BASEBALL
The Blue Devils (14-16, 8-11) are staring at the end of the regular season and will need to pick up some wins this week to get into position to make the WIAC playoffs, May 11-12. Stout is at UW-Stevens Point, Monday, April 29, then will be at the UW-Superior, Wednesday, May 1. The Blue Devils will close out the regular season with doubleheaders against UW-La Crosse, Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 beginning at noon. Stout is currently in fifth place, two games behind UW-Oshkosh. Last week: The Blue Devils swept UW-River Falls, April 24, 12-6, 13-6, then lost to UW-Whitewater, 9-4, 9-3, April 26 and to UW-Stevens Point, April 28. Position player of the week: JW Dachel, Sr, Bloomer, Wis. Pitcher of the week: Rob Govek, Sr, Wausau, Wis. (East)

SOFTBALL
The Blue Devils (6-14, 3-9) are scheduled to wrap up their regular season, Tuesday, April 30 when they host St. Olaf, at 4 p.m. Stout was to host Augsburg College, Monday, but the Auggies needed to honor a conference commitment. The Blue Devils will be at the WIAC Softball Tournament, May 3-4, in Onalaska. Stout will be seeded either sixth or seventh. Last week: The Blue Devils dropped doubleheader decisions to UW-Eau Claire, April 23 and to UW-River Falls, April 25. Position player of the week: Kaela Wold, Fr, Altoona, Wis.

WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
The Blue Devils will be at the WIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, May 3-4 in La Crosse. Last week: Stout competed at UW-La Crosse Classic, April 27, where they placed sixth. Track athlete of the week: Kate Werner, Fr, Elk Mound, Wis. Field athlete of the week: Laura Verdegan, So, Tony, Wis. (Flambeau)

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
The Blue Devils will be at the WIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, May 3-4 in La Crosse. Last week: Stout competed at the unscored Macalester Twilight, April 24, and at the Drake Relays, April 26. Track athlete of the week: Jim Dvorak, Fr, New Prague, Minn..

WOMEN'S TENNIS
The Blue Devils had their final match of the year scheduled for April 25 at Martin Luther cancelled because of the cold weather.

Baseball

April 28, 2002

STEVENS POINT - UW-Stevens Point got a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of the second game to earn a two-game sweep over UW-Stout, Sunday, April 28 in Stevens Point.

With the score tied at 3-3, the Pointers Randy Reed lifted a two-run shot to give the Pointers a 5-3 win. In the opener, both teams stranded nine runners, but the difference was that Stevens Point brought in nine runners while Stout trotted only one across the plate for a 9-1 Pointer win.

In the nightcap, JW Dachel (Sr, Bloomer) gave Stout a 2-0 lead with a first inning two-run home run, his seventh round tripper of the season. The Pointers answered back with a two-run single by Kevin Fry in the bottom of the second.

Both teams scored a single run in the fourth, with Stout's Brad Barneson (Sr, Strum) breaking out of a slump with an RBI double. The Pointers added their run on a sacrifice fly.

Stout (14-16, 8-11) had an opportunity in the top of the ninth, but the Pointers put Bill Verbrick, who had won the first game and earlier in the season pitched the first perfect game in WIAC history, who recorded the save by forcing Stout into a double play and a strikeout. The Blue Devils did not help their cause by stranding 10 runners.

In the opener, the Pointers (22-7, 15-5) worked over five Blue Devil pitchers for eight earned runs and Verbrick struck out 11 Stout batters. The Pointers scored two runs in the first, second and sixth innings and tacked on three more in the seventh. Stout's only run came in the fourth inning when Jon Kroening (So, Ladysmith) scored from third on a fielding error.

The two teams are scheduled to play Monday, April 29 at noon. Stout will be at UW-Superior, Wednesday, May 1 and will wrap up the regular season by hosting UW-La Crosse, May 4-5.

April 26, 2002

MENOMONIE - Errors at critical times in both ends of a doubleheader with UW-Whitewater cost UW-Stout both games Friday, April 26 in a make-up game at Nelson Field.

The Warhawks took advantage of four errors, three of them coming in the final innings, in the first contest, then did the same in the nightcap and made Stout pay with a six-run eighth inning that had two errors. Whitewater took the day, 9-4, 9-3.

