Softball

May 14, 2001

MENOMONIE - Shortstop Angie Pinnow (Sr, Bruce) and second baseman Erin Slaikeu (Sr, North St. Paul, Minn) were named as co-most valuable players of the UW-Stout softball team, coach Chris Stainer announced.

Pinnow, the WIAC West Division player of the year, led the team in batting average and a myriad of other categories. Pinnow led the league in batting average, hitting .427 (61-143). Pinnow led the team in slugging percentage (.706), on base percentage (.478), runs scored (36), hits (61), runs batted in (28), doubles (14), triples (4), home runs (6), total bases (101) and stolen bases (17). Pinnow was also given the slugger award.

Slaikeu batted .263 (36-137) and was second on the team in RBI (24), runs scored (24), total bases (55) and home runs (3). Slaikeu fielded at a .940 clip and turned four double plays. Slaikeu was also named the team's best leader.

Jessie Ustby (Sr, Onalaska) was given the golden glove award, Lindsay Mechelke (Fr, Lake Elmo, Minn) was named the rookie of the year and the most improved, Carrie Ruda (Fr, Merillan) was named most dedicated, Michele Harvieux (Fr, Centerville, Minn) and Sara Jensen (Fr, Eau Claire) were given the super sub award and Kate Commings (Fr, Pardeeville) was given the spirit award.

Ustby, the centerfielder, fielded at a .956 clip with only two errors in 45 chances. Ustby repeatedly robbed opponents of hits by diving for the ball or going to the fence. Ustby led the team in sacrifice hits (17) and batted .287.

Mechelke took over the catcher spot where she gunned down 30 runners attempting to steal. Mechelke, a freshman, also guided a pitching staff made up of four freshman. At the plate, she hit .275 and drove in 16 runs, eventually working her way to the top half of the batting order.

Stout finished the season at 21-24 overall.

May 14, 2001

MENOMONIE - When a player bats .524 on the season, chances are pretty good he will pick up a few post seasons awards.

UW-Stout's Brad O'Connell (Sr, Elk Mound) went 65-for-124 with 42 runs batted in, 52 runs scored and stole nine bases while fielding at a .960 clip at second base. For his efforts, O'Connell was named as the 2001 UW-Stout Blue Devil baseball player of the year, coach Joe Vavra announced.

O'Connell, who led the NCAA Division III in batting average, also received the best offensive player award and the off-season effort award. O'Connell hit a team-high 12 home runs and 13 doubles. He led the team in 16 different statistical categories. O'Connell hit safely in 31 of 32 games this season.

Third baseman Dave Rueber (Sr, Afton, Minn) was named the most improved player. Rueber hit .425 (54/127) with nine home runs, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, 12 doubles and stole three bases. Rueber batted .365 last season.

Matt Lunde (Jr, Eau Claire) was named the most valuable pitcher. Lunde figured into the decision of every game he pitched, posting a 7-3 overall record with an earned run average of 2.87 on a team-high 59.2 innings pitched. He recorded 27 strikeouts and allowed 11 walks.

Pitcher Clyde Tedrick (Sr, Midland, Texas) earned the best new Blue Devil award. Tedrick tossed a team-high 41 strikeouts, with a record of 5-2 and an ERA of 3.23.

After three years as a starter, Zak Arneson (Sr, Barneveld) adjusted to coming out of the bullpen and was given the fireman award. Arneson posted a 2-0 record with one save, pitching 33.2 innings, with an ERA of 3.74. Arneson recorded 13 strikeouts and allowed only one walk.

Catcher Eddie Young (Jr, La Crosse) took home the defensive player award, posting a fielding percentage of .989, committing only one error in 88 chances.

After playing in only two games last season due to a football injury, outfielder Eric Lund (Sr, Ashland) came back to bat a healthy .374 (34/91) with 30 RBI on five home runs, seven doubles and 21 runs scored.

Josh Johnson (Sr, Oregon) received the Blue Devil desire award and Jon Kroening (Fr, Ladysmith) received the Blue Devil team player award.

Captains for the 2002 season are Lunde, Nick Kalina (Jr, Potosi) and Brad Barneson (Jr, Strum).

Stout finished the season at 22-10-1 overall.

