The No. 16-ranked Badgers compiled a 4-1 record in Tampa, starting off their season on the right foot.
UW DII 17, Stetson DII 6
Sophomore Ryan Molini allowed just one earned run in four innings of work and junior Jarrett Benson didn’t give up a run in relief to help the Badgers earn their first victory of the spring.
UW scored five runs in both the third and the fifth.
Senior Andrew Wolfe smacked a double and a triple and junior Tyler Behle scored four times.
UW DII 7, Mizzou DI 6 (8)
When Mizzou scored two runs in the top of the 7th to open up a four-run lead, it looked all but over.
But with just three outs left, Wisconsin rallied for four runs, thanks to clutch hits by freshman outfielder Jackson Preschler, junior outfielder Ryan Wenzel and junior second baseman Alexis Quintero, who ripped a single into left field to plate Preschler and tie the game at 6.
Senior Drew Rust went out for his second inning of work in the top of the 8th and held the Tigers scoreless, giving the Badgers a chance to win it in the bottom of the 8th.
With Molini on second, sophomore first basemen Karson Krueger turned on a fastball that hit the chalk over the first-base line, scoring Molini and giving UW its second win of the day.
Northwestern DI 9, Wisconsin 0
The bats went quiet against the Wildcats and the Badgers were unable to push anyone across the plate, falling for the first time in the spring.
Junior Jarrett Benson allowed just one earned run in relief for Wisconsin.
Wisconsin 3, UW-Whitewater DI 1
The Badgers avenged a tough loss to the Warhawks from last year’s spring training trip, this time grinding through a 3-1 victory.
Freshman Ryan Winters was stellar in his club baseball debut, pitching six scoreless innings. Sophomore Charlie Goldring closed the win out in the seventh.
Junior shortstop Jake Gain delivered the big hit, driving in senior catcher Bobby Ehrlich and senior center fielder Chris Trafton in the first inning with a double.
Wisconsin 3, USF DII 2
In perhaps its toughest game of the trip, the No. 16 Badgers took on the No. 15 USF Bulls, a team that has already won its conference and will be playing in the Dixie regional tournament.
The Badgers got down early, as senior Alec Nelson surrendered a two-out, two-RBI single that put the Bulls up 2-0 in the first.
But that would be all USF would score for the rest of the game.
Nelson would settle in for the next two innings, quieting the Bulls bats.
Senior Andrew Wolfe then entered the game and tossed two shutout innings himself.
In the 5th, Gain drove in junior outfielder J.J. Lambl with a scorcher down the left field line to cut the USF lead in half.
The deep Wisconsin staff continued to shut down the USF bats, as senior Nick Zacharias fired two scoreless innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Tony Spence came up clutch, smacking a two-RBI double into the gap to give Wisconsin a 3-2 lead.
Junior Aaron Van Deurzen then pitched a flawless eighth before handing the ball over to Rust.
With the tying run on third and two outs, Rust got the USF three hitter to ground out to Spence, giving the Badgers a big non-conference victory.
Next up for Wisconsin is UW-Stevens Point. They will host the Dawgs at the Near West field on campus at 4 p.m. Saturday April 7th and for a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday April 8th. We hope that you come out to the field for some spring baseball!
