With the first weekend of Horizon League play in the books, the Milwaukee baseball team heads to the state of Ohio as one of three teams tied for first-place in the conference with a 2-1 record. The Panthers sit in that three-way tie at the top with UIC and Wright State - with WSU the team they are headed to play this weekend.

The Raiders, who were picked No. 1 in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, will enter play at 11-7 overall (which includes a 5-1 mark at home). The series opener Friday is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. CST and will also feature a live ESPN3 stream.

All three games in the series will have live stats. Due to other WSU sports on the schedule, Friday's matchup will be the only contest with live video available. Start times Saturday (1 p.m. CST) and Sunday (12 p.m. CST) will be matinee affairs. All links are on the UWM website.

The 2018 campaign marks the 54th season of baseball at UWM. It is also the 48th season of varsity play (the program was played at the club level from 1982-1986) and the 28th in the Panthers NCAA Division I era.

LOOKING AT THE OPPONENTS
WSU has won seven of eight games to enter play against Milwaukee at 11-7 overall (2-1 league/vs. Oakland). Ryan Weiss was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week, tossing 8 shutout frames against the Golden Grizzlies Friday (9 K's). Peyton Burdick leads the Raiders with a .351 batting average and has 16 RBI. Damon Dues is hitting .342 and a total of six different players have 10-or-more RBI - led by a league-leading 17 from Gabe Snyder (.306) and Seth Gray (.261). Wright State was picked first in the league preseason poll, getting all 6 first-place votes. It started the season with votes in the Top-25 rankings (Collegiate Baseball) for the first time in program history.

A year ago, the Raiders went 38-21 under first-year head coach Jeff Mercer. They also posted a 21-9 Horizon League record and return four of their five all-league honorees, including Weiss. Weiss was named the Freshman of the Year and First-Team after going 8-1 with a 2.13 ERA. First-Team member Matt Morrow also returns after batting .333 in 59 games with 51 runs and 38 RBI.

SERIES HISTORIES
Milwaukee is now 54-62 against Wright State all-time following a 1-4 mark last season. Overall, the Raiders have won 21 of the past 27 in the series, which follows a dominant stretch in 2012-13 where the Panthers won eight of 10. It has been a tough stretch for the Panthers in that span, dropping nine one-run decisions.

THE WEEK THAT WAS
Milwaukee went 2-2 on the week, earning a series win on the weekend after falling at No. 24 Illinois Wednesday by a final score of 9-6. The offense came alive in the four games, checking in at .348 in the stretch with 35 runs scored (almost 9 per game). The squad banged out 55 hits (just 33 for the opponents), which included 16 for extra bases and a .390 on-base percentage.

Every player that saw action in all four games batted .333 or better, with seven over .350 and four at .375 or higher. Leading the way was Matt Quartel, who went 4-for-10 (.400) and knocked in three. Mitch Buban (.385/5-for-13), Joe Vyskocil (.375/6-for-16/HR) and Devin Rybacki (.375/6-for-16) were right on his heels.

LEAGUE PREMIERES
Milwaukee is now 14-11 all-time in affiliated conference openers since becoming an NCAA Division I team. Head coach Scott Doffek has posted a 7-5 ledger in his 12 openers, including a 12-4 victory over Youngstown State March 17.  A year ago, the Panthers fell to Northern Kentucky in a slugfest, 13-9.

OAKLAND FROM MILWAUKEE VIA HAWAII
Newcomer Oakland Scanlan, who comes to Milwaukee from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, has made quite a first impression for the Panthers. As play starts this week, Scanlan sits among numerous Horizon League leaders.

Home Runs: 3rd at 3
Batting Average: 5th at .328 (team-high)
Slugging Percentage: 6th at .508
RBI: 8th at 12

O-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K THEN
The Milwaukee pitching staff has accumulated 141 strikeouts, second-most in the Horizon League. The starting combination of Austin Schulfer (32 K's) and Jake Sommers (24 K's) have more strikeouts as a duo than all but one league combination (UIC's Key/Birlingmair lead the way). Schulfer has won his last two starts and recorded 8 K's on a pair of occasions. Sommers suffered a tough-luck loss in his last start against YSU March 17, but walked none and struck out nine in the 6.0-inning outing.

