As I look through this year's WIAC season, there are a remarkable number of success stories, none more compelling than what has become one of the hottest school rivalries not only in the conference but the nation. UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point have battled against each other in a multitude of sports looking for conference supremacy, each school toting National Championships. Recently, I have written about the fact that this year, the WIAC has a chance to become the first conference to win the National Championship in all three major sports: football, basketball, and baseball. Most of these successes lay in the hands of the Warhawks and the Pointers.
Last weekend at James Miller Stadium in Whitewater, both teams entered the NCAA six-team regional tournament, chasing a dream to hoist another championship trophy. As a proud supporter of the WIAC, I made my way down to Whitewater to watch the regional and very quickly realized only two teams had a chance to move onto the NCAA DIII World Series. Once again, it was Whitewater and Stevens Point.
Both teams blew through their opening two rounds, leading up to what would be the eighth time the teams met. The winner would advance to the Regional Championship, while the loser would have to work their way back through the loser's bracket. The Pointers took the game in a decisive fashion, 12-4. Not to be deterred, the Warhawks worked back to face the Pointers again in game one of the championship, in what would be the ninth meeting between the teams. The Warhawks took the early lead in this one and would never look back, winning 9-3.
As if they hadn't played each other enough, both teams had to come back again to play each other one more time. This would be the 10th time the teams met; this time however, a trip to the NCAA World Series was on the line. The teams battled to a 3-3 tie through eight innings. The Pointers took the lead with bang in the ninth on a suicide squeeze, and that's all they needed. UW-Stevens Point advances to the NCAA World Series with a 4-3 win over UW-Whitewater.
The two teams faced each other 10 times this year, each team winning five games. It's pretty easy for me to remember the last time two WIAC baseball teams met 10 times: Back in 2005, the Warhawks and Pointers reversed roles. Whitewater advanced to the World Series and went uncontested, bringing home the walnut and bronze. This year, I expect nothing less from the Pointers.
IWS would like to wish the Pointers and our IWS blogger Sam Spurney, current outfielder and DH for the Pointers, the best of luck.
GO POINTERS!!!
In other WIAC news:
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Whitney Tornow has been named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division III All-America First Team.
Six Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been named to the 2010 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Men's At-Large Team: UW-La Crosse's Dan Laurent, UW-River Falls' Bo Storozuk and UW-Whitewater's Ian Hintz were first team selections, while UW-La Crosse's Matt Mauseth, UW-Stevens Point's Chris Hruska and UW-Whitewater's Kyle Halweg were second team picks.
Seven WIAC individuals have been named to the 2010 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Women's At-Large Team: UW-Eau Claire's Beth Dittrich, UW-La Crosse's Chelsea Hoff and Gabi Hooper, UW-Stevens Point's Whitney Boehme and UW-Whitewater's Ingrid Stensvaag were first team selections, while UW-Stevens Point's Lindsay Lukes claimed second team honors.
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