TD
Trent Diekvoss
  • finance
  • Class of 2016
  • Beaver Dam, Wis.

Diekvoss, UW-Whitewater Baseball to Compete at NCAA Championship

2016 May 24

Trent Diekvoss, a native of Beaver Dam, WI, and graduate of Beaver Dam High School, is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team, which won the Central Region championship and will compete in its sixth NCAA Championship round since 2004 and seventh overall this week at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The 14th-ranked Warhawks will open play Friday at approximately 7:45 p.m. against No. 11 La Roche (Pa.). The contest will be broadcast live on KOOL 106.5 FM WKCH in the Whitewater area or online at940wfaw.com. Live statistics and live video links will be available soon. With a win, the team will play at 7:45 p.m. Saturday against the winner of the No. 25 St. John Fisher (N.Y.)/No. 15 Keystone (Pa.) game. The losers will match up in an elimination game at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

UW-Whitewater, which also made a national championship appearance as a member of the NAIA in 1965, is in the midst of its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The team reached the tournament as a Pool "C" qualifier. The Warhawks finished 5-1 last weekend at the NCAA Regional in Sauget, Ill., claiming the title with back-to-back wins over Rose-Hulman (Ind.) on Saturday, May 21.

UW-Whitewater has reached the NCAA Tournament 12 times in the last 14 years and 11 times in 13 season under head coach John Vodenlich. The team has qualified for the championship round six times with Vodenlich at the helm, including national championship performances in 2005 and 2014.

Diekvoss is a senior at UW-Whitewater and is majoring in finance and information technology.

UW-Whitewater NCAA Tournament History

The Warhawks are appearing in their ninth straight NCAA Tournament and 20th in program history, and are competing in their eighth national championship round (including one NAIA appearance in 1965), including their sixth since 2004. Under head coach John Vodenlich, the Warhawks are 52-18 in NCAA Tournament play, good for a .743 win percentage. The team won national championships in 2005 and 2014, posting a perfect 8-0 run en route to the latter title.

Warhawks vs. the Championship Field

UW-Whitewater has faced three of the seven other teams at the NCAA Championship. The Warhawks are 74-47 all time against Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-La Crosse, the Midwest Region champion. The team played both SUNY Cortland and Emory (Ga.) on its way to the 2014 national championship. UW-Whitewater defeated the Red Dragons 9-6 in its second game, then downed the Eagles by a 7-0 score in the title game. The Warhawks are 3-1 all time against SUNY Cortland, including three meetings in the NCAA Championship round, and 1-0 against Emory.

UW-Whitewater in Appleton

The Warhawks' 2016 NCAA Championship berth is the program's sixth trip to Appleton (2016, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005, 2004). UW-Whitewater is 14-6 in NCAA Championship games played in Fox Cities Stadium, and has won both of its national championships (2005, 2014) in Appleton.

Vodenlich Reaches 500 Career Wins

Head coach John Vodenlich became the 43rd active coach to reach 500 career wins thanks to the Warhawks' 5-3 victory over Rose-Hulman (Ind.) last Saturday in the NCAA Central Region championship game. He entered the season ranked 15th among Division III coaches and 50th among coaches across all divisions in all time win percentage (.722). He also began the year eighth among active Division III coaches in win percentage. Last season, Vodenlich passed former head coach Jim Miller (1987-03), his coach from 1989-92 and longtime mentor, for the most coaching wins in program history.

Home Runs Carry Warhawks at Regional

For much of the 2016 season, UW-Whitewater has been led by its pitching. During six games at the NCAA regional over the weekend, the offense more than carried its weight, batting a regional-best .323 and averaging 8.5 runs per game. The Warhawks did a lot of their damage with the long ball, hitting 12 home runs - six times more than the team with the second most - after entering the regional with 23 in 43 previous games during the season.

Cool Cal

Freshman third baseman Cal Aldridge (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge), the Warhawks' most consistent hitter and leader in batting average entering the regional round, was named Most Valuable Player of the Central Region. He led the regional in runs batted in (10) and tied teammate Blake Fleischman (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) with four home runs, and tallied 25 total bases. Aldridge finished 11-for-25 (.440 average) with eight runs scored, two doubles and three walks. In an elimination game Friday night against Washington-St. Louis, he registered an individual tournament high six RBI and hit a pair of home runs, including a two-out, go-ahead, solo shot in the 13th inning, to help UW-Whitewater to a 9-8, extra-inning victory.

Morgan Comes Up Big

Senior right-handed pitcher Curtis Morgan (Green Lake, Wis./Green Lake) mustered a pair of clutch performances at last weekend's regional, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.57 earned run average in 15 2/3 innings of work to earn All-Tournament honors. He allowed one earned run in 6 2/3 innings and struck out five in the Warhawks' regional-opening 11-4 triumph over Westminster (Mo.) on Wednesday afternoon. Pitching Saturday on two days' rest in another elimination game, he tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering five hits without walking a batter and striking out eight to guide UW-Whitewater to an 11-0 win over Rose-Hulman and force a deciding championship game.