THOSE PESKY PANTHERS
The Panthers have held their own against nationally-ranked opponents over the years, with a victory over No. 1 Rice in the 1999 NCAA Tournament at the top of the list. In their most recent attempt, Milwaukee led No. 24 Illinois by a score of 4-0 in the fourth inning March 14 and were still dead-even at 6-6 heading into the last of the eighth before falling, 9-6. The squad did not play any ranked teams in 2017, but started 2016 by knocking off #25 Texas Tech in the opener of a doubleheader Feb. 20, claiming a 10-3 victory to mark the second season in a row where the team beat a nationally-ranked opponent. The victory was the programs sixth against a ranked foe all-time, with a win over No. 15 Iowa (4/8/15) the most recent one prior.

TOUCH 'EM ALL
The Milwaukee offense returned players that accounted for just two of the 30 home runs the team hit in 2017. So far in 2018, the power numbers have been solid - the Panthers have hit 12 home runs (tied for second in the league) through 18 games (on pace for close to 40), while allowing seven to their opponents. Eight different players have knocked the ball out of the park, led by three apiece from Oakland Scanlan and from Ben Chally - who coincidentally did not have a home run for UWM in 2017.

PUTTING THE "K" IN RE'K'LAITIS
Jared Reklaitis made his first start of the 2018 season a memorable one, allowing just one hit and no runs in 5.0 innings against Sacramento State March 4. Although he had to work around six walks, he also recorded a career-high eight strikeouts (prior UWM high was five), including the fourth inning where he struck out the side following a leadoff triple.
 
IF THEY BUILD IT ...
After more than two decades calling Henry Aaron Field home, the Milwaukee baseball program is moving to a new stadium starting in the 2019 season. Milwaukee baseball head coach Scott Doffek and Milwaukee Athletic Director Amanda Braun were part of the press conference unveiling the "Ballpark Commons" project at City Hall in Franklin on Feb. 28, highlighted by the 4,000-seat stadium.

Doffek and Braun were present to announce the department's partnership with ROC Ventures, one in which the Milwaukee baseball team will play all of its home games at the new stadium. Ground has been broken and the new facility is scheduled to be ready for the 2019 campaign. The Panthers have spent the past 24 seasons with Henry Aaron Field as their home park, putting together an impressive 266-112 (.704) winning percentage in home games in that span. The ballpark in Franklin will also host a new professional baseball team, one set to join the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

STOPPING AT THREE
Matt Quartel knocked in three runs against Bethune-Cookman Feb. 25, doing so on a pair of triples. Is a pair of three-baggers in the same game unique? Why yes, Quartel does tie the school record with it, set five other times. The most recent addition was Mike Porcaro, who collected a pair of three-base hits against Wright State on March 16, 2013.

GET CRACKING
The transition from an indoor gym the first few weeks of practice in the middle of a Wisconsin winter to an 80-degree season opener can get tricky. The Panthers made the adjustment a seamless one this season, with the offense cranking out 16 hits against Big Ten pitching versus Ohio State. That marks the most hits in an opener since Scott Doffek took over as head coach. The most prior was 13 safeties against Maine in the 2015 opener (a 10-0 win). Just two other times have the Panthers collected as many as 10 base hits in game one of a new campaign in that span (since 2007).

BACK IN ACTION
Alex McIntosh made his season debut out of the bullpen for the Panthers Feb. 16, getting back on the field for the first time since the end of the 2015 season due to injury. His inspiring journey back to the field hit exactly 1,000 days in between appearances, joining a small group of student-athletes across the country in similar situations. McIntosh's span in between sits close to the top of the list.
*McIntosh (P): 1,000 days (5/23/15 & 2/16/18) between appearances
*Alec Daily, CSU Bakersfield: 1,008 days (5/15/15 & 2/16/18). Formerly a pitcher; came back at 1B.
*Mike Concato, Dartmouth (P): 1,021 days (5/9/15 & 2/23/18)
*Clay Conaway, Delaware (P): 1,041 days (4/14/15 & 2/18/18) between appearances on the mound
*Matt Geiger, Georgia Southern (P): 1,000-plus days (5/8/15; yet to appear in 2018)

KEEP 'EM COMING
Scott Doffek joined some rare company on April 22 last season when the Panthers topped Youngstown State, giving Doffek career victory No. 300 as the Milwaukee head coach. He is just the second coach in program history - dating all the way back to 1957 - to reach that level. The only coach ahead of him? Jerry Augustine, who holds the record of 347 wins in his time at Milwaukee from 1995-2006 (347-297-1 /.539). Doffek enters the 2018 season at 309 victories.

