The bar is set high for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team this season. Coming off of a season with a record of 31-19, the Eagles are looking to have another winning and promising 2018.  

With his fourteenth year as head coach, Chris Schwarz has high expectations – to win conference, win a regional championship, and finally; capture the first national championship for UWL baseball.  

With one senior on the roster for 2018, Schwarz is excited to see how the veterans of the team and newcomers will work together. It will be a young team this year, heavy in sophomores and juniors, and a number of freshmen who will be starters. Leadership wise, Schwarz stated that senior catcher Nate Roethle and sophomore shortstop Nate Heili offer great guidance for the team.  

It is a year of transition and learning, but Schwarz knows the team is up for whatever is thrown their way. He talked about what the characteristics of the team will be this year, “our style is taking our growth throughout the season and playing our best baseball in the postseason”. 

To play their best baseball, the Eagles must be challenged. Coach Schwarz strives to set up games for the team with the best available competition. UWL Senior Nate Roethle agreed, and is excited to play their first game against a solid program, the University of St. Thomas.  

“We are a young team, but we have a lot of talent. Everyone has been buying into the team mentality and working hard,” stated Roethle. “Getting to Division III College World Series in 2015 put UWL baseball’s name out there and I am excited to keep UWL on the college baseball radar in my final season.” 

In terms of conference play, both Schwarz and Roethle agreed that their games against UW-Whitewater are ones that fans should especially look forward to. The weekend of April 14 will be a battle for the top spots in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. 

The baseball team kicks off their season in a double header Tuesday, March 6, when they take on the Tommies of the University of St. Thomas at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota at11:00 a.m.