Stout (14-14, 8-9) held a 4-2 lead going into the sixth inning of the opener when conference-leading Whitewater (24-5, 14-3) tied the score with two in the sixth, then pulled ahead with three in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

It was more of the same in the second contest. With the score tied at 3-3, Whitewater broke Stout's back with the six-run eighth inning.

Rob Govek (Sr, Wausau) pitched a strong second game, going 7.1 innings, surrendering six hits and seven runs, but only three earned runs, and was tagged for the loss.

Matt Hoeft (Jr, Elk Mound) had a nice day at the plate for Stout, getting one pinch hit double in the opener, then went 3-for-4 in the second game with a double and one run scored.

April 24, 2002

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout combined for 28 total hits on their way to a sweep over UW-River Falls, downing the Falcons 12-6, 13-9, Wednesday, April 24 at Nelson Field.

JW Dachel (Sr, Bloomer) provided much of the offense for the Blue Devils, cracking out three home runs in the series and going 4-for-7 with six runs scored and eight RBI in his first game of the season as the designated hitter.

Dachel hit back-to-back homers in the first game, capping off a six run second inning with a two-run shot over the right field fence. The left-handed batting Dachel went opposite field the next time up with another two-run poke, this time into the left field swamp. Dachel was intentionally walked the next two times up.

The second inning proved to be the initial push for the Blue Devils (14-12, 8-7), scoring all six runs with two outs. That proved to be the story in the opener as Stout scored 11 of their 12 runs with two outs.

Jon Kroening (So, Ladysmith) had a solid game, going 4-for-5 with a single, two doubles and a triple, scoring three runs and knocking in two runs. Jake Riek (So, Boyceville) and Nick Kalina (Sr, Potosi) eached added a double.

In the nightcap, Stout wasted little time getting on the board scoring three runs in the first inning and five in the second. Kalina drove in a run, as did Dachel and Justin Biever (Jr, South Milwaukee) in the first. Kalina picked up another RBI in the second. Kroening scored a run on a sacrifice fly. Dachel reached on an error, scoring Kalina, then came home on Biever's second home run of the season.

The Falcons (9-20, 6-11) roughed up starter Adam Rothenbuhler (Sr, Trego) for four runs in the third, three of them coming on Nathan Brom's three-run home run. Brian Bosch followed that with a solo shot.

Rothenbuhler held his ground until the fifth when he put two runners on. Dan Yudchitz (Fr, Stevens Point) came on with a strikeout, then surrendered a three-run home run to Eric Bartholomew. Yudchitz gave up no more hits or runs and picked up his first collegiate win.

Kalina and Biever both went 3-for-4 in the contest with three RBI.

April 28, 2002

MENOMONIE - The Augsburg College at UW-Stout softball game rescheduled for Monday, April 29 has been cancelled. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, April 21.

The Auggies needed to honor a committment within their conference schedule when their Saturday game vs. St. Catherine's was rained out.

The weather has already played havoc on the Blue Devils' schedule this weekend. Stout only has 20 varsity games completed this season so far, and weather eliminated all four conference games from this weekend's WIAC Cluster Tournament. The Cluster Tournament, scheduled to be played in Menomonie April 27-28, has been cancelled.

Stout is scheduled to host St. Olaf, Tuesday, April 30 at 4 p.m., but that game may also be wiped out because of St. Olaf's need to honor conference commitments. The WIAC Tournament is May 3-4 in Onalaska hosted by UW-La Crosse. Pairings and seedings should come out Tuesday, April 29.

April 25, 2002

RIVER FALLS - UW-Stout was held to three total hits and non runs as the Blue Devils lost a pair of contests to UW-River Falls, 2-0, 11-0, Thursday, April 25 at River Falls.

The Falcons got the only two runs of the first game in the fifth inning to blank Stout (6-14), then racked up four runs in the second inning of the nightcap and tagged on seven more runs in the third inning of the contest that ended in five innings.

Stout entertains the entire conference this weekend when they host the WIAC Cluster Tournament, April 27-28 at Wakanda Park.

April 23, 2002

MENOMONIE - UW-Eau Claire pitcher Kim Czapla proved to be UW-Stout's achilles heel as the Blue Devils dropped two conference contests to the Blugolds, 8-1, 5-4, Tuesday, April 23 at Wakanda Park.

