Home at last

After road trips that lasted two months and included a combined 47 games, the University of Wisconsin-Superior baseball and softball teams are finally scheduled to play at home this weekend.

The Lady Yellowjackets were scheduled to host the College of St. Scholastica on Wednesday, but that game was rained out and then moved to Duluth on Thursday.

The UWS baseball team is scheduled to host UW-Platteville for four games this weekend, but due to unplayable conditions at Ted Whereatt Field, the Yellowjackets will also have to play in Duluth and will play noon doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday with the Pioneers at Wade Stadium.

“We’re probably the only team in the country that has yet play a home game,” UWS coach Eddy Morgan said. “When you think about how tough our conference is, it puts a lot of pressure on getting off to a good start. Even though you have the back half of the schedule at home, it still puts us in a tough situation where we have to get the ball rolling right away.”

The Yellowjackets are 12-13 overall and 3-7 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and still have hopes of advancing to the league tournament. Platteville comes to town currently in last place in the WIAC at 5-20 and 1-9 and UW-Stout (15-13, 5-9) is one of the teams Superior is chasing, along with UW-Oshkosh (9-16, 5-9).

“Right now we’re in the No. 4 four spot for the playoffs,” Morgan said. “We’re two games behind in the loss column and we’ve played two less games than everybody else. But this is probably our season over the next six games. We have to find a way to win a series against Platteville and at a minimum split with Stout. If we can win at least four of those six games, we’ll put ourselves in a good position going into our final two series against very good teams.

“For the last couple of years our goal has been to make the tournament. This is the best team we’ve had during that stretch, and now we have to take that next step.”

The ’Jackets will need to play well against UWP and Stout because waiting in the wings are league-leading UW-La Crosse (18-8, 10-2) and No. 20 UW-Whitewater (18-7, 8-2), teams that are battling for first place in the WIAC.

“I truly believe that if we can get into the tournament, anything can happen,” Morgan said. “We can throw Ethan Branum and Swanson and they’ve proven they can beat good teams. No one wants to face Branum if we make the playoffs. He’s a lefty with great command and four pitches. He’s not a flame thrower, he just knows how to pitch.”

Branum is 3-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 45 innings. He had 28 strikeouts to go along with just nine walks. Swanson, a former Superior Spartan, is 2-2 on the year with a 5.05 ERA. He pitched an eight-inning no decision in his last appearance.

Morgan is hoping the weather cooperates and allows UWS to play at Whereatt Field before the season is over.

“There’s been some issues for the last four years with our field,’ Morgan said. “We just haven’t been able to get it to where it’s playable in the spring. We have drainage issues, the field sits on clay and it is hurting us a little bit with the fact that we don’t get to go outside and practice as much as everybody else. It also hurts with our recruiting, but we’re trying our best to deal with what we can control, and right now we can’t control how wet our field is. Fortunately, St. Scholastica’s schedule allows us to play some games at Wade Stadium.”

Yellowjacket softball

Things haven’t gone right from the get-go for the UWS softball team.

The Yellowjackets’ spring trip by bus to Florida included trips to the hospital for the bus driver and coach Roger Plachta (infected tooth), a detour to the Atlanta airport where the new bus driver’s luggage was lost, problems with hotel rooms, arrival in Florida at 2 a.m. for a game at 9 a.m. and a season-ending injury to shortstop Britnee Blake in the first inning of that game.

“Things haven’t gone real well for us,” Plachta said.

The Yellowjackets have also played all season without starters Ashley Martin, Sally Linzmeier and Jenn Paul for various injuries, and three players waited until the last minute to inform Plachta they wouldn’t be playing this spring.

“We’ve had one or two players get hurt before, but not four,” Plachta said. “We even lost our second baseman (Elle Niemala) at Stout on Tuesday. Fortunately she was able to return after a couple of innings.”

Despite all the troubles, UWS is still alive for a playoff berth in the WIAC. Six teams make the playoffs and UWS is currently in eighth place with eight league games remaining.

“We’re in a fight for our lives,” Plachta said. “We have to win both games Saturday against Stevens Point (11-19, 1-9) because on Sunday we play Eau Claire (20-10, 8-2), and they might be the best team in the league.”

After a non-conference doubleheader with Northland College on Wednesday, the Yellowjackets wrap up their season with home doubleheaders against UW-Whitewater (23-5, 6-0) and UW-Oshkosh (17-13, 2-4) next weekend.

“We’ll still fight, we’re not out of it yet,” Plachta said. “We won’t quit until it’s over. We have a great team here and as long as we have a breath left in us, we’re going to keep playing.

“Despite all of the problems we’ve had this year, this is probably one of my best seasons coaching. I’m proud of every player on this team.”

Former Superior Spartans Chelsey Jarzin and Taylor VanDamme are the top two batters for UWS. Jarzin, who is now the team’s catcher after playing outfield and third base the past couple of seasons, is batting .417 with 25 hits and 14 walks, while VanDamme is batting .385 with two home runs and 14 RBIs.

Niemala leads the team with 17 RBIs and is batting .378.

“This is one of the better hitting teams we’ve had, but a little slower because of the loss of Martin, our leading base stealer,” Plachta said. “We’re also very good on defense and VanDamme is one of the best players in the league.”

UWS will play its home games at Liebaert Field.

