The Journey: University of Arkansas

Junior Sam Sivilotti and sophomore Greg Blohowiak, members of the UWM baseball team, will be blogging all season long on the UWM website. This is their fourth entry.

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Woo Pig Sooiee?

This trip to Fayetteville, Ark., was unlike all the rest. This may hold true, however there were some constants that we cannot avoid. First of all, the good ole Lamers bus we’re all accustomed to was once again awaiting the team for this 12-hour ride. Had to leave the Klotsche Center and pick up people at a park and ride. Instead of the College Ave. one we chose to take 43-South and take a new route to the northwest part of Arkansas. After getting settled in and having our bagged lunches provided by Assistant Coach Steve Sanfilippo, we put in the movie and let the long ride swallow us up.

Following some six hours on the bus, we made our first and only stop along the way. It was in Troy, Ill., at a Pizza Hut where we were fed with 18 large pizzas and breadsticks. A very delicious meal that only took a half hour to get situated. We were on the road again with some people getting testy along the way, as expected with a 12-hour bus ride for the 3rd weekend in a row. Games of cribbage, PSP, as well as our Ipods usually can take up a good chunk of the ride. Before we knew it we were approaching the final couple hours, with a large sigh of relief. We need to thank our bus driver Tracy for finding a route that cut off an hour from the whole ride. Who knows what could have happened to our sanity if he did not make such a crucial decision, thanks Tracy. After going through some patches of lights resembling cities we finally made it into Fayetteville and pulled into our hotel, The Clarion.

Our first impression was not a good one, as the outside looked outdated and used up. These comments could have been out of frustration from such a long ride, however one comment did not arise that would encapsulate this establishment, interesting. We got our room assignments and shuffled a ways through the pool and restaurant area to the door that led to our ultimate abode. Our rooms were located in the “annex” of the hotel, as stated by an Indiana All-American (which I'll touch upon shortly). This area of rooms, which was about 25, was separate from the main hotel and looked as if it was excavated strait out of the movie Joy Ride. (Candy cane anyone?). Opening the doors and welcoming us was two queen sized beds with a old woman-dress flower pattern comforter which was nothing like its name, as well as a sink that was apart from the toilet and shower, and the astounding 25 inch Zenith TV. Not to mention the wireless internet that is integral to our advancement in learning was very weak in our outcast of rooms. Living the high life of course. The housing could be a little iffy, however, we are here to play the #14 ranked team in the nation in Arkansas and the rooms were the last things on our minds. We quickly went to bed and dreamt of a successful weekend.

Waking up for breakfast at 9 a.m. was good. The breakfast was a buffet-style with the best french toast I’ve had in a while. As we were all waking up and munching on our food we noticed a trend throughout the breakfast hall. There were big-named schools from across the country being represented by what we came to learn as the National Indoor Track and Field Championships. Basically, the best of the best in the nation were on hand in Fayetteville to compete against one another at the Arkansas field house, which might I add is “Unbelievable” according to sources. Some schools to mention are TCU, Indiana, Florida State, South Carolina and Oregon. Nonetheless, these people were here for the same intentions we were, to win, either against another team, or another person. After bantering with these people, mainly the girls, we finished up eating and got dressed and ready for the departure for the field. Boarding the bus there was a very anxious and excited energy, one that can be expected when playing such a high profile team. We left and arrived at the field a short time after with some of our eyes fixed on the stadium. Baum Stadium at George Cole Field is one of the top five places to play in college baseball. This stadium has had record crowds of over 11,000 people and has a reputation for being in the top echelon. Following batting practice and infield we lined up for the national anthem with anticipation at an all-time high. Getting off to the right foot on the weekend is the most important thing. It all starts with the first pitch, and it was quickly approaching.

