Every team struggles at some point in their season, no matter the sport. And in the case of the UW-Platteville baseball team, they seem to be in their mid-season slump. The problem for a talented and experienced Pioneer team is that when you play in the WIAC there are no easy games. Being able to bring you best every weekend is imperative and in conference play, a 5-9 record is tough to swallow.

Photograph by Kate Olsen
UW-P junior third baseman Lee Hawkins looks up at a foul ball during the Pioneers 8-4 win over Rockford College on April 17. The Pioneers will play UW-Superior April 26-27. The Pioneers record sits at 12-16 on the season.

The Pioneers have struggled against the top teams in the conference and they still have not even played conference power and 14th-ranked UW-Oshkosh and will face off against sixth-ranked UW-Whitewater. With six games remaining against their top opponents of the season, a late charge by the Pioneers seems to be imperative if they hope to participate in postseason.

Talent is not a question for a team that features 9 seniors who have been key contributors during their entire time at UW-P. Outfielders Gabe Neitzel and Ross Bennett have been key contributors as expected and Nick Aplin and Lee Hawkins are also hitting over .300 for the 2008 campaign. The biggest surprise in the field so far for UW-P has been contributions from freshman leadoff hitter and shortstop Brett Benesh.

Pioneer pitching has been somewhat suspect against top teams but one UW-P pitcher who has really shined is junior Joe Lange. Lange has excelled this season allowing only 12 earned runs in 51 innings and has an ERA of 2.12 in 9 games. Unfortunately, these stats have not translated into wins as he only has a 3-2 record on the season.

Other Pioneers who have pitched well this season are juniors Will Osmanski and Aaron Daniels. Both have pitched well in their appearances this season. The problem with Pioneer pitching has been giving up early inning runs and then having to play from behind. The team has mounted several comebacks this season and was not able to find a way to win those games.

Bennett has once again been a star for the Pioneers, leading the team in hitting, hits, extra base hits, and has a near perfect fielding percentage in centerfield. The team needs more production from other senior leaders Mike Flood and Jerod Haxton who have shown flashes but have been unable to keep up their consistency.

The team is in position to make a run at the WIAC playoffs for the first time since 2005, and they certainly have the pitching and depth on the bench to be able to make a run against some of the top teams in the country. With more consistency and a full effort, the Pioneers may be able to shock some of the toughest competition they have seen and be able to return to the postseason.