1. Augustine (1996-2006): 347
2. Doffek (2007-present): 315
3. Jim Burian (1982-1990): 143
4. Bill Ritter (1957-1970): 122

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Scott Doffek will bring a roster into the 2018 season that includes 14 newcomers as well as a pair of redshirts who did not appear in a game for the Panthers, meaning that essentially half of the roster has never played a game for the program. The breakdown of the new student-athletes is as follows:
Freshman (11): Mitch Buban, Bryce Cross, Mike Edwards, Conner Goodman, Jack Kraus, Jack Mahoney, Nick Moeser, Zach Nogalski, Joey Scaffidi, Jack Thelen, Patrick Tomfohrde
Redshirt Freshman (1): Matt DeYoung
Transfers (4): Tyler Bordner (JR), Colin Kreiter (JR), Oakland Scanlon (JR), Joshua Serio (SR)
In addition, redshirt freshman Nick Winter made just one appearance last season before being lost to injury.

That makes the squad young as well, consisting of 20 total underclassmen, made up of 14 freshmen and six sophomores on the roster.

BIG SHOES TO FILL
With a big senior class departing last season as well as players lost early to the Major League Baseball Draft, a look at the numbers shows the Panthers lost a large percentage of production in numerous categories.

GAMES STARTED (field players only): 352/486: 72.4 percent of starts will not return to the field in 2018.
AT BATS: 1,334/1,890: 70.5 percent of at bats do not return
RUNS: 200/282: 70.9 percent of runs
HITS: 363/516: 70.3 percent of hits
HOME RUNS: 28/30: 93.3 percent of home runs do not return

PRESEASON NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Various publications and websites came out with their annual college baseball previews and players from the Milwaukee roster have earned a handful of mentions.

Baseball America picks the Panthers for third place and lists Austin Schulfer as the No. 9 entry on BA's "Top Prospect List" in the conference.

The Perfect Game website also lists Milwaukee No. 3, and it's Schulfer again as a member of their Preseason All-Conference Team, where he is called "one of the top returning arms". He is joined on the squad by Trevor Schwecke, who is listed as having "+ makeup & instincts" by the site.

FOR OPENERS
As a northern team that cannot practice outdoors before the start of the season, it is not a surprise that Milwaukee does not have a great record in season openers. It is now 5-23 in such contests at the Division I level after letting a late lead get away against Ohio State in 2018, but did post an impressive 10-0 victory over Maine to open the slate in 2015.

BASEBALL SEASON ALREADY?
The February 16th open to the 2018 campaign may sound early, but it does not crack the top five anymore following recent seasons. In fact, six of the top seven all-time earliest starts to the season have taken place in the past 12 years.

1. 2006: February 10
T2. 2015: February 13
T2. 1999: February 13
4. 2014: February 14
5. 2013: February 15
T6. 2018: February 16
T6. 2007: February 16

DAULTON VAR-"SHOW"
Daulton Varsho put together some impressive accomplishments in his three season with the Panthers. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 68th pick on Day 1 of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft (selection officially came in the Competitive Balance Round B, which immediately followed the second round). The pick was the highest-ever for a Panther, becoming just the second player in Horizon League history to be selected within the top two rounds of the draft. He enjoyed an impressive junior campaign, named a Second-Team All-American by D1Baseball and Third-Team All-American by Baseball America. Varsho led the Horizon League in batting average (.362), slugging percentage (.643), on-base percentage (.490), triples (6) and walks (46), while also finishing fourth in total bases (128), fifth in hits (72), sixth with a team-high 11 home runs and seventh in runs scored (47). He went on to bat .311 in the 2017 season with Class A Hillsboro Hops, posting a .368 OBP with 7 HR and 39 RBI in 50 games, totaling 26 extra-base hits while scoring 36 runs. He was listed as the Diamondbacks No. 5 Prospect by Baseball America in the offseason, along with the publication projecting him to be the starting catcher for the MLB team by the 2021 campaign.

