Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

WIAC Press Release:



UW-Stevens Point s Richter and UW-Platteville s Lange Top All-WIAC Baseball Selections;

UW-Whitewater s Vodenlich Named Coach of the Year

 

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point s Jeremy Richter was voted the Position Player of the Year and UW-Platteville s Joe Lange the Pitcher of the Year to top the 20 individuals that were selected to the 2009 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Team by the league coaches.  In addition, UW-Whitewater s John Vodenlich was chosen the Coach of the Year.

 

Richter tops the WIAC with 58 hits and a .652 slugging percentage, while ranking second with 16 doubles and nine home runs, third with 42 RBI, a .451 on-base percentage and 164 at-bats, fourth with a .354 batting average and three triples and sixth with 39 runs scored.

 

Richter, who is the fourth Pointer in the last five years to claim the Position Player of the Year trophy, has recorded a hit in 32 of 43 games played, including 17 multi-hit performances.  He matched a conference record with three doubles in a 13-3 victory over Greenville College (Ill.) on March 16.  Richter collected a season-high four hits in a 12-10 triumph over UW-Oshkosh on April 22 and season-best five RBI in a 10-7 win over UW-Superior on April 25.

 

Lange secured first team recognition for the second straight season and is the first Pioneer to claim the Pitcher of the Year prize.  He leads the league with 91.0 innings pitched and 11 starting assignments, while placing second with 85 strikeouts, fifth with two saves and ninth with

a 3.86 earned run average.

 

In 10 appearances against WIAC adversaries, Lange allowed two earned runs or fewer eight times and recorded 63 strikeouts, while allowing just eight walks.  He had a season-high 12 strikeouts in a complete-game 5-0 victory over UW-Oshkosh on April 19.  Lange s 91.0 innings pitched represent the fourth-highest total on the WIAC single-season list and his 85 strikeouts established a school mark.  He holds the top three single-season strikeout marks in program history and his 247 career strikeouts tie for the fourth-most in conference history.  No Pioneer has thrown in more games (52) or pitched more innings (271.2) or faced more batters (1,227) than Lange, yet he has the second-lowest career earned run average at 4.04.

 

Repeat selections on the first team consisted of:  UW-La Crosse s Storm Gram, UW-Oshkosh s Jason Fosler, Nolan Fadness and Kyle Kannenberg and UW-Whitewater s Aaron Dott and Kevin Zalnis.

 

Gram claimed first team recognition for the third consecutive season and is the ninth individual in school history to earn three first team selections.  He ranks third in the league with 13 doubles and was second on the team with 32 runs scored, 42 hits, 27 RBI and nine stolen bases.  Gram is second on UW-La Crosse s career chart with 39 doubles, third with 122 runs scored, sixth with a .365 batting average and eighth with 150 hits.

 

Fosler is a three-time first team honoree who is fifth in the WIAC with a .352 batting average and .443 on-base percentage, while ranking eighth with 10 doubles and a .514 slugging percentage.

 

Fadness and Kannenberg received first team laurels for the second straight year.  Fadness is second in the conference with 44 runs scored and 16 stolen bases, fourth with 51 hits and three triples, sixth with 155 at-bats, seventh with a .438 on-base percentage and 10th with a .329 batting average.  Kannenberg tops the league with seven wins and 18 appearances, while placing second with 85.2 innings pitched, third with a 3.15 earned run average, fifth with two saves and ninth with 54 strikeouts.

 

Dott and Zalnis captured first team accolades for the second consecutive season.  Dott leads the WIAC with 98 strikeouts and 11 starting assignments, while placing third with 81.2 innings pitched and a .217 opponent batting average, fifth with five wins and 15 appearances and sixth with a 3.53 earned run average.  His 98 strikeouts represent the seventh-highest total on the conference s single-season chart.

 

Zalnis leads the conference with 167 at-bats, while ranking second with 43 RBI and fourth with eight home runs.

 

Also receiving first team status were:  UW-La Crosse s Jay Fanta, UW-Oshkosh s Blake Berger, UW-Platteville s Lee Hawkins and Jason Jacobson, UW-Stevens Point s Kyle Cummings, Eric Fritz and Scott Williams, UW-Stout s Brandon O Connell and Ryan Stace and UW-Whitewater s Rob Coe, Jason Hooper and Ben Kuhlmann.

 

UW-Whitewater head coach John Vodenlich was voted the Coach of the Year for the second straight season and third time in his career (2004).  He led the Warhawks to a piece of the WIAC championship - their eighth title in the last 10 seasons - and a spot in the NCAA Division III Championship.  Vodenlich is in his sixth year in charge of the squad and owns a 207-73-1 record.