“Six or seven wins usually gets you in the playoffs,” Plachta said. “That’s what we’re fighting for. We need at least four wins in our last eight games to have a shot, but once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.

“While things haven’t gone all that well for us so far, we’re hoping for a good finish.”

WIAC Baseball Standings

UW-La Crosse (18-8) 10-2

UW-Whitewater (18-7) 8-2

UW-Stevens Point (20-8) 10-4

UW-Stout (15-13) 5-9

UW-Oshkosh (9-16) 5-9

UW-Superior (12-13) 3-7

UW-Platteville (5-20) 1-9

Tuesday, April 17

St. Scholastica 5, Whitewater 4

Whitewater 4, St. Scholastica 2

Platteville 7, Coe (IA) 4

Wednesday, April 18

Stevens Point 10-15, Edgewood 3-6

UW-Stout 8-5, Bethel 4-2

Saturday, April 21

Whitewater at UW-La Crosse, noon (2)

Stout at UW-Oshkosh, noon (2)

Ripon at UW-Stevens Point, noon, (2)

Platteville at UW-Superior, noon, (2)

Sunday, April 22

Stout at UW-Oshkosh, noon, (2)

Platteville at UW-Superior, noon, (2)

Wednesday, April 25

Stevens Point at UW-Oshkosh, 1 p.m. (2)

Superior at UW-Stout, 1 p.m. (2)

Whitewater at UW-Platteville, 1 p.m. (2)

Thursday, April 26

St. Olaf at UW-La Crosse, 2:30 p.m. (2)

Saturday-Sunday, April 28 & 29

La Crosse at UW-Superior, noon (2)

Stevens Point at Whitewater, noon (2)

UW-Oshkosh at UW-Platteville, noon (2)

Sunday, April 29

UW-Stout at Viterbo, 1 p.m. (2)

Wednesday, May 2

UW-Platteville at Edgewood, 6 p.m.

Friday, May 4

UW-La Crosse at UW-Stout, 1 p.m. (2)

Whitewater at UW-Superior, 1 p.m.

Platteville at UW-Stevens Point, 1 p.m.

Saturday, May 5

Platteville at UW-Stevens Point, noon

UW-La Crosse at UW-Stout, noon

UW-Whitewater at UW-Superior, noon

Sunday, May 6

Marian (WI) at UW-Oshkosh, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, May 8

UW-Whitewater at Concordia (WI), 1 p.m.

WIAC Softball Standings

UW-Whitewater (23-5) 6-0

UW-Eau Claire (20-10) 8-2

UW-River Falls (20-9) 5-3

UW-Platteville (17-13) 7-5

UW-Stout (14-14) 4-4

UW-La Crosse (18-9) 3-5

UW-Oshkosh (17-13) 2-4

UW-Superior (8-15) 2-6

UW-Stevens Point (11-19) 1-9

Tuesday, April 17

UW-Superior 11, UW-Stout 0, 5 innings

UW-Superior at UW-Stout, 3 p.m. (2)

Whitewater 7-8, Platteville 6, e, 3 p.m. (2)

Oshkosh 5-10, Stevens Point 4-3

Wednesday, April 18

UW-Eau Claire 5-3, UW-La Crosse 1-2

UW-Whitewater at St. Norbert, ppd

St. Scholastica at Superior, ppd, rain

UW-River Falls 7, UW-Stout 6

UW-Stout 3, UW-River Falls 2

Thursday, April 19

St. Scholastica 14, UW-Superior 7

Friday, April 20

UW-La Crosse at UW-Stevens Point (2)

Saturday, April 21

Stevens Point at UW-Superior, noon (2)

UW-Eau Claire at St. Norbert, 1 p.m. (2)

River Falls at UW-Oshkosh, 2 p.m. (2)

UW-Stout at UW-Whitewater, 2 p.m. (2)

Sunday, April 22

River Falls at UW-Whitewater, noon (2)

Eau Claire at UW-Superior, noon (2)

UW-Stout at UW-Oshkosh, 1 p.m. (2)

Luther (IA) at Stevens Point, 2 p.m. (2)

St. Mary’s at UW-La Crosse, 2 p.m. (2)

Tuesday, April 24

UW-Stout at Carleton, 3:30 p.m. (2)

St. Mary’s at UW-Eau Claire, 4 p.m. (2)

Wednesday, April 25

St. Norbert at Stevens Point, 3 p.m. (2)

UW-Whitewater at La Crosse, 3 p.m. (2)

Northland at Superior, 3 p.m. (2)

UW-Oshkosh at UW-Platteville, 3 p.m. (2)

Thursday, April 26

Cornell (IA) at UW-Platteville, 4 p.m. (2)

Saturday, April 28

Whitewater at UW-Superior, noon (2)

Stout at UW-Stevens Point, 2 p.m. (2)

La Crosse at UW-River Falls, 2 p.m. (2)

Oshkosh at UW-Eau Claire, 2 p.m. (2)

Sunday, April 29

Whitewater at UW-Eau Claire, noon (2)

UW-Oshkosh at UW-Superior, noon (2)

UW-Platteville at UW-River Falls, noon (2)

UW-La Crosse at UW-Stout, 1 p.m. (2)

Tuesday, May 1

Hamline at UW-Stout, 4 p.m. (2)

UW-River Falls at St. Mary’s, 4 p.m. (2)

Tags: sports, uws, yellowjackets, baseball, updates