Two amazing players, two amazing seasons!

Wow.

Ryan Molini and Karson Krueger, both on the D2 team, were named to the D2 NCBA First Team All-American Team!

Ryan Molini was an absolute ace this year. He finished 7-0 with 5 complete games, 44 Ks in 48 IP, a 1.04 WHIP, only allowed 5 earned runs all year for an amazing 0.94 ERA!

Krueger was equally amazing but showed his power with the bat. Our first baseman hit .418 AVG. with a .485 OBP., 25 RBI’s and launched 3 long balls to finish with an OPS of 1.140!

Also….

Both are coming back next year!

2020 will be a fun season.

What an absolute amazing year for the D2 ball club!

After the season was all said and done, D2 made it all the way to the World Series for the first time in several years and finished third for all of D2 Club Baseball.

D2 finished the year with a 23-7 overall record and beat some of the top competition in the country including top ranked Ohio State in regionals, along with Georgia Southern, SUNY-Binghamton and Air Force, all who were World Series teams.

D2 also dominated in conference play going 10-2 throughout the year.

After dropping in Regionals for the last 8 years, D2 finally did the job as they beat GVSU, UND and OSU in riveting games from start to finish.

The World Series was an unbelievable experience for this team as they made a great run and ended up with a 3rd place finish.

D2 was lead by the likes of Ryan Molini (P) and Karson Krueger (1B) who both were voted to First Team All-American team!

Molini finished 7-0 with 5 complete games, a 0.94 ERA, and 44 Ks in 48 innings.

Krueger finished hitting .418, while raking up 25 RBI’s and launching 3 bombs throughout the season, with two of those homers coming in the Regionals in huge spots.

The whole team excelled up and down the lineup and this was one of the best seasons ever produced by a Wisconsin Club Baseball Team. All of the boys had a lot to feel proud of and we are going to miss all of the seniors who graduated. But next year is full of big promise as 6 of our starters are returning (including Molini and Krueger) and D2 looks to make it back to the World Series and bring that national championship back to Madison!

Coming off of a big 2018 season in which they made it all the way to the World Series, D1 tried to have a repeat appearance in Holly Springs. Unfortunately our team fell a little short getting eliminated in the Regionals this year by the Illinois ball club that ended up taking home the national championship. But at the end of the year, the ball club had many positives and all in all, had a great season.

D1 finished with an overall record of 18-7, beating top talent along the way which included the likes of rival Michigan State and Northern Iowa.

They were exceptional in conference play like usual finishing with a 11-1 record.

It is always sad when the season ends as all the seniors finish up their last games while wearing the Badgers uniform. This year was no different. This year, 7 of our players played their last games. We would like to thank all of them for their service to the club over the past 4 or 5 years and wish them all the best in their future.

With those guys gone, next year will be full of fresh faces and with a new season, comes new hope with chasing that national championship!

D1: @ UW-M

W 5-3

W 13-1

W 9-4

D2: Vs. Winona State

W 17-1

W 11-2

W 8-0

Next series are this upcoming weekend when D1 plays Eau Claire and D2 plays Norther Illinois.

Next up for this edition of Senior Spotlight is future club baseball president and speed demon JJ Lamb.

Position: C, OF, Pinch Running Specialist

Hometown: Maplewood, MN

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Nickname: Calls himself “The Great Lambino”

Favorite Team: Twins

Baseball Movie: Moneyball

Club Service: 4 years

Notable Stats: Leads team in pinch running appearances over the last 4 years

Favorite Club Ball Memory: The time I finally got to pitch for Northern Michigan against Illinois St.

Favorite thing about club ball: The road trips/away games

Career Goals/Dream Job: I’m still holding out hope the Twins will sign me. Otherwise, I think this engineering thing will work out ok.

Quote: “Never Bunt” – written on my glove

With only one week away from our first games of the spring, its time for another Senior Spotlight.

This time its one of our 5th year flamethrowers James Oelke who looks to have a big year off the mound.

Position: Pitcher

Hometown: Ithaca, WI

Major: Biological Systems Engineering

Nicknames: Jim, Jimmer, Jimbo

Favorite Baseball Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Favorite Baseball Movie: The Rookie

Years of Club Ball Service: 5

Favorite Club Baseball Memory: Clinching a 2018 World Series birth.

Favorite Thing about Club Baseball: Having the opportunity to continue playing the game of baseball after high school and meeting some lifelong friends in the process.

Dream Job: Retired and coaching high school baseball

Baseball Quote: “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.” – Yogi Berra

Get to know one of our D2 studs, Alexis Quintero in this version of Senior Spotlight.

Position: SS/2B

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Major: Industrial Engineering

Nickname: Q, Qdoba, Qbert, Qtip, Qbaby

Favorite Baseball Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Favorite Baseball Movie: Sandlot

Years of Club Ball Service: 4 years

Notable Stats: 21 stolen bases sophomore year

Favorite Club Baseball Memory: Hitting in the game tying run in Florida against Missouri in the bottom of the 7th

Favorite Thing About Club Baseball: Being able to send it with all the baseball boys

Career Goals/Dream Job: COO of Tesla

Quote: “No” -Rosa Parks

Even though the new school year just started, we know everyone is already looking forward to this years Spring Break trip down to Plant City, Florida for some baseball.

The schedule for our two teams were just released and it looks to be a fun week of baseball against some of the best club teams that the NCBA has to offer.

The schedules for both teams are listed below.

Can’t wait to get back on the field!

D1

Sunday 3/17, 11:30am – vs Florida

Sunday 3/17, 5pm – @ Iowa

Monday, 3/18, 5pm – @ Bowling Green

Monday, 3/18, 7:30pm – vs Iowa State

Thursday, 3/21, 2pm – vs CMU-Montebello

D2

Sunday 3/17, 11:30am – @ Florida D2

Sunday 3/17, 5pm – vs UW-Milwaukee

Monday, 3/18, 5pm – @ SUNY-Brockport

Monday, 3/18, 7:30pm – vs Northern Iowa

Thursday, 3/21, 2pm – @ Iowa

To round out 2018, let us introduce Jake Cavaiani. He is a slick fielding lead off hitter for our D1 club who, over his years at UW-Madison, has excelled on and off the field.

Name: Jake Cavaiani

Position: SS

Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL

Major: Environmental Science

Nickname: Cav or Cavatron

Fav Baseball team: Cubs

Fav Baseball Movie: Moneyball

Years of Club Ball Service: 4

Notable Stats: A LOT of double plays with B Ma

Fav Club Baseball Memory: Hitting a dinger off of Bailey down in Florida

Fav Thing About Club Baseball: Playing baseball with some really nice guys that love the game, want to win and building lifelong relationships

Career Goals/Dream Job: Head researcher for aquatic ecology project for environmental agency such as National Park Service, USGS, or US Fish and Wildlife Service

Quote: “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”-John Muir

Meet Aaron Vandeurzen. A hard throwing pitcher who looks to dominate this year on the mound.

Position: Pitcher

Hometown: Appleton, WI

Major: Civil & Environmental Engineering

Nickname: Deurz

Favorite Baseball Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Favorite Baseball Movie: Bull Durham

Years of Club Ball Service: 3

Notable stats: Walked on four pitches in my first (and possibly only) club baseball at-bat.

Favorite Club Baseball Memory: Clinching the conference title at home last year vs. La Crosse

Favorite Thing About Club Baseball: Going on road trips with the boys

Career Goals/Dream Job: Renewable Energy Engineer

Quote: “You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out it was the other way around the whole time.”   -Jim Bouton