The Pioneer baseball team will look to top a successful season as their preseason practice is well underway. The 2009 season ended in the second most wins in school history, after going 21-19 and 11-13 in the WIAC, which placed them fifth overall.

The Pioneers look tentatively toward Greenville, Ill., for their first game of the season, where weather conditions will have to cooperate on March 5.

After opening their season in Illinois, the Pioneers will escape the icy grip of the Midwest, and the fieldhouse of the Pioneer Activity Center, by heading to Fayetteville, N.C. where they will play in J.P Riddle Stadium during Spring Break.

“The guys have done a good job keeping their concentration to go hard indoors for five weeks,” assistant coach Jason Watson said.

Senior catcher Wade Axelson said the change of weather will benefit the team after being indoors.

“We’re ready to head down south and get out of town for a while,” Axelson said.

The Pioneers will face Frostburg State University, Utica College and Lasell College before heading to St. Louis, Mo. to play four games against 2009 NCAA Division III Baseball Central Regional qualifier Washington University.

UW-P returns 15 lettermen, including eight seniors, two juniors and five sophomores. Seniors Steve Bomkamp and First Team All-WIAC Jason Jacobson patrol the outfield and infield, while fellow senior, catcher Wade Axelson, will be starting behind the plate.

Seniors Bomkamp and Axelson both feel confident in the Pioneers well-rounded lineup.

“We’re going to hit the ball well and play good defense,” Bomkamp said. “We have a young pitching staff that will need to step up, but fans should realize that last season, without (WIAC Pitcher of the Year) Joe Lange, our staff was still 17-12.”

The team goal remains the same this season: making the WIAC tournament. Bomkamp touts this Pioneers’ outfield as the best in his career at UW-P and both Bomkamp and Axelson welcome the additions of first baseman transfer Joe Nartowicz from Madison Area Technical College, and Aaron Hopson, third baseman transfer from Augustana College.

The Pioneers play their first WIAC game of the year on Kendall Murray field, Thursday, April 1 against Loras College.