hit-by-pitches and 143 RBIs, while placing second with 545 at-bats.

UW-Platteville's Ryan Levendoski ranks third in the league with a .494 on-base percentage and fourth with a .424 batting average and 64 hits. His 64 hits set a school single-season record and he hit safely in 34 of the last 37 games. Levendoski added 23 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 19 walks, three home runs, three doubles and one triple.

UW-Whitewater head coach John Vodenlich was voted the 2004 Coach of the Year by the league coaches. Vodenlich, in his first season at the helm of the Warhawks, has directed the club to a 34-7 record, their fourth regular-season championship in the last five seasons and the WIAC Tournament title.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-La Crosse's Steve Ems, Kellen Haynes, Kyle Kaufman, Andy Podmolik, Matt Zieba and Matt Zurbriggen, UW-Oshkosh's Bryan Schwebke, UW-Platteville's Bailey Brueggen, Paul Kane and Nick Pepper, UW-Stevens Point's Aaron Achterberg, Chuck Brehm, Matt Polomis, Matt Simonson and Joe Waksmonski, UW-Stout's Jake Riek, UW-Superior's Patrick Lind and Eric Pokornowski and UW-Whitewater's Eric Baldwin, Ryan Callahan and Aaron Guilbault.

2004 All-WIAC Baseball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Ryan Callahan, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Janesville (Parker)
Brady Endl, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Firstbase, Jefferson
Brady Endl, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Jefferson
Korey Feiner, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Catcher, Sun Prairie
James Foreman, UW-Stout, Senior, Designated Hitter, Apple Valley, Minn.
Jake Frombach, UW-Stevens Point, Sophomore, Secondbase, Stratford
Kyle Heckendorf, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, Mosinee
Ben Huffman, UW-Oshkosh, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Mequon (Homestead)
Chester Janke, UW-La Crosse, Senior, Firstbase, Black River Falls
Jeremy Jirschele, UW-Oshkosh, Junior, Secondbase, Clintonville
Lucas Lechnir, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, Mosinee
Ryan Levendoski, UW-Platteville, Senior, Catcher/Designated Hitter, Stoddard (De Soto)
Greg Meinertz, UW-Stout, Junior, Catcher, La Crosse (Central)
Tim Nielson, UW-Stout, Sophomore, Shortstop, Rosemount, Minn.
Matt Peetz, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Firstbase, Spring Green (River Valley)
Greg Reinhard, UW-Whitewater, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Marinette
Josh Shere, UW-Oshkosh, Sophomore, Thirdbase, Janesville (Craig)
Eric Stangel, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Thirdbase, Sheboygan (North)
Nic Teach, UW-Whitewater, Junior, Secondbase, New Berlin (Eisenhower)
Jordan Timm, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Pine River (Weyauwega-Fremont)

Honorable Mention
Aaron Achterberg, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Eau Claire (North)
Eric Baldwin, UW-Whitewater, Junior, Outfield, Beaver Dam
Chuck Brehm, UW-Stevens Point, Freshman, Outfield, Spencer
Bailey Brueggen, UW-Platteville, Senior, Outfield, Westby (Cashton)
Ryan Callahan, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Outfield, Janesville (Parker)
Steve Ems, UW-La Crosse, Freshman, Shortstop, Waterford
Aaron Guilbault, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Catcher, Brodhead
Kellen Haynes, UW-La Crosse, Junior, Secondbase, Carthage, N.Y.
Paul Kane, UW-Platteville, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln)
Kyle Kaufman, UW-La Crosse, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Portage
Patrick Lind, UW-Superior, Junior, Shortstop, Isanti, Minn. (Cambridge-Isanti)
Nick Pepper, UW-Platteville, Sophomore, Shortstop, Sterling, Ill.
Andy Podmolik, UW-La Crosse, Freshman, Outfield, Phillips
Eric Pokornowski, UW-Superior, Junior, Thirdbase, Cokato, Minn. (Dassel-Cokato)
Matt Polomis, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Outfield, Wausaukee
Jake Riek, UW-Stout, Senior, Outfield, Boyceville
Bryan Schwebke, UW-Oshkosh, Freshman, Outfield, Oshkosh (West)
Matt Simonson, UW-Stevens Point, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, Plover (Pacelli)
Joe Waksmonski, UW-Stevens Point, Senior, Catcher, Schofield (D.C. Everest)
Matt Zieba, UW-La Crosse, Junior, Shortstop/Outfield, Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Park Center)
Matt Zurbriggen, UW-La Crosse, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Onalaska

Position Player of the Year: Jeremy Jirschele of UW-Oshkosh
Pitcher of the Year: Brady Endl of UW-Whitewater
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Brady Endl of UW-Whitewater
Coach of the Year: John Vodenlich of UW-Whitewater

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