2005 WIAC Baseball Athletes of the Week

2005 WIAC Baseball Athletes of the Week

Week of May 2 - 8
Position
Steve Wiczek, Senior (Stevens Point/SPASH), Designated Hitter of UW-Stevens Point
Wiczek batted .500 and picked up a hit in every game in UW-Stevens Point's weekend series with top-ranked UW-Whitewater. In the first game on May 6, he sparked a five-run second inning with a leadoff home run. He added a three-run shot in the third inning of the nightcap. For the weekend, Wiczek went seven-for-14 at the plate with two home runs, six runs scored and five RBIs. He accumulated 13 total bases for a slugging percentage of .929. Wiczek has hit safely in 39 of the Pointers' 40 games this season.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Matt Zieba, Senior, Outfield, Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Park Center)
UW-Oshkosh, Jeremy Jirschele, Senior, Secondbase, Clintonville
UW-Platteville, Matt Huckstep, Sophomore, Shortstop, Lafayette, Ind. (McCutheon)
UW-Stout, Seth Maier, Junior, Outfield, Park Falls
UW-Whitewater, Adam Soto, Senior, Outfield, Greendale

Pitcher
J.C. Reinke, Sophomore (Bonduel), Lefthanded Pitcher of UW-Stevens Point
Reinke picked up his second complete game shutout in as many starts when he blanked the nation's top-ranked team, UW-Whitewater, 10-0, on May 6. He held the Warhawks, the top hitting team in the country, to just two hits over seven innings. Reinke did not allow a runner past second base until there was one out in the seventh inning. He had seven strikeouts and surrendered just two walks.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Matt Zurbriggen, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Onalaska
UW-Oshkosh, Steve Plucinski, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Mundelein, Ill.
UW-Platteville, David Reifenberger, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, West Lafayette, Ind. (Harrison)
UW-Whitewater, Greg Reinhard, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Marinette

Week of April 25 - May 1
Position
Ross Klawitter, Senior (Janesville/Craig), Shortstop of UW-Whitewater
Klawitter helped No. 1-ranked UW-Whitewater to a four-game series sweep over No. 16-ranked UW-Oshkosh at Prucha Field. He posted a .500 batting average (10-for-20) with two home runs, one double, three RBIs and seven runs scored. In the Warhawks' come-from-behind 18-12 10-inning win against the Titans on May 1, Klawitter was four-for-six with one home run, three runs scored and two RBIs. He followed that performance by batting four-for-six with three runs scored in the second game of the doubleheader.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Dave Hermes, Freshman, Outfield, Fort Atkinson
UW-Oshkosh, Ned Yost, Senior, Firstbase, Marietta, Ga. (Lassiter)
UW-Platteville, Mike Flood, Sophomore, Catcher, Designated Hitter, Madison (La Follette)
UW-Stevens Point, Steve Wiczek, Senior, Designated Hitter, Stevens Point (SPASH)
UW-Stout, Seth Maier, Junior, Firstbase/Outfield, Park Falls

Pitcher
Kevin Tomasiewicz, Senior (Sleepy Hollow, Ill./Dundee-Crown), Lefthanded Pitcher of UW-Whitewater
Tomasiewicz threw a complete game two-hit shutout against UW-Oshkosh on April 30 in the Warhawks' 2-0 victory. He struck out 12 batters and allowed only a pair of walks in earning his league-leading 11 win of the season. Tomasiewicz also threw 1.2 innings of relief in an 18-12 victory over the Titans on May 1, allowing three hits and striking out three batters. Opponents batted .139 against him during the week.

Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Ben Huffman, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Mequon (Homestead)
UW-Platteville, Ryan Slaght, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Baraboo
UW-Stevens Point, J.C. Reinke, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Bonduel

Week of April 18 - 24
Position
Eddie Adamson, Junior (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South), Outfield of UW-Whitewater
Adamson helped No. 1-ranked UW-Whitewater to a 6-0 record on the week by batting .619 (13-21) with 10 runs scored, 10 RBIs, five doubles, one triple and one home run. In a doubleheader against Lawrence on April 21, he was seven-for-seven with four runs scored and eight RBIs. Adamson was three-for-three with three runs scored, one home run and five RBIs in the second game. In the first game of a doubleheader at UW-La Crosse on April 24, he was three-for-four with two runs scored, two RBIs and one double. Adamson had four multiple hit games in the six contests including one four-hit effort and two three-hit performances.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Bryan Hansen, Junior, Outfield, Maribel (Denmark)
UW-Oshkosh, Jeremy Jirschele, Senior, Secondbase, Clintonville
UW-Platteville, Mike Flood, Sophomore, Catcher, Madison (La Follette)
UW-Stevens Point, Tim Schlosser, Freshman, Infield, Oconomowoc
UW-Stout, Tim Nielson, Junior, Shortstop, Rosemount, Minn.

