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WIAC Baseball All-Conference Teams, Major Awards Announced

05/17/2023, 4:30pm CDT
By WIAC

From the WIAC -- 

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Adam Cootway was chosen the Kwik Trip Position Player of the Year, while UW-La Crosse’s Isaiah Katz was tabbed the Kwik Trip Pitcher of the Year to lead the individuals selected to the 2023 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Team by the league coaches. UW-La Crosse’s Tyler Schmitt was selected the Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year and UW-La Crosse’s Chris Schwarz was named the Kwik Trip Coach of the Year.

Cootway becomes the ninth Warhawk to receive the distinction, including the fourth in the last six seasons. He leads the WIAC with a .477 batting average, .933 slugging percentage, .560 on-base percentage, 59 runs scored, 71 hits, 67 RBI and five triples, while ranking second with 15 home runs and sixth with 13 doubles. Cootway registered at least one hit in 35-of-40 games, including 21 multi-hit performances. He produced three games with six RBI and hit for the cycle (with an additional home run) against UW-Platteville on May 5.

Katz is the fifth player in program history to collect the pitching honor. He is second in the conference with six wins, while ranking third with 63.0 innings pitched and fifth with 52 strikeouts and a 3.14 earned run average. He struck out a season-high 12 batters against Bethel University (Minn.) on March 19, and has earned the win in his last five decisions, including a complete game against UW-Whitewater on April 22.

Schmitt ranks second in the WIAC with a .197 opponent batting average and six wins, fourth with a 2.83 earned run average, seventh with 54.0 innings pitched and eighth with 46 strikeouts. He tossed the eighth no-hitter in program history against UW-Platteville on April 3. A Newcomer of the Year is defined as a student-athlete who used his first season of participation in baseball this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in baseball at their previous institution.

Repeat selections on the first team from a season ago included: UW-La Crosse’s Mac Born; UW-Oshkosh’s Connor Brinkman (Newcomer of the Year), Matt Scherrman and Jake Surane; and UW-Stevens Point’s Bradley Comer and Casey Pickering. Comer was also a first team selection in 2021.

Schwarz claimed the coaching honor for the fourth time in his career (2006, 2012, 2016). UW-La Crosse has accumulated a 31-9 record, including an 18-6 mark in conference games. The Eagles won the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver’s) title for the fourth time in program history to secure an automatic NCAA bid.

An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school.

2023 All-WIAC Baseball Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Owen Anderson, La Crosse, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Hudson, Wis. (Hudson)
Mac Born, La Crosse, Sophomore, Secondbase, Chaska, Minn. (Chaska)
Connor Brinkman, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, New London, Wis. (New London)
Bradley Comer, Stevens Point, Senior, Thirdbase, Rhinelander, Wis. (Rhinelander)
Adam Cootway, Whitewater, Junior, Infield, DePere, Wis. (Fox Valley Lutheran)
Jacob DeMeyer, Whitewater, Junior, Outfield, Rhinelander, Wis. (Rhinelander)
Justin Fago, Platteville, Sophomore, Designated Hitter, Mesa, Ariz. (Desert Ridge)
Max Huseboe, Whitewater, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Ripon, Wis. (Ripon)
Isaiah Katz, La Crosse, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Fall Creek, Wis. (Fall Creek)
Sam Paden, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville)
Nick Paulsen, Stevens Point, Junior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Balsam Lake, Wis. (Unity)
Casey Pickering, Stevens Point, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
Matt Scherrman, Oshkosh, Senior, Shortstop, Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton Warrenville South)
Tyler Schmitt, La Crosse, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, Madison, Wis. (Memorial)
JD Schultz, Stevens Point, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH)
Matt Scolan, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Downers Grove, Ill. (South)
Justin Sedin, Stout, Junior, Firstbase, Poplar, Wis. (Northwestern)
Jake Surane, Oshkosh, Junior, Outfield, Lincolnshire, Ill. (Stevenson)
Anthony Vivian, La Crosse, Sophomore, Leftfield, Dodgeville, Wis. (Dodgeville)
LJ Waco, Oshkosh, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Cary, Ill. (Cary-Grove)