Stout's Kim Caswell (So, Stanley) hit her first collegiate home run off Czapla, a lead off shot over the left field fence in the first game, but that was it as Czapala allowed no more hits and faced three over the minimum.

In the second game, the Blue Devils (6-12, 3-7) got to starter Jessie Sharpe for four runs, two in the first when Kaela Wold (Fr, Altoona) hit a two-run shot over left center, driving in Caswell.

The Blugolds (15-11, 9-1) scored one in the first, two in the second and one in the third and fourth to get their five runs before Stout came back with two runs in the fifth.

Wold got two more RBI in the fifth when her single up the middle with the Blugold infield pulled in scored Sara Jensen (Jr, Eau Claire) and Caswell. Wold's hit sent Sharpe to the showers, bringing back Czapla, who allowed two hits, but worked out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth.

Caswell and Wold both were 3-for-4 in the second game, with Wold collecting four RBI, while Sarah Kokke (Sr, Galesville) was 2-for-3. Molly Kraft (Fr, St. Louis Park, Minn) took the loss in both games, pitching all 14 innings, giving up only five earned runs as Stout finished the day with seven errors.

April 27, 2002

LA CROSSE - UW-Stout's Jenney Luer (Sr, Colfax) stepped inside and set a new school shot put record at the UW-La Crosse Classic, Saturday, April 27.

One day after competing at the Drake Relays, Luer threw the shot put 46-feet, 10-inches, breaking her own mark by two-feet, two-inches. Luer placed second in the event behind UW-Madison's Bree Fuqua. Luer won the discus event with a toss of 153-10.

Inclement weather forced the meet inside after the first three events of the day as the bluffs near Veteran's Stadium turned white with the late April snowfall. The shot put was inside, as were most field events, but the discus was held outdoors.

Laura Verdegan (So, Tony) snagged a pair of second place finishes, long jumping 18-4.50 to tie the school record set by Brenda Edwards in 1991. Verdegan was second in the triple jump to Madison's Cathy Ross, jumping 39-0.25.

The Blue Devils return to La Crosse next weekend to compete in the WIAC track championships.

UW-La Crosse Classic Team results
1. UW-Madison 164.83; 2. UW-La Crosse 143.60; 3. UW-Eau Claire 88.50; 4. Luther 65.77; 5. North Central 55.20; 6. UW-Stout 46; 7. UW-Stevens Point 35.10; 8. Winona State 4.

Individual Results
(First place, all Stout finishers)
100: Kym Hubing (Madison) 11.70; 18. Sarah Jenne 14.04; 21. Tricia Lipke 13.21; 22. Sara Manion 13.22; 200: 1. Rachel Martin 26.50; 400: 1. Breanna McMullen (EC) 58.40; 8. Kate Werner 1:01.70; 800: 1. Jessica Dober (LX) 2:12.40; 26. Kersten Wilson 2:39.40; 1500: 1. Liz Reusser (Madison) 4:51.10; 13. Tracy Oostdyk 5:20.81; 3000-meter steeplechase: 1. Erin Dunham (Luther) 11:24.90; 5. Amy Arndt 11:46.35; 6. Terra Dahlheimer 11:50.78; 5000: 1. Natalie Restrum (Luther) 18:07.00; 8. Lacey Osuldsen 19:25.60; 9. Heidi Bested 20:07.00;

High jump: 1. Heather Kleckner (LX) 5-4.25; 12. Ann Marie Curtis 4-8.25; 16. Amy Biegel 4-6.25; 16. Ramona Vann 4-6.25; 20. Sara Manion 4-4.25; Long jump: 1. Sue DeNigris (North Central) 19-4.25; 2. Laura Verdegan 18-4.50*p; 26. Ramona Vann 14-4; 29. Barbi Stankey 11-2; Triple jump: 1. Cathy Ross (Madison) 41-3.25; 2. Laura Verdegan 39-00.25a; 18. Ramona Vann 31-1.00; Shot put: 1. Bree Fuqua (Madison) 49-0.75; 2. Jenney Luer 46-10*a; 17. Tabitha Martin 35-10; 28. Amy Biegel 29-3.25; Discus: 1. Jenney Luer (Stout) 153-10a; Hammer: 1. Bree Fuqua (Madison) 133-5; 6. Marci Schachtner 120-6.

