Here's what you need to know about the UW-Stevens Point baseball team's trip to NCAA Division III Super Regionals
The UW-Stevens Point baseball team is headed to the NCAA Division III Super Regionals for the second year in a row.
The Pointers advanced by winning the regional tournament they hosted last weekend, finishing with a 3-1 record.
UWSP will play Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-La Crosse in the super regional.
How did the Pointers advance?
Stevens Point (32-12) beat Webster 11-5 to win the regional in a winner-take-all game Sunday after Webster won 10-4 in Sunday’s opening game.
Payton Nelson hit three home runs Sunday, including two in the decisive game. He had five RBIs total, including four in the clinching win. Trent Van Ess also homered twice in the second game, drove in three runs and scored four runs.
Mason Weckler pitched five innings to get the win. He gave up five hits, five runs (four earned) and struck out one. Austin Syvertson pitched three innings. He gave up two hits, no runs and struck out five.
The Pointers also beat Augustana (Ill.) 6-4 and Webster 20-1 in the regional.
What’s next for the Pointers?
The Pointers and La Crosse will play a best-of-three super regional on Friday and Saturday in La Crosse. Game 1 is scheduled to start at noon Friday. Saturday’s first game is at 11 a.m., with a second game to follow if necessary.
The winner of the super regional will advance to the Division III College World Series, starting June 2. The World Series is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the final time before it moves to Eastlake, Ohio, in 2024.
The Pointers and Eagles split a two-day, four-game series in early April. La Crosse won 6-5 and 12-6, with Point winning 14-3 and 12-3.
UWSP won its super regional last year, sweeping UW-Whitewater 10-9 and 11-7 in Whitewater. The Pointers then went 2-2 at the World Series.
Who’s leading the Pointers?
Bradley Comer leads the Pointers with a .379 batting average. He has 10 home runs, a team-high 67 hits and a team-best 52 RBIs. … Brenden Canterbury is batting .325 and Nelson is batting .313. Nelson leads the team with 13 home runs and 52 runs scored and is second in RBIs with 47.
Casey Pickering leads the pitching staff with seven wins and in innings pitched (64⅓). … Mason Weckler has six wins and is second in innings with 60. … Nick Paulsen also has six wins, a team-best 53 strikeouts, a 2.53 ERA and is third in innings with 57. … Nick Carpenter has a team-best 1.37 ERA. … Sidney Ferry leads the staff with eight saves.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: UW-Stevens Point baseball team heads to Division III Super Regionals