 

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

 

2009 All-WIAC Baseball Team

First Team

Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)

Blake Berger, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Firstbase/Outfield, Star Prairie (New Richmond)

Rob Coe, Whitewater, Sophomore, Catcher, Appleton (North)

Kyle Cummings, Stevens Point, Senior, Secondbase, Prentice

Aaron Dott, Whitewater, Junior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Green Lake

Nolan Fadness, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Outfield, Eau Claire (Memorial)

Jay Fanta, La Crosse, Freshman, Thirdbase, Viroqua

Jason Fosler, Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, DeForest

Eric Fritz, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Shortstop, Custer (SPASH)

Storm Gram, La Crosse, Senior, Centerfield, Woodbury, Minn.

Lee Hawkins, Platteville, Senior, Thirdbase, Eureka, Calif. (McKinleyville)

Jason Hooper, Whitewater, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Lake Mills

Jason Jacobson, Platteville, Junior, Infield, Caledonia (Racine Case)

Kyle Kannenberg, Oshkosh, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Oshkosh (West)

Ben Kuhlmann, Whitewater, Junior, Secondbase, Minneapolis, Minn. (Southwest)

Joe Lange, Platteville, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, East Dubuque, Ill.

Brandon O Connell, Stout, Sophomore, Thirdbase, Elk Mound

Jeremy Richter, Stevens Point, Junior, Firstbase/Outfield, Rosholt

Ryan Stace, Stout, Senior, Catcher, Oregon

Scott Williams, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Baraboo

Kevin Zalnis, Whitewater, Senior, Outfield/Infield, Woodstock, Ill.

 

Honorable Mention

Kyle Barry, Stevens Point, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Twin Lakes (Wilmot)

Ross Benitz, La Crosse, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Osceola

Sean Cummings, Superior, Junior, Secondbase, Superior

Ryan Demmin, Oshkosh, Junior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Oshkosh (North)

Brian Giebel, Stout, Sophomore, Outfield, River Falls

Derek Hiroskey, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Catcher, Kimberly

Kyle Kannenberg, Oshkosh, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Oshkosh (West)

Cody Koback, Stevens Point, Freshman, Centerfield, Plover (SPASH)

Brett Olson, Superior, Junior, Catcher, Eau Claire (Regis)

Cory Poppitz, La Crosse, Senior, Catcher, Chaska, Minn.

Jeremy Rubens, Oshkosh, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, New Franken (Luxemburg-Casco)

Ben Sebesta, Oshkosh, Freshman, Outfield, Eau Claire (Memorial)

Greg Smolinski, Stout, Junior, Designated Hitter, Menasha

Jeff Zielke, Stevens Point, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Watertown



All-Sportsmanship Team

Lance Poppy, La Crosse, Junior, Firstbase, New London

Brad Demmin, Oshkosh, Senior, Firstbase, Oshkosh (North)

Matt Paulus, Platteville, Senior, Catcher/Firstbase, Neenah

Jordan Rennicke, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Catcher, Mequon (Homestead)

Ryan Stace, Stout, Senior, Catcher, Oregon

Paul Schlangen, Superior, Junior, Outfield, Rice, Minn. (Sauk Rapids-Rice)

Nick Rechlitz, Whitewater, Junior, Secondbase/Shortstop, Milwaukee (Marquette)

 

Position Player of the Year:  Jeremy Richter of Stevens Point

Pitcher of the Year:  Joe Lange of Platteville

Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete:  Ross Benitz of La Crosse

Coach of the Year:  John Vodenlich of Whitewater

 

# # # # #







UW-La Crosse s Benitz Named Baseball Scholar-Athlete

 

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse s Ross Benitz has been named the 2009 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete.

 

Benitz, a senior from Osceola, Wis., is double-majoring in accounting and finance and carries a 3.58 grade point average.  He is a two-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been recognized on UW-La Crosse s Dean s List four semesters.

 

Benitz has claimed All-WIAC honorable mention honors three consecutive seasons.  He is a team captain this year and ranks second on the school s all-time list in victories and innings pitched, while placing fourth in appearances.  Benitz is the sixth individual from UW-La Crosse to claim the conference s scholar-athlete plaque in baseball.

 

Also nominated for this year s scholar-athlete award were:  UW-La Crosse s Cory Poppitz (Sr., Chaska, Minn.), UW-Oshkosh s Peter Berg (Sr., Janesville, Wis./Craig) and UW-Stevens Point s Garrett Nix (Sr., Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild).

 

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference from July, 1971 - July, 1993.

 

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.