Pioneer baseball ready to see unfamiliar faces with non-conference games back on schedule

Platteville, Wis.-The 2021 University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team played a full 40-game schedule, but all 40 games were against WIAC opponents. In 2022, the Pioneers will return to a more traditional schedule with a non-conference slate.

The Pioneers will open the season on Wednesday, March 9 when they battle Bethel University inside US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Following the pair of games with Bethel, the Pioneers will head to Pensacola, Florida. It will be the Pioneers' first spring trip since Chad Harris's first season as head coach.

Harris and the Pioneers will use the early trip as a bonding experience off the field and to figure out roles on the field. "We will get to go to Florida this year," Harris said. "Last year's team never got the experience of going on the road and taking a spring trip, staying in the hotel, the bus rides. Everything was in state. It was there and back, there and back. It was such a grind. To be able to spend a week in Florida; to be able to spend a week in a hotel together and get that experience of playing other teams outside the WIAC and the region, to see different faces will be beneficial."

Harris will use the early non-conference schedule to figure out what lineup works best. "The early games will be used to set a lineup," he said. "You play inter-squad games and fall ball, but you never get to see the lineup you want because they are split. It will be a chance to get them all together and find the right combination and who works well together."

One player that Harris can set in stone in the lineup is senior Jonathan Kelso. Already a single season record holder in many offensive categories, the 2021 All-American, Midwest Regional Player of the Year and WIAC Player of the Year returns for his final season and will set his sights on leading the team offensively and a few career records.

Kelso, already the all-time hit leader in Pioneer history with 197 hits, is well within reach of the following career records: games, games started, at bats, runs scored, doubles, triples, runs batted in, total bases and stolen bases.

Knowing what Kelso brings, the Pioneers and Harris will look for players that can help take the load and pressure off Kelso. 

"I am looking for Ross Krist to help offensively, he is a mulit-dimensional hitter who has some pop but also able to move runners around when the situation calls for it," Harris said. "Slate Higa came to us from Hawaii and has really looked good and could find playing time at second base."

Graduate transfer Zach McCoy joined the program in January and Harris believes he will bring much needed experience to the infield. "McCoy is pushing for playing time at third base, he has very good instincts and brings a ton of experience to our program," Harris said.

The Pioneers will have a mix of returners and newcomers competing for innings on the mound as well. Michael Greco, Nate Jennings, Rich Jesse, Jake Schneider, Zach Lieb and Sam Hernadez all saw 20 plus innings in 2021. 

"Greco, Jennings, Jesse, Schneider, Lieb and Hernandez are all guys we will count on for quality innings, either starting or in relief," Harris said. "We didn't have Hernandez in the fall, but we are looking for a big year out of him. He does a really good job of pounding the zone and competing."

Joining the group of returners with college experience on the mound is Western Illinois transfer Parker Heidorf. "Parker has been coming on strong as of late and we are looking for him to play a big role on our pitching staff this year," Harris said.

Two freshmen have caught the eye of Harris. "Isaac Bixby has looked sharp in the early going and looked really good in the fall," he said. "Conner Paulson has been a pleasant surprise on the mound as a walk-on pitcher. He should battle for some meaningful innings."

The Pioneers are scheduled to open the WIAC and home portion of their schedule when UW-Stout visits Kendall Murray Field on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27 for a four game series. 

The Pioneers will honor the senior class on Saturday, May 7 when UW-Whitewater visits Kendall Murray Field. The WIAC Championship (presented by Culver's) will begin Thursday, May 12 and finish Saturday, May 14. 

To follow the Pioneers all season, visit www.Letsgopioneers.com for links for live stats, postgame recaps and links for the contests that are live streamed. Follow the official social media accounts of Pioneer Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.