Eight Warhawks have been named to the
2014 All-Midwest Region team by
D3baseball.com and the
American Baseball Coaches Association.
Mikole Pierce (DePere/DePere) and
John Vodenlich led the way taking home D3baseball.com Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors from both associations respectively.
Pierce, a First Team selection by both associations and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Co-Position Player of the Year, leads the Warhawks in batting average, hits, runs batted in, runs scored, triples, home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage and stolen bases. This past weekend he was named the NCAA DIII Midwest Regional Tournament's Most Outstanding Player as the Warhawks went 4-0 to advance to the NCAA DIII Baseball Championship. Pierce was named second team All-Midwest Region in 2013.
For the fifth time in his career head coach
John Vodenlich has been named the region's Coach of the Year. Vodenlich earned the award in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2010. This season he was also named WIAC Coach of the Year as the Warhawks won the regular season league title and the postseason tournament crown. Vodenlich has amassed an overall record of 398-128-1 while at UW-W and is just 19 wins shy of becoming the all-time winningest coach in UW-W baseball history.
Junior catcher
Mike Mierow (Brookfield/Central), a second team representative on both lists, leads the Warhawks with 15 runners caught stealing. He is batting .355 with 20 runs scored and 30 RBIs, and has stolen 14 bases. In 39 starts at catcher he has just five passed balls.
Jared Fon (Germantown/Germantown) is second team All-Region for the third consecutive season according to D3baseball and adds First Team recognition from the ABCA this season. Fon, a senior third baseman, is hitting .392 this season and is tied for second on the team with 15 doubles. In 148 at bats he has struck out just nine times.
Senior centerfielder
Dylan Friend (Burlington/Burlington) is also making his third straight appearance on the All-Region second team. He also added second team honors from the ABCA to his list of accolades this season. Friend leads the team in walks with 38 while hitting .380 from the dish. He is second on the team in runs scored and home runs.
Scott Plaza (Arlington Heights, IL/Prospect), a senior righty First Team selection by the ABCA and Second Team D3 pick, is 7-2 this season in 11 starts. He leads the team in strikeouts with 71 across 80 innings pitched and boasts an ERA of 3.04. Plaza holds the opposing team to an average of just .263 and has thrown four complete games this season.
Sophomore
Curtis Morgan (Green Lake/Green Lake) and freshman
Austin Jones (Wauwatosa/Wauwatosa West), both right handers on the mound, earned second team recognition from the ABCA. Morgan is 6-1 in 10 starts with an earned run average of 3.62 this season. Jones also boasts a 6-1 record with an ERA of 2.19. He is tied for the team lead with 17 appearances and two saves.
Casey Power (Ontario, Canada/Belle River) appears on the All-Region Third Team on both lists for the first time in his career. Power, primarily a first baseman, is hitting .332 this season and is second on the team in RBIs. He has clocked three homers, three triples and 15 doubles.
The Warhawks are appearing in their sixth NCAA DIII Baseball Championship this weekend. UW-W opens play against Southern Maine on Friday, May 23 at 7:45 pm.
AZ/ak