Baseball Tabbed Preseason No. 1 by Collegiate
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Source: Wisconsin Whitewater
Athletics
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team
has been selected the No. 1 team in NCAA Division III
by Collegiate Baseball, the amateur baseball news
service announced Tuesday, Dec. 23.
The Warhawks claimed their second national
championship in 10 years last season, finishing 44-7
overall including a 4-0 mark in the World Series. UWWhitewater also won both the Wisconsin
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season
and tournament titles.
The defending NCAA Champions are ranked No. 1 in 2015
by Collegiate Baseball News
Seven positional starters and a number of key pitchers from the 2014 Warhawks, who ranked among
the nation's leaders in batting average, on-base percentage, runs per game, WHIP (walks plus hits per
inning pitched) and walks allowed per nine innings, are slated to return in 2015.
Senior shortstop Mikole Pierce (DePere/DePere) is among UW-Whitewater's top returners. Pierce
garnered WIAC Co-Position Player of the Year, D3baseball.com Midwest Region Player of the Year and
first team American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-America accolades
after finishing among league and national leaders in batting average (.435), hits (84), runs scored (62),
runs batted in (64), triples (9) and home runs (9).
Senior catcher Mike Mierow (Brookfield/Central) and senior first baseman Casey Power (Ontario,
Canada/Belle River) also earned both all-conference and all-region honors in 2014. Mierow finished with
a .346 batting average and 15 stolen bases, while Power knocked in 52 runs and hit .345 with 16
doubles and five home runs.
Junior right-hander Curtis Morgan (Green Lake/Green Lake) and sophomore righty Austin Jones
(Milwaukee, Wis./Wauwatosa West) look to lead the pitching staff in 2015.
Morgan was one of the team's top starters a year ago. He was named first team All-WIAC and second
team all-region after posting a 6-1 record with a 3.81 earned run average and 42 strikeouts.
Jones tallied an identical mark of 6-1 and totaled a team-best three saves in 19 appearances, including
two as a starter. He was selected second team all-region following the season.
Head coach John Vodenlich enters his 12th season at the helm of the program. Vodenlich is a six-time
WIAC Coach of the Year, five-time NCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year and two-time ABCA
NCAA Division III Coach of the Year. He has led the Warhawks to nine NCAA Tournament
appearances, including five World Series berths, eight WIAC regular season championships and three
WIAC Tournament titles.