Professional Prospect Bachar Also Brilliant

Sophomore right-hander Lake Bachar (Wheaton, Ill./North) also helped UW-Whitewater to two wins over the weekend, finishing play with a 2-0 record and 1.80 ERA to garner All-Tournament team accolades. A Top 100 collegiate prospect according to Baseball America, Bachar allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out four in six innings during the Warhawks' 15-3 win over Augustana (Ill.) on Thursday. He came back on one day of rest in Saturday's title game, tossing a complete-game six-hitter and striking out nine in the team's 5-3 triumph over Rose-Hulman. Throughout the 2016 season, Bachar has pitched in front of scouts from nearly all 30 of Major League Baseball's teams. He is a projected top-five round pick in this June's draft.

Fleischman, Bryden Key Home Run Barrage

Sophomores Blake Fleischman and Daytona Bryden (Rockton, Ill./Hononegah) made critical contributions to the offense over the weekend. Fleischman, a first baseman and first-year transfer from UW-Milwaukee, batted .370 (10-for-27) with two doubles, one triple, four home runs and nine RBI. Bryden, one of two returning positional starters to this year's team, hit .393 (11-of-28) and led the regional in runs (13) and tied for the lead in walks (4). The centerfielder also hit a pair of home runs and tied teammates Cal Aldridge and Steve Chamberlain (Rockford, Ill./Guilford) for the regional lead with 11 hits.

UW-Whitewater Trio Tabbed All-Region by D3baseball.com

Senior pitcher Curtis Morgan, sophomore pitcher Lake Bachar and freshman third baseman Cal Aldridge were selected second team All-Midwest Region by D3baseball.com. Morgan was previously a two-time second team all-region honoree by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Bachar was a third team pick by D3baseball.com and the ABCA last season, and was D3baseball.com's Midwest Region Rookie of the Year in 2015.

Warhawks Getting it Done in Neutral Games

In games played at neutral sites in 2016, UW-Whitewater owns a 16-1 record, with its only loss coming at the regional Friday against Rose-Hulman. The team started the season with nine wins in games played in Central Florida, including five against teams that competed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Hot Start Helped Warhawks Earn At-Large Berth

UW-Whitewater needed several crucial wins during its 2016 season to earn one of 16 at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Warhawks started the campaign with an 11-0 mark, the program's best start since its national championship season in 2005. During that stretch, the team posted seven victories over fellow 2015 NCAA qualifiers - Anderson (Ind.), St. Scholastica (Minn.) (2), Southern Maine, Castleton (Vt.) and Ripon (2). The Warhawks also added a key 13-1 triumph over in-region stalwart St. Thomas (Minn.).

Warhawks Remember "Mills" During 2016 Season

UW-Whitewater student-athletes and coaches have donned a logo that reads "JBM" on the side of their hats during the 2016 season. The patch is to remember former head coach James B. Miller, affectionately referred to as "Mills", who passed away at the age of 74 on March 9. Miller helped bring the Warhawks to national prominence, serving as head coach from 1987 to 2003. In his 17 years, he never had a losing season. His 416-222 record ranks second in program history in wins as a head coach. He led UW-Whitewater to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, and 11 of his players signed professional contracts. In honor of his service to UW-Whitewater and intercollegiate athletics, in 2009, the campus baseball stadium was named in his honor.

Nine Warhawks Tabbed All-WIAC

Nine Warhawks were named All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for their performances during the 2016 season. Senior pitcher Curtis Morgan, junior pitchers Mike Nompleggi (Oconto Falls, Wis./Oconto Falls), Ankur Shah (St. Charles, Ill./North), sophomore infielder Blake Fleischman and freshman infielder Cal Aldridge were tabbed first team. Senior catcher Dane Burman (Milton, Wis./Milton), junior second baseman Steve Chamberlain, sophomore pitchers Lake Bachar and Austin Jones (Wauwatosa, Wis./West) were selected honorable mention. Morgan is now a three-time, first-team All-WIAC honoree, while Chamberlain and Bachar were each first team selections in 2015.

Diekvoss Named Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete

Senior outfielder Trent Diekvoss (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam) was one of 42 Warhawk senior student-athletes named UW-Whitewater Chancellor's Scholar-Athletes by Chancellor Beverly Kopper and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Diekvoss owned a 3.73 grade point average through the fall 2015 semester and graduated earlier this month with a bachelor's in finance and information technology. He has been on the Dean's List for seven semesters and was on the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. Diekvoss was a member of three WIAC championship teams and four three NCAA Tournament qualifiers, including the 2014 national championship team.