Getting the nod in the first game was Friday night starter Kyle Schmidt. Coming off a loss to Austin Peay, Kyle was looking to come out of the gates and start fresh. The Razorbacks started Mike Bolsinger, a pitcher who has a sub-2.00 ERA coming into this game. We would start on the offensive side of things with Cole Kraft earning a walk with a great first at bat of the game. After a stolen base and a couple outs, senior Ben Long plated Kraft with a two-out single. After a back and forth first few innings we found ourselves deadlocked at 2-2 in the 4th inning when Kraft had a big moment. With us just scoring former Razorback-turned-Panther Chad Pierce, John Capasso was on first base when Kraft took a fastball from Balsinger off the scoreboard in right field, setting the score at 4-2. A couple more runs from us and one from them the score was 6-3 going into the 6th inning. After a walk and a hit by pitch, Kyle Schmidt saw his day come to an end. A struggle for him all day to find his stuff, Schmidt battled through and made crucial pitch after crucial pitch to keep us ahead or in the game, credit to him for being such a competitor. Junior Cuyler Franzke got out of the inning after Arkansas scored a few more to tie the score at 6’s. After a scoreless top of the 7th the Arkansas Razorbacks responded with an eight-run bottom of the 7th. We found ourselves trying to find answers for this outpouring of hits, however the offense in the 8th and 9th was held scoreless to reach a final of 14-6. The final score was definitely not indicative of the playing of the game. We played very hard and with a lot of energy but in the end we just did not have our arms behind our bats on this day. This loss was one we felt was a great opportunity that we let slip away, but it also was one that opened our eyes. It opened our eyes to the type of baseball it takes to compete with a high-caliber opponent. We played ahead of them for most of the game and the confidence and belief we take from this game will go further than the final score.

After returning to the hotel we took our showers and went and got a bite to eat. After getting back we congregated in the pool area to surf the web and do our schoolwork, due to the poor internet in our rooms. The night turned long when we stimulated our brains with the never-ending sporcle competitions. With AP #1 player Tim Patzman no where to be found, the pride and dignity that comes along with dominating sporcle was up for grabs. At times it seemed to float from person to person however AP #2 player Shaun Wegner showed why he’s #2. Going to bed followed shortly with us setting our alarms and tv timers and resting our bodies from a long day of battle, to only wake up and continue versus the Hogs.

With game one behind us, we woke up refreshed for yet another opportunity. The same routine underwent for the majority of us. Wake up early, go to breakfast, come back to the room and hang out, get dressed, and board the bus. As we stepped off of the bus, our focus began to dial in. With two and a half hours until game time, we like to keep things loose. We gathered as a team down the right field foul line to highlight some of the keys of last night’s performance. After the game summary was completed and the objectives for today’s battle were expressed, we began our batting practice. With a country flavor in the air, we listened to a mix of rap, pop and country that the Razorbacks had collaborated together for their pregame warm up CD. Some unusual songs, nonetheless, provided great entertainment for all of us while shagging balls in the outfield. At the conclusion of batting practice, you could see our focus set in.

We were sending former University of Arkansas pitcher Chad Pierce to the mound. Pierce had been waiting a long time for this moment. For weeks we have been hearing from him about how he was going to go back to Arkansas and pitch a gem. Well…that’s exactly what happened. After both teams going scoreless in the first, Arkansas struck in the bottom half of the second. With two outs, and a runner on second, the Razorbacks roped a double to plate the first run of the game. No fear in mind, Pierce closed the inning by putting up a one spot and diffusing any more possible damage. Once again, going quietly in the third, we could not muster any offensive production through three innings. Unfortunately, it looked as if Arkansas may have been hitting their stride as Wisconsin native and current Razorback, Collin Kuhn, hit a solo homerun to put the home Razorbacks up two. Unwilling to lay down, we gathered ourselves and were ready to counter the first two punches. In the fifth inning, with the score still 2-0, a leadoff single by Tim Patzman followed by a walk by Dan Buccholz gave us our first real offensive opportunity of the game. Doug Dekoning moved both runners up a base as he laid down a sacrifice bunt. Following a strikeout, we had runners on second and third with two outs. Big moment play of the game. With a 1-0 count Junior Sam Sivilotti hit a hard ground ball up the middle. As he was running down the line he recalls that he thought the ball was going to get through the middle and potentially knot the game up at two. Unfortunately, the second baseman made a diving play only to gather himself and throw Sivilotti out at first. The momentum had remained in the Razorback dugout. As the game continued, Pierce made big pitch after big pitch to keep within striking distance. Pierce’s day concluded when he came out of the game after 6 and 2/3 of quality baseball. Once again, we could not get any closer. As Arkansas began to pull away and extend their lead to 6-0 after seven. The game eventually ended at 7-0 but for a second straight day did not come close to reflecting the quality of game we played.