Pitcher
Kevin Tomasiewicz, Senior (Sleepy Hollow, Ill./Dundee-Crown), Lefthanded Pitcher of UW-Whitewater
Tomasiewicz tossed a complete-game shutout in No. 1-ranked UW-Whitewater's 10-0 seven-inning victory over UW-La Crosse on April 24. He allowed just four hits and struck out six batters to earn his 10th win of the season. Tomasiewicz also pitched 2.1 innings earlier in the week in a 13-1 win over Lawrence to earn the victory. He allowed one hit and struck out three batters.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Jason Scheel, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Racine (Park)
UW-Oshkosh, Ryan Hermus, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Combined Locks (Kimberly)
UW-Platteville, David Reifenberger, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, West Lafayette, Ind. (Harrison)
UW-Stevens Point, Zac Peterson, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Waupaca
UW-Stout, Chad Tousley, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Prescott

Week of April 11 - 17
Position
Greg Meinertz, Senior (La Crosse/Central), Catcher of UW-Stout
Meinertz batted .462 (12-for-26) in six games during the week to help UW-Stout to a 3-3 record and a fourth-place standing in the league race. He scored 11 runs and had three home runs, two doubles, five RBIs, one stolen base and threw out four runners attempting to steal. In the Blue Devils' 14-4 seven-inning win at No. 1-ranked UW-Whitewater on April 16, he was two-for-four with two runs scored and one RBI. In UW-Stout's 16-13 loss to the Warhawks in the second game of the doubleheader, he was four-for-six with three runs scored, two RBIs, one home run and one double. Meinertz had multiple hits in four of the six contests during the week.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Eric Simon, Senior, Firstbase, Middleton
UW-Oshkosh, Scott Bolcoa, Senior, Designated Hitter, Irvine, Calif. (Mater Dei)
UW-Platteville, Brett Mandsager, Senior, Outfield, Donahue, Iowa (North Scott)
UW-Stevens Point, Ryan Byrnes, Sophomore, Rightfield, Beaver Dam
UW-Stout, Greg Meinertz, Senior, Catcher, La Crosse (Central)
UW-Whitewater, Eddie Adamson, Junior, Outfield/Designated Hitter, Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville South)

Pitcher
Greg Reinhard, Junior (Marinette), Righthanded Pitcher of UW-Whitewater
Reinhard set a WIAC single-game record with 19 strikeouts on April 17 in UW-Whitewater's 6-3 10-inning win against UW-Stout. His 19 strikeouts broke the old mark of 18 established by UW-La Crosse's Dave Benedict on May 22, 1950 against Winona State (Minn.). Reinhard also broke the school record of 15 set by Kelly Mulroy against UW-Platteville on May 1, 1999. Reinhard struck out 11 of 15 batters between the fifth and ninth innings and pitched all 10 innings, allowing four hits, one earned run and no walks. He also tossed four innings against UW-Platteville on April 14 and allowed just two hits and no runs, while striking out four batters.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Joe Bemis, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Stoughton
UW-Oshkosh, Adam Bertl, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Sturgeon Bay (Southern Door)
UW-Platteville, Ryan Slaght, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Baraboo
UW-Stevens Point, Jordan Zimmermann, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, Auburndale
UW-Stout, Dan Olson, Junior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Eau Claire (North)
UW-Whitewater, Greg Reinhard, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Marinette

Week of April 4 - 10
Position
Chuck Brehm, Junior (Spencer), Leftfield of UW-Stevens Point
Brehm smashed a grand slam on back-to-back days to help extend the Pointers' winning streak to 10 games. He went four-for-five in Saturday's second game against UW-Platteville, totaling seven RBIs, a double and two home runs, including a seventh inning grand slam. Brehm matched his feat in the second game on Sunday, hitting another grand slam in the fourth inning. For the week, he hit .520 (13-for-25) and smashed four home runs and four doubles. Brehm scored 11 runs, had 16 RBIs and accumulated a slugging percentage of 1.160.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Eric Simon, Senior, Firstbase, Middleton
UW-Oshkosh, Josh Shere, Junior, Thirdbase, Janesville (Craig)
UW-Stout, Tim Nielson, Junior, Shortstop, Rosemount, Minn.

