The UW-Platteville baseball team finished a weekend double-header split on April 5 and 6 in La Crosse. The Pioneers went 2-2 on the weekend against their conference rival Eagles.

“We’re looking good this season and playing with a lot of confidence,” Ross Bennett, outfielder, said. “We’re playing defense, hitting and pitching well.”

Bennett said the team has lots of experience this season. Having an older team with nine starting seniors has helped the Pioneers to get off to a 11-9 start so far in 2008.

The team has one freshman starting at shortstop, Jay Lindner, left-handed relief pitcher, said. The team has a strong senior and junior leadership this season, which is important for team chemistry and has helped the team mesh well.

The Pioneers have a healthy team this season and have no injuries so far, Bennett said.

Coach Eric Frese said no one on the team has missed a game due to injury and the team is off to a decent start this season.

A problem that the Pioneers have and trying to fix is the number of walks that the team allows, Lindner said.

“We are doing what the coach tells us and working on the small things,” Lindner said. “We’re also trying to limit errors each game.”

Frese said the team is trying to fix the little things such as minor pitching issues and playing better defensively.

The Pioneers are tied for second place in the WIAC with UW-Oshkosh just behind UW-Stevens Point.

The Pioneers want to make the playoffs this season and win as many games as possible, Frese said. He hopes the team will stay in the top four in the WIAC.

The team hosted conference rival UW-Whitewater on April 9 at Kendall Murray Field. The matchup was between traditional rivals in what proved to be an important game in the WIAC.

The Pioneers has a bye this weekend and hit the road for their next game at noon on Tuesday, April 15 against St. Norbert College in De Pere.