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WIAC Baseball and Softball Athletes of the Week and Standings: May 3-9

05/12/2021, 8:00am CDT
By WIAC

From the WIAC -- 

WIAC Kwik Trip Athletes of the Week
(Week of May 3-9)

BASEBALL 
 

Position Player

Charlie Szykowny, Junior (Palos Heights, Ill./Alan B. Shepard), Shortstop of UW-Stout 

Over six games last week where UW-Stout went 4-0 in conference play and 5-1 on the week, Szykowny hit .500 (14-28), scoring 10 runs and driving in seven runs. He rapped out nine doubles on the week, a move that gave him the school single season record for doubles with 19, recording three in the first game on May 7, and had two doubles in each of three other games. Szykowny had one stolen base in one attempt, but that stolen base set up the game-winning run. With the score tied 8-8 with UW-Platteville on May 8, Szykowny hit a one-out double, stole third, then ended the game when he came home on a wild pitch. Szykowny had at least two hits in each of the six games during the week and has this year reached base in 34 consecutive games and extended his on-base streak to 41 games, stretching back to the 2019 season, his first with the Blue Devils. Szykowny was perfect in the field this week in 33 chances and turned three double plays. On the season, Szykowny is batting .394 (54-137), with 45 runs scored and 24 RBI.   

Also nominated: 

UW-La Crosse, Jack Olver, Freshman, Thirdbase/Designated Hitter, DeForest, Wis. (DeForest)
UW-Oshkosh, Hunter Staniske, Junior, Secondbase, De Pere, Wis. (De Pere)
UW-Stevens Point, Kyle Finger, Junior, Catcher, Clintonville, Wis. (Clintonville)
UW-Whitewater, Taylor White, Junior, Utility, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (ThunderRidge) 

Pitcher 

James Palmer, Senior (Boyceville, Wis./Boyceville), Lefthanded Pitcher of UW-Stout 

Palmer pitched the first no-hitter for UW-Stout since 2009 and the first complete game no-hitter since 1997 when the lefty threw a nine-strikeout, nine inning 8-0 win over UW-Platteville on May 4. Palmer allowed five walks, but consistently worked his way out of trouble throughout the game. He faced three batters in the first, second, fourth, sixth and eighth innings, allowing only one runner as far as second base. Palmer walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth, struck out the next batter, then forced two consecutive groundouts to shortstop to end the game. For the season, Palmer is 5-3 overall, with an ERA of 2.25. He has 57 strikeouts in 56.0 innings pitched and is allowing an opponent’s batting average of .175.   

Also nominated: 

UW-La Crosse, Zach Pronschinske, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Arcadia, Wis. (Arcadia)
UW-Oshkosh, Trevor Niedzwiecki, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Hawthorn Woods, Ill. (Lake Zurich)
UW-Stevens Point, Sidney Ferry, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Paw Paw, Mich. (Homeschooled)
UW-Whitewater, Connor Spear, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Highland, Ind. (Mount Carmel, Ill.) 

SOFTBALL 
 

Position 

Claire Bakkestuen, Sophomore (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake), Firstbase of UW-Platteville 

Bakkestuen finished the week with five hits in 11 at bats. During doubleheaders against UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire, three of those hits were homeruns. She had a homerun against UW-Whitewater to tie the game in the sixth inning. Bakkestuen had another a homerun in each game of a doubleheader against UW-Eau Claire on May 7. Her three-run blast in the second game helped secure a 9-0 win. Bakkestuen finished with week with a .485 batting average and 1.273 slugging percent.  

Also nominated: 

UW-Eau Claire, Mikayla McEnery, Senior, Outfield, Savage, Minn. (Prior Lake)
UW-La Crosse, Sabrina Scardamaglia, Senior, Catcher/Outfield, Naperville, Ill. (Waubonsie Valley)
UW-Oshkosh, Amanda McIlhany, Senior, Secondbase, Asip, Ill. (Marist) 
UW-Stevens Point, Maddie Candre, Junior, Outfield, St. Charles, Ill. (East)
UW-Stout, Meghan Kelly, Senior, Firstbase, Lockport, Ill. (Township) 
UW-Whitewater, Meg Cohrs, Senior, Thirdbase, Elburn, Ill. (Kaneland) 

Pitcher 

Maddie Fink, Sophomore (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH), Righthanded Pitcher of UW-Oshkosh 

Fink pitched a pair of complete-game victories as UW-Oshkosh earned a share of the WIAC championship. The Titans compiled a 3-1 record during the week – winning both games of a non-conference doubleheader against visiting UW-Stevens Point on May 4, and splitting a conference doubleheader at UW-La Crosse on May 8. Fink pitched 12 innings during her two appearances and compiled a 1.17 ERA with 10 hits and two runs (both earned) allowed. She struck out six batters, while walking two. Fink pitched all five innings of UW-Oshkosh’s 10-2 five-inning non-conference win over UW-Stevens Point. She allowed six hits and two runs (both earned), while striking out two batters. Fink then helped UW-Oshkosh earn a share of this year’s WIAC title by pitching all seven innings of the Titans’ 3-0 conference victory over UW-La Crosse. Fink allowed just four hits and struck out four batters to lead the Titans to their first league title since 2007. The shutout was Fink’s third of the season. 

Also nominated: 

UW-Eau Claire, Julia Counard, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, De Pere, Wis. (De Pere)
UW-La Crosse, Sydney Shattuck, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton Warrenville South) 
UW-Oshkosh, Maddie Fink, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH)
UW-Whitewater, Marissa Adams, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Le Roy, Ill. (Le Roy)

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Tag(s): News  News Archive  Colton Wilson