Pitcher
Brad Buechel, Freshman (St. Cloud/New Holstein), Righthanded Pitcher of UW-La Crosse
Buechel earned his first career victory in a 6-4 win at No. 9-ranked UW-Oshkosh on April 10. He pitched six innings of scoreless relief, allowing no hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. Buechel retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced.

Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Jim Ziegler, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Eden (Campbellsport)
UW-Stevens Point, Matt Polomis, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Wausaukee
UW-Stout, Damien Meyer, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Grantsburg

Week of March 28 - April 3
Position
Eric Baldwin, Senior (Beaver Dam), Rightfield of UW-Whitewater
Baldwin helped No. 3-ranked UW-Whitewater to a 6-0 mark in six conference games during the week by batting 16-for-26 (.615) with 14 RBIs, 12 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs and one triple. He had multiple hits in all six games, including three hits in three contests and compiled a 1.346 slugging percentage. Baldwin was three-for-five with one home run, one double and three RBIs in an 8-4 victory over UW-Platteville on March 29. In a 20-0 win over UW-Superior on April 3, he was three-for-six with two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored. He also was three-for-four with three RBIs and three runs scored in the opening game against the Yellowjackets on April 3.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Andy Podmolik, Sophomore, Outfield, Phillips
UW-Oshkosh, Jeremy Jirschele, Senior, Secondbase, Clintonville
UW-Stevens Point, Steve Wiczek, Senior, Designated Hitter, Stevens Point (SPASH)
UW-Stout, Greg Meinertz, Senior, Catcher, La Crosse (Central)
UW-Whitewater, Eric Baldwin, Senior, Rightfield, Beaver Dam

Pitcher
Matt Zurbriggen, Junior (Onalaska), Righthanded Pitcher of UW-La Crosse
Zurbriggen went 2-0 last week with a 2.30 earned run average. He picked up victories over Dubuque (Iowa) (5-3) and UW-Platteville (11-1). Zurbriggen pitched a complete-game (8.0 innings) in the win over the Pioneers, allowing four hits, one run and one walk with three strikeouts. He allowed 10 hits and four runs in 15.2 innings.

Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Brian Gerl, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Manawa (Little Wolf)
UW-Stevens Point, Matt Simonson, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Plover (Pacelli)
UW-Stout, Matt Christman, Junior, Lefthanded Pitcher, South Milwaukee
UW-Whitewater, Greg Reinhard, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Marinette

Week of March 14 - 27
Position
Steve Wiczek, Senior (Stevens Point/SPASH), Designated Hitter of UW-Stevens Point
Wiczek batted over .500 as the Pointers won six of seven games on their spring break trip to Florida. He recorded multi-hit games in four of his seven outings, including four-for-five, with a double and a home run against St. Olaf (Minn.). He also homered in each half of the Pointers' doubleheader sweep of Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.). For the trip, Wiczek was 15-for-28 at the plate for a batting average of .536. He had four doubles, three home runs, 12 runs scored and seven runs batted in.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Andy Podmolik, Sophomore, Outfield, Phillips
UW-Oshkosh, T.J. Arrowodd, Sophomore, Firstbase, Cecil (Shawano)
UW-Platteville, Jason Watson, Junior, Thirdbase, Boscobel
UW-Stout, Luke Schultz, Sophomore, Outfield, Menomonie
UW-Superior, Patrick Lind, Senior, Shortstop, Isanti, Minn. (Cambridge)

Pitcher
Ben Huffman, Senior (Mequon/Homestead), Righthanded Pitcher of UW-Oshkosh
Huffman picked up a pair of victories as UW-Oshkosh defeated St. John's (Minn.), 3-2, on March 14 and Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), 3-1, on March 22. He hurled 11.0 innings in the two games, yielding just seven hits and one run. Huffman pitched four innings of scoreless relief to pick up the victory in UW-Oshkosh's win over St. John's, retiring 12 of 16 batters he faced, including five by a strike out, and allowing three hits and one walk. Huffman faced just 26 batters, five over the minimum, to gain the victory against Gustavus Adolphus. He pitched all seven innings, allowing four hits, including just one after the first inning, with six strikeouts and no walks.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Matt Zurbriggen, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Onalaska
UW-Platteville, Mike Davis, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, Green Bay (Pulaski)
UW-Stevens Point, Kevin Pankow, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Oconomowoc
UW-Stout, Jon Severson, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Hayfield, Minn.
UW-Superior, Eric Pokornowski, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Cokato, Minn.

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