May 8, 2001

DULUTH, Minn - UW-Stout closed out one of their most successful seasons ever with a sweep over UW-Superior, downing the Yellowjackets, 7-0, 7-5, Tuesday, May 8 at Bulldog Park in Duluth, Minn., in a make-up game that was originally scheduled for April 14.

Clyde Tedrick (Sr, Midland, Texas) pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and struck out six to record his fifth win of the season in the first game. The Blue Devils (22-10-1, 6-8 WIAC) nickeled and dimed their way to a 3-0 lead, getting single runs in the first, third and fourth innings.

The Blue Devils tacked on three runs in the fifth inning, with Matt Hoeft (So, Elk Mound) and Brock Meyer (So, Lyle, Minn) knocking in runs and Eric Lund (Sr, Ashland) scoring on an error. Hoeft picked up his second RBI of the game in the sixth when he drove in Lund with a groundout.

Blue Devil pitchers allowed only two runners as far as second base - and picked off one of those.

Brad O'Connell (Sr, Elk Mound) bid farewell to a stellar collegiate career as he went 4-for-5 in the second game, driving in three runs with a double and a home run, his 12th of the season.

O'Connell doubled to lead off the game, then moved to third when fellow senior Dave Rueber (Afton, Minn) hit a single. Both were driven home by a JW Dachel (Jr, Bloomer) single. The Yellowjackets tied the score in their half of the inning with when Levi Scheeler hit a two-run home run.

But the Blue Devils answered back in the form of O'Connell, who was walked intentionally twice in the first game. O'Connell drove home Jon Kroening (Fr, Ladysmith) and Nick Kalina (Jr, Potosi) with a shot over the fence to give Stout a 5-2 lead. Kroening gave Stout a 6-2 lead when he scored while O'Connell got caught in a run down. Justin Biever (So, South Milwaukee) scored in the ninth when Nick Sattler (Jr, Wausau) reached on an error.

The Yellowjackets tacked on three runs in the bottom of the ninth when Pat Davy hit a bases-loaded double.

Rueber was 2-for-5, Dachel 2-for-4 and Kroening 2-for-3. The game marked the final game of the season and was Stout's best finish since the Blue Devils went 25-8 in 1997.

O'Connell finished the season with a school record batting average of .524, breaking the mark of .496 set by Jeff Kloes in 1986. O'Connell also set the school career batting average, hitting .422 over his four year career, breaking the mark established by present coach Joe Vavra, who hit .402 from 1980-82.

May 13, 2001

MENOMONIE - A freshman and a senior garnered the most valuable performer awards at the UW-Stout women's track and field awards banquet, Sunday, May 13, coach Joe Harlan announced.

Michelle Abramczak, a senior from Stanley, and Laura Verdegan, a freshman from Tony, were named as the Blue Devils' most valuable track and most valuable field performers, respectively.

Abramczak, a hurdler who excelled in the longer 400-hurdles, finished fourth at the 2001 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) outdoor track and field championships in the event. Abramczak, one of only two seniors, was also a team captain.

Verdegan broke the school record in the triple jump in her first outdoor meet, then went on to extend the record to 39-feet, 5-inches and qualify automatically to the NCAA Division III championships. Verdegan, a high school state champion in the triple jump, won the WIAC triple jump crown and placed sixth in the long jump.

Verdegan played varsity basketball during the winter, but was ready to compete in track come mid-March. Verdegan placed first in the triple jump in five of seven meets.

Distance runners picked up the remainder of the Blue Devils' awards. Ellen Everson (Jr, Blair) was named the most inspirational and Lacey Osuldsen (Fr, Ladysmith) and Heidi Bedsted (Jr, Plainview, Minn) were named the most improved.

Bedsted, Amy Arndt (Jr, Lakefield, Minn), Sara Pivec (Jr, Coon Rapids, Minn) and Ann Marie Curtis (Jr, LaCrosse) were chosen as 2002 team captains. Assistant coach Wayne Poppe was honored for his work with the fledgling pole vault crew.

