Warhawk junior lefthander Aaron Dott was picked by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft.
"He's big, 6-4, and a lefty," UW-W coach John Vodenlich said. "When they looked at him they could see he has the ability, a fastball in the mid to upper 80's and a above average breaking ball. If he signs with them he will have to adjust to pitching against wood and professional hitters throughout a lineup, instead of a college team that may have a couple of top batters."
Dott led the Warhawk pitching staff in 2009. He went 7-6 with a 3.16 earned run average. He had four complete games, one save, struck out 119 in 99.2 innings, and opponents hit .227 against him. His innings pitched total in 2009 is third highest in the school record book, and he is second on the list for season strikeouts. Dott is also second in career strikeouts with 234. He earned First Team All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and American Baseball Coaches Association Second Team All-Midwest Region honors this spring.
Dott was Tampa Bay's thirty-first pick, the 949th of the draft. The Rays drafted twenty-seven pitchers, ten of them left-handed. The lefthanders picked earlier by the Rays were Kevin James of Whitefish Bay (WI) with pick number 289, Jacob Partridge of John Rogers HS (VA) at 559, Jake Sullivan of the University of Arkansas at 679, Andrew Heaney of Putnam City HS (OK) with pick number 739, and Zach Rossup of Chemeketa Community College at 859.
Pitcher Adam Dominick and catcher Billy Johnson, who signed professional contracts after the 2008 season, were the most recent Warhawks to catch a scout's eye. Pitchers Kevin Tomasiewicz and Greg Reinhard were drafted after UW-W won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championship in 2005, and pitchers Brady Endl and Ryan Callahan inked contracts in 2004. Reinhard, drafted in the sixth round by the Rays, is currently a reliever with the Chicago Cubs' Triple A farm club in Iowa. Whitewater's most notable baseball alum is right handed pitcher Bob Wickman, who played for several teams over the course of sixteen major league seasons (1992-2007). Wickman appeared in 835 games, going 63-61 with a 3.57 earned run average and 267 saves. Wickman is the all-time saves leader for the Cleveland Indians.
Dott has pitched for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League the last two summers. He is 1-0 with a 0.75 earned run average this year after tossing a no-hitter for the Loggers last season.
Dott helped UW-Whitewater to a share of the WIAC title and a berth in the NCAA III championship tournament this spring. The Warhawks finished 30-19.