After post game reflections, and an inspirational talk from head coach Scott Doffek, we showered and boarded the bus again to eat a post game team meal at the Golden Corral. By now, we have become experts at buffets and now which courses at which places. Indulging in steak, mac and cheese, butterfly shrimp, and a tasty selection of fruits and vegetables we concluded our meal and headed back to the Clarion. With our last day in Fayetteville quickly approaching, we got back to the grind and prepared ourselves for departure. Packing suitcases, gathering toiletries, and getting a good night’s rest we put our heads to rest in hopes of a different result tomorrow (although we did lose an hour of sleep from daylight savings…we love sleep come on now).

Game three, a new day, hopefully a better result. Jordan Herbert toed the rubber for us as he was coming off of an impressive start against Dayton last weekend. The Razorbacks countered with Josh Eibner. Eibner was drafted out of high school in the fourth round is projected to be a top-75 pick by most scouts in this year's upcoming draft. Eibner is said to have an electric fastball that sits around 91-92 and can get as high as 95. Fear? I think not. We have had great success in the past when facing pitchers that have been highly recognized because the majority of us take it as a smack in our face. Our hitters live for moments like this. We play with a chip on our shoulder because we know that at the end of the day we have something to prove. A great opportunity and challenge lay before us. After a scoreless first three innings from both teams (we had no luck early…barreled seven consecutive balls off of Eibner and could not squeeze one hit) we struck in the fourth. After Paul Hoenecke’s single, Ben Long reached on an error. Following the first two runners reaching, Eibner got the next two outs. Dekoning then roped a single up the middle to plate Hoenecke. The inning continued with a single by Sivilotti through the right side to load the bases. Unfortunately, a fly out concluded the scoring in the fourth and we could not rally anything else. At this point, Herbert had the Razorbacks off-balance. Anyone watching could see Jordan getting stronger and stronger as the game went on. He was making pitch after pitch with no real threat from Arkansas. As the game moved into the sixth, we still had the lead until Tim Patzman had a laser opposite-field homerun to left center. Putting us up two, we felt confident going into the last leg of the game. Herbert continued his performance and was looking to silence the 3,000 fans that were at Baum Stadium. Here we were…2-0 bottom of the ninth, so close in the previous two games, and yet another chance to put away the 14^th best team in the country.

Leadoff single and advance to second on a wild pitch (thought process: no big deal, run means nothing at this point). Next batter ground ball to short, Kraft backhands it and throws to second…gets the lead runner out as he was too far off the bag (perfect). Following that a single was hit to centerfield putting runners on first and second. A wild pitch made things more interesting as runners were now on second and third. Herbert made a great pitch to get another ground out to short. Two outs, runner on third and we have a one run lead. A hit batter put another runner on. He immediately was pinch ran for. The pinch runner stole second as we were not throwing through to second base. Herbert does a great job to get ahead in the count and put the hitter in an uncomfortable situation. Unfortunately, another wild pitch led to the runner from third to score the game-tying run. Herbert then did a magnificent job to get a ground out to close the inning and give us a chance to still win the game.

Tied at two a piece, we went down quietly in the top of the tenth. In entered Cameron Amsurd for us. Amsrud got the first two outs of the inning with ease. It was not until the third hitter that the dramatics came into play. With a 2-2 count and nobody on base, Cameron made a great pitch on the inside part of the plate but Matt Vinson was able to squeeze his hands inside the baseball and lift it up into the jet stream. As we looked up we held our breath. The 3,000 Razorback faithful rose to their feet and began to cheer. We could not bear to watch as we saw centerfielder Doug Dekoning going back to the wall. As Dekoning reached the wall he stopped and began his jump in an attempt to bring the ball back. The inevitable had happened. Doug could not bring the ball back and Vinson had just hit a walk off homerun. As we watched the Arkansas crowd the plate and wait for Vinson to touch home, we could not believe the game unfolded like this in front of our very own eyes. Devastated to say the least. We gathered as a team in the outfield and Coach Doffek communicated how special he thought our team can be. Words can not explain what type of game Jordan Herbert pitched. He gave us everything he had and then some. In the end, we came up a little short.

Not much for the bus ride home. With the majority of us worn down from the weekend, both physically and emotionally, the ride home was pretty low-key. A few movies, two stops for food and munchies, and picking up a new bus driver was about it. The twelve hour ride seemed like an eternity. We did not reach Milwaukee until about 4:30 a.m. and could not wait to get home. Another week, a few heartbreaking losses, but more work to be done. We will not crumble but rather rise above. We await another opportunity to get back on the field this weekend against Kansas State.