Honorable Mention
Cade Berendt, Whitewater, Junior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Germantown, Wis. (Germantown)
Tucker Beving, Stout, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, Norwalk, Iowa (Norwalk)
Jakob Boos, Stevens Point, Junior, Secondbase, Littleton, Colo. (Heritage)
Brendan Canterbury, Stevens Point, Senior, Outfield, Waupaca, Wis. (Waupaca)
Owen Deprez, La Crosse, Freshman, Lefthanded Pitcher, New Franken, Wis. (Luxemburg Casco)
Sidney Ferry, Stevens Point, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Paw Paw, Mich. (Homeschooled)
Connor Giusti, Oshkosh, Senior, Thirdbase, Hoffman Estates, Ill. (Fremd)
Ty Hamilton, La Crosse, Senior, Designated Hitter, Sun Prairie, Wis. (Sun Prairie)
Walter Johnson, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Firstbase, Minnetonka, Minn. (Minnetonka)
Mason Kirchberg, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Outfield, DeForest, Wis. (DeForest)
Caleb Matl, La Crosse, Junior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Holmen, Wis. (Holmen)
Grant Mullins, Platteville, Senior, Secondbase, Greenville, Wis. (Hortonville)
Andrew Murphy, Eau Claire, Junior, Outfield, Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi)
Jack Olver, La Crosse, Sophomore, Thirdbase, DeForest, Wis. (DeForest)
Logan Pye, La Crosse, Sophomore, Rightfield, Wilmot, Wis. (Union)
Nicholas Shiu, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Designated Hitter, Gurnee, Ill. (Warren Township)
Anthony Tomczak, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Catcher, Muskego, Wis. (Muskego)
Mason Weckler, Stevens Point, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, Belvidere, Ill. (North)

All-Sportsmanship Team
Jake Andersen, Oshkosh, Senior, Catcher, Palatine, Ill. (Palatine)
Joe Gorden, Whitewater, Junior, Catcher, Fox Lake, Ill. (Grant Community)
Johnathon Hamann, Platteville, Sophomore, Infield, Mount Hope, Wis. (River Ridge)
Ben LaRonge, La Crosse, Junior, Catcher, Deerfield, Wis. (Homeschooled)
Tyler Nelson, Eau Claire, Freshman, Catcher, Corona, Calif. (Centennial)
Kamden Oliver, Stevens Point, Freshman, Infield, Viroqua, Wis. (Viroqua)
Jake Thomas, Stout, Freshman, Outfield, Ottawa, Ill. (Marquette Academy)

Kwik Trip Position Player of the Year:  Adam Cootway of Whitewater
Kwik Trip Pitcher of the Year:  Isaiah Katz of La Crosse
Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year:  Tyler Schmitt of La Crosse
Kwik Trip Coach of the Year:  Chris Schwarz of La Crosse
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete:  Nick Paget of Whitewater

UW-Whitewater’s Paget Named Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Nick Paget has been named the recipient of the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete Award.

A senior from New Berlin, Wis. (West), Paget boasts a 4.00 grade point average and is majoring in mathematics with an emphasis in actuarial science and minoring in general business. He is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been recognized on UW-Whitewater’s Dean’s List and Honor Roll every semester. Paget has received numerous academic scholarships.

A team captain a season ago, Paget claimed All-WIAC honorable mention status and helped UW-Whitewater claim the conference regular-season title for the second straight year. The Warhawks won the WIAC Tournament crown in 2021. He received the team’s Justin Wegner Award in 2022.

Paget is a member of the Society of Actuaries and has passed actuarial exams in financial mathematics, as well as probability. He is the vice president of external relations for UW-Whitewater’s Actuarial Club, and has volunteered for the Hunger Task Force Food Drive, helped organize blood drives and tutored students in Math-related classes.

UW-Platteville’s Mitchell McLaughlin (Sr., Amboy, Ill./Amboy) and UW-Stout’s Alex Foss (Sr., Foley, Minn./Foley) were also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71 and was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years. The award is based on academic achievements, athletics accomplishments and involvement in other campus activities, organizations and community service projects.

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