April 26, 2002

DES MOINES, Iowa - Jenney Luer (Sr, Colfax) placed 10th in the shot put and 17th in the discus at the Drake Relays, Friday, April 26 in Des Moines, Iowa. Luer tossed the shot 44-feet, 8.75-inches and the discus 142-8.

April 26, 2002

DES MOINES, Iowa - UW-Stout's 4X100-relay team placed second in their heat at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, April 26.

The team of David White (Fr, Minneapolis, Minn), Matt Schlough (Fr, Boyceville), Brad Vick (Jr, Rhinelander) and Mike Twining (Jr, Clear Lake) finished in a time of 43.60 seconds.

The 4X400 team of Jim Dvorak (Fr, New Prague, Minn), Dave Hanson (Jr, Sun Prairie), Kevin Riester (Jr, Red Wing, Minn) and John Hanson (Sr, Grantsburg) was sixth in their heat (3:21.32). The sprint medley relay team was disqualified. NOoBlue Devil teams advanced to the finals.

April 24, 2002

ST. PAUL, Minn - UW-Stout pole vaulters took the top three spots at the Bolstorff Twilight meet held at Macalester Stadium, Wednesday, April 24 in St. Paul, Minn.

Jeff Rotering (Sr, Waumandee) took top honors in the event with an NCAA Division III provisional qualifying height of 15-feet, 2.25-inches. Lewis Cassellius (So, Glenwood City) was second (13-8.50) and Aric Hanusa (Jr, Baraboo) was third (13-2.5).

Dave Huber (Sr, Mendota Heights, Minn) placed second in the 1500-meter run (4:14.39) and Dave Hanson (Jr, Sun Prairie) was second in the 400-meter hurdles (54.49).

Jim Dvorak (Fr, New Prague, Minn) was third in the 200-meter dash (23.3) and Justin Zmyewski (Fr, Houston, Minn) was third in the high jump (6-1.5).

A number of Blue Devils will compete at the Drake Relays, April 26-27 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bolstorff Twilight Individual Results
(First place, all Stout finishers)
100: 1. Ben Taylor (Minn) 11.11; 16. David White 12.09; 29. Tim Faber 12.60; 200: 1. Jason Schwietz (St. Thomas) 22.50; 3. Jim Dvorak 23.3; 7. Tim Faber 23.8; 400: 1. Vince Donahoe (Minn) 50.15; 18. Adam Thiel 55.57; 800: 1. Ben Hanson (Unattached) 2:00.76; 11. Dave Huber 2:06.91; 13. Todd Dexheimer 2:10.34; 14. Derek Schmitz 2:15.01; 16. Bryan Ott 2:15.40; 1500: 1. Erik Grumstrup (unattached) 4:05.60; 2. Dave Huber 4:14.39; 7. Pat McLaughlin 4:23.23; 14. Bryan Ott 4:28.36; 15. Ryan Chernik 4:28.49; 25. Matt Miller 5:03.71; 27. Jon Gallo 5:44.54; 5000: 1. Dan Schofer (unattached) 15:36.4; 5. Ethan Webinger 16:12.2; 7. Tim King 16:53.5; 110-hurdles: 1. Craig Benson (St. Thomas) 15.05; 6. Jeff Miller 17.64; 400-hurdles: 1. Andrew Hilliard (St. Thomas) 54.36; 2. Dave Hanson 54.49; 5. Jeff Miller 58.48; 4X400-relay: 1. Hamline 3:37.85; 3. Stout 3:44.66;

High jump: 1. Scott Berggren (Minn) 6-7.5; 3. Justin Zmyewski 6-1.5; 12. Jay Sitek 5-9.75; Pole vault: 1. Jeff Rotering (Stout) 15-2.25; 2. Lewis Cassellius 13-8.50; 3. Aric Hanusa 13-2.5; Long jump: 1. Joe McCarney (St. Thomas) 21-1.25; 7. Tim Faber 18-1.75; Discus: 1. Karl Erickson (Minn) 163-0; 13. Jason Houtjec 110-2; Hammer: 1. Lynden Reder (Minn) 186-6; 8. Dave Luety 123-6; Javelin: 1. Brad Boyle (Bethel) 163-8; 4. Aric Hanusa 134-2; 13. Jason Houtjec 102-9.

Updated: April 29, 2002