Winning streak keeps NCAA hopes alive

Aaron Wolfson
Pam Buzzetta

A quartet of deserving WU seniors received a nice reward for their efforts on Monday. They were named to the All-UAA baseball team.

Three Bear honorees made the first team: first baseman Ryan Argo, designated hitter Kirk Heischmidt, and pitcher Trevor Young-Hyman. In a bit of a snub, pitcher Damien Janet only made the second team, despite his status as the de facto ace of the co-UAA champions. Along with his all-conference selection, Janet was also picked as the UAA Athlete of the Week for his complete game, 14-strikeout win against Knox College.

All three of the Bears’ highly regarded senior pitchers got off to quick starts, but while two have struggled with injury (Adam Cowley) and ineffectiveness (Young-Hyman), Janet is still going strong and has become the leader of the staff. Janet is 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA and has held his opponents to an anemic .183 average.

“Damien Janet has again been a very good pitcher for us this year,” head coach Ric Lessmann said, “and we will depend on him the rest of the way.”

Janet has led a mid-season pitching resurgence of sorts for the Bears. Janet’s last start, also the Bears’ last game as of Wednesday thanks to three subsequent rainouts, was the third consecutive complete game victory by a Bear hurler. Before him, sophomore Josh Deitch defeated Thomas More College and versatile junior Steve Schmidt, also the starting shortstop, shut down MacMurray College.

“One of the best-pitched games of the season was by Josh Deitch against Thomas More, which came in 19-4 and was one the best hitting teams in the nation,” Lessmann said.

Deitch has provided a nice boost to the Bears’ pitching staff as of late, pitching complete game victories in each of his last two starts. Against Thomas More, he allowed only one earned run in seven innings while striking out six to move to 3-1 on the year.

The Bears hope that with more contributions from the pitchers and a continuation of the team’s excellent hitting, they can earn a place in the NCAA tournament. However, even if the Bears perform well over the remainder of the season, getting a bid will be a tall order.

Since the UAA is not a qualifying conference, its champion does not receive automatic entry into the NCAA tournament. This means that the Bears must try to make it in as an independent. Doing so will be a challenge, because independents must qualify for the tournament through Pool B, which comprises only five teams from the entire nation.

“Last year we had a record of 30-10 and did not get a bid,” Lessmann said. “Hopefully a good record and tying for the UAA Championship will help us this year.”

The Bears currently stand at 17-8, and by closing out the season with five doubleheaders will have a chance to make a good impression with some wins. The odds appear to be low, but with three straight victories, the Bears are in position to make a late-season run. Such a streak could count for a lot when the bids are handed out.

First, the Bears will get a much-needed week of rest before their next game. The team will travel to Illinois Wesleyan next Thursday for a rematch against the team that recently swept two games from the Bears at Kelly Field.

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