May 12, 2001

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn - Laura Verdegan (Fr, Tony) matched the UW-Stout school record in the triple jump as she won the event at the University of Minnesota Qualifier, Saturday, May 12 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Verdegan, who defeated two Minnesota performers, jumped 39-feet, 5-inches, to match the mark she set early in the season. Verdegan placed second in the long jump, going 17-6.

Ellen Everson (Jr, Blair) was eighth in the 1500-meter run, clocking a time of 5-minutes, 0.24-seconds.

Stout will compete at UW-La Crosse, Tuesday, May 15 and again Friday, May 18.

May 14, 2001

MENOMONIE - Sophomore hurdler Dave Hanson (Sun Prairie) and senior pole vaulter Jamie Buchholtz (Bloomer) picked up the top awards at the UW-Stout men's track and field awards banquet, coach Chris Hall announced.

Hanson was named the most valuable track performer, while Buchholtz was named the most valuable field performer.

Hanson was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) performer of the week after he won the 400-hurdles at the UW-Eau Claire invitational, then came back the following week to take the 400-hurdle crown at the conference meet.

Buchholtz qualified to his seventh NCAA Division III track meet this spring, and did it dramatic fashion when he set a school record by soaring 17-feet, 0.75-inches. Buchholtz finished second in the pole vault this year at the WIAC indoor meet, but came back to reclaim the outdoor crown. Buchholtz has earned five All-America titles.

Sprinter Kevin Riester (Fr, Red Wing, Minn) was named the outstanding freshman track performer and thrower Mike Turgeon (Fr, Perham, Minn) was named the outstanding freshman field performer. Turgeon qualified to the NCAA Division III outdoor championships in the discus during the first meet of the season, but topped that when he won the WIAC discus title with a school record toss of 173-10. Turgeon also placed sixth in the hammer throw and was named the WIAC field athlete of the meet.

Distance runner Dave Huber (So, Mendota Heights, Minn) was given the most improved award.

Captains for the 2002 season are Dave Hanson, Jeff Rotering (Jr, Waumandee), John Hanson (Jr, Grantsburg) and Bryan Ott (Sr, Monroe).

May 12, 2001

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn - Jeff Rotering (Jr, Waumandee) placed second in the pole vault at the University of Minnesota Qualifier to pace UW-Stout, Saturday, May 12 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Rotering, who has qualified to the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships, was second with a jump of 15-feet, 7-inches. Bob Cahow (Sr, New Brighton, Minn) was fourth (14-7) and Corey Knudsen (Sr, Elk Mound) was fifth (14-7).

Steven Floyd (Fr, Minneapolis, Minn) was seventh in the 400-hurdles (63.44) and Mike Turgeon (Fr, Perham, Minn) was seventh in the hammer throw (157-5). Turgeon was 10th in the discus (125-0). Dave Luety (Jr, Beloit) was 11th in the hammer (117-5).

The 4X400-meter relay team competed at North Central College, Friday, May 11 and placed sixth (3:19.85). Dave Huber (So, Mendota Heights, Minn) was 25th in the 5000-meter run (15:16.22).

Stout will compete at UW-La Crosse, Tuesday, May 15 and Friday, May 18.

May 13, 2001

MENOMONIE - All-Americans Brenna Jones (Sr, St. Paul, Minn) and Katie Hanson (So, Duluth, Minn) were named as the 2000-01 UW-Stout gymnastics team most valuable performers, coach Jeff Richards announced at the team's award banquet, Sunday, May 13.

Jones placed sixth in the floor exercise at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships to earn All-America honors in her final collegiate meet. Jones overcame an injury from her junior season to put on a late season surge and beat her own school record on the floor with a 9.575.

Hanson proved to be a steady performer all season, culminating in placing 10th in the all around and fifth in the uneven bars to earn All-America honors. This season, Hanson set the school records on the uneven bars (9.15), the balance been (9.50) and the all-around event (36.775).

Tasha Pasch (So, Northfield, Minn) was named the most consistent. Pasch repeated as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) all-around champion and earned All-America honors on the vault and in the all around.

Scarlett Ramey (Jr, Seattle, Wash) was named hardest working, Andrea Hassel (Sr, Grand Rapids, Minn) was named most inspirational and Angie Swanson (Fr, Pine Island, Minn) was named most improved.

Updated: May 14, 2001