Varsho became the first UWM baseball player to be named a Preseason All-American (by Collegiate Baseball) and went on to become a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award. He was also named to the 2017 Horizon League Baseball All-Academic Team and was a Second-Team All-Horizon League honoree in 2017. Varsho finished his career with 199 hits, coming up just one hit short of becoming the first UWM junior to reach the 200-hit level

LET'S HIT THE ROAD...
As usual, the Panthers will be busy waiting for the snow to melt away and Henry Aaron Field to be ready for them to play in Milwaukee. While that happens, they will be playing 25 straight road games to open the 2018 slate.

In 2016, by the time all the postponements were finally over and the home opener "officially" got here April 20 against Edgewood, the Panthers played 31 regular-season games (plus the exhibition against the Brewers, so technically 32) either on the road or on a neutral field before finally getting to play at Henry Aaron Field. That became the new school record for most contests away from Milwaukee before playing a true home game.

The past few Wisconsin springs have not been kind. Postponements and cancellations have been the norm most of the past five years, with the Panthers having to play their "home" opener in Chicago in 2014. Also, in 2013, the team ended up playing 29 in a row on the road (losing 12 contests to the weather overall) before finally playing a home game April 24.

The Panthers will travel just over 14,000 miles over the course of the first seven weeks of this season via plane or bus, visiting seven different states (Florida twice, Washington, Minnesota, Alabama, Illinois twice, Ohio twice and Michigan) before playing their home opener April 4 against MSOE. To put that in perspective, that would be equivalent to circling the bases 205,333 times.

PRESEASON POLL
Milwaukee was picked to finish third in the 2018 Horizon League preseason baseball poll, released in early February.

Last season's tournament and regular-season runner-up, Wright State, was unanimously selected as the 2018 conference favorite as determined by the annual preseason coaches' poll. Tournament and regular-season champion UIC was tabbed second, followed by Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, and Youngstown State.
 
2018 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Wright State (6 first-place votes) 36
2. UIC 29
3. Milwaukee 20
4. Northern Kentucky 19
5. Oakland 14
6. Youngstown State 8

A BAKER'S DOZEN FOR SCHULFER
Austin Schulfer added his name to the record book in his start at Miller Park against Oakland April 30 of last season when he struck out 13 batters to equal the school record for a game. Schulfer had a pair of K's in five of his seven innings of work and struck out the side in the fifth to become the fifth different UWM pitcher to reach the mark.

Eric Semmelhack: 13 on 3/31/12
Aaron Sorenson: 13 on 5/20/16 and 4/8/05
Ben Stanczyk: 13 on 4/23/04
Korey Keller: 13 on 4/26/03

Schulfer had reached a collegiate-high against Oakland April 23, establishing a personal-best when he struck out 10 Golden Grizzlies (in just 7.0 innings) in his start. That topped his former best of nine set back on May 5, 2015. It also marked the first outing of 10-plus K's for a Panther pitcher since Brian Keller had 12 in May of 2016.

MOWING THEM DOWN
Paced by the 13K-effort of starter Austin Schulfer that day, the Milwaukee pitching staff broke another school record the same day against Oakland. Jake Sommers pitched the final two innings and fanned four more Golden Grizzlies, giving the team 17 strikeouts for the day to break the school record of 16. The former mark of 16 punchouts had been previously accomplished twice, most recently against UIC on April 24, 2016. For perspective, that contest against UIC was a 12-inning affair.

IT'S MILLER TIME
Through a marketing agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Panthers have played at Miller Park every season since 2002. UWM has now posted a record of 17-10 in games at the major league park, following a 10-3 defeat of Oakland last season. The team returns in 2018 on May 12 against Wright State.

ON TAP
The Panthers close out the month of March with a three-game series at Northern Kentucky next week. Thursday's opener is set for a 3 p.m. CST first pitch.