The academic school year is about to end and the Pioneer baseball season is too. The UW-Platteville Pioneer baseball team finished the 2009 season with a 21-19 record. According to the UW-P Sports Information Web site, that is the most wins the Pioneers have ever registered in league play. The Pioneers ended their season going 11-13 in the WIAC.

“Bitter Sweet. We accomplished a lot, but finishing so close is a hard pill to swallow,” senior infielder, Lee Hawkins, said.

On April 29 UW-P and UW-Whitewater split the doubleheader. UW-P defeated UW-W 3-2 in the first game and the Warhawks took game two 5-3.

Photograph by Jodi Krautkramer
The UW-P baseball team split a doubleheader with UW-Whitewater April 29. Pioneers beat the Warhawks 3-2 in game one then lost 5-3. The team ended their season 11-13.

On May 2 the Pioneers played host to the UW- Stevens Point Pointers in a two game series. Once again, the Pioneers split the doubleheader, demolishing the Pointers in the second game 11-1 and UW-SP taking the first 10-1.

May 3 was the same as May 2, the Pioneers and the Pointers split the doubleheader for the second day in a row. UW-P defeated UW-SP 4-2 in the first game but were unable to pull through in the second losing 3-2.

According to the Sports Information Web site, in the second game, senior Joe Lange pitched into the ninth and made WIAC history. He struck out six batters, bringing his career total to 247, tying for fourth all time in the league.

Junior outfielder and first baseman, Steve Bomkamp, has mixed feelings about the end of the season.

“Yea we had one of the best seasons in school history record and statistics wise but at the same time our goal all year was to get into the playoffs and we just missed it,” Bomkamp said.  “We were so close and frankly are a disappointed we couldn’t make that final push into the post-season.”

Even with the disappointment, Bomkamp is still satisfied with all the accomplishments the team has made this season.

“Our disappointment doesn’t take away from what we accomplished however,” Bomkamp said. “We had third most wins in regular season play in school history, Joe Lange moved into the ranks with some of the greatest pitchers to ever play in the league and offensively we put up numbers that I haven’t seen since I have been here.”

Despite the outcome of the season, UW-P’s baseball program is headed in the right direction.

“Getting a taste of success this year really makes us hungry to work harder in the off season and have even more success in the immediate future,” Bomkamp said. “As a senior on next years team, we are going to have the approach of being the best, playing our best, and not settling for anything less.”