The Milwaukee baseball team begins the 2020 season this weekend, traveling to Winston-Salem, N.C., to play four games against three different opponents. The season opener takes place Friday, battling Illinois in an 5 p.m. CST start. Saturday brings a doubleheader against host Wake Forest, with game one of the twinbill set for a first pitch of 1 p.m. CST. The weekend then wraps up with a 9 a.m. CST matchup against Seton Hall Sunday. All games will be played at Wake Forest's David F. Couch Ballpark. All four matchups will have live statistics available. The contest against Illinois also has a planned audio broadcast, with Scott Beatty of WDWS on the call. All links are posted to the Milwaukee website.

The 2020 campaign marks the 56th season of baseball at MKE. It is also the 50th season of varsity play (the program was played at the club level from 1982-1986) and the 30th in the Panthers NCAA Division I era.

As a northern team that cannot practice outdoors before the start of the season, it is no surprise that Milwaukee does not have a great record in season openers. It is 6-23 in such contests at the Division I level, but did post an impressive 10-0 victory over Maine to open the slate in 2015 and also topped Marshall, 5-3, to open the 2019 campaign. Friday will be Scott Doffek's 14th opener as head coach.

LOOKING AT THE OPPONENTS
The Panthers will enter some unfamiliar territory, having only played one team (Illinois) of the three they will open the 2020 season against throughout program history. The Illini are led by returning All-American closer Garrett Acton (19 saves in 2019). Illinois finished 36-21 last season, including a 15-9 record and third-place finish in the Big Ten - advancing to the NCAA Regional for the fourth time in the last nine years.

Wake Forest returns the bulk of a powerful lineup that was the most productive in the ACC a season ago (going 31-26 overall), including two preseason All-American selections in Bobby Seymour and Chris Lanzilli. The Deacs are nationally ranked in four preseason polls: Collegiate Baseball has Wake Forest at No. 17, D1Baseball has them 18th, Baseball America 20th and USA Today Coaches Poll 24th.

Seton Hall tied for second place in the Big East preseason poll and had four players on the preseason all-league squad in Matt Toke, Tyler Shedler-McAvoy, Noah Thompson and David Festa. Head coach Rob Sheppard, who enters his 17th season leading the program, brings back seven position players and three pitchers from a squad that finished 25-28 overall and 9-9 in the BIG EAST last season.

SERIES HISTORY
The Panthers are 2-3 all-time against Illinois, with three of the five meetings coming in the past two seasons. MKE topped the Illini, 4-2, in February of 2017. A year ago, Illinois was ranked #24 and came out on top, 9-6. The Panthers have never played Wake Forest or Seton Hall on the baseball diamond.

SHOES TO FILL
The Panthers are turning over a big chunk of the lineup from 2019 due to losses to graduation and the MLB Draft. Milwaukee will look to replace 57.2 percent (1,174-2,053) of at-bats, 60.8 percent (255-419) of runs scored, 59.1 percent of hits (358-606) and over half of its home run total (25-48) from a year ago. There will be plenty of opportunities for newcomers to shine, a group that consists of 17 players who have never worn a Milwaukee uniform in game action. Included in that list is a large freshmen class, numbering 14 (11 true freshmen/3 redshirt).

CLOSING IN ON A GRAND MILESTONE
The Panthers start the season with 981 all-time victories in program history and will join a small list of teams in the department once they cross the 1,000 win plateau. MKE men's basketball was the first and opened the 2019-20 school year with 1,364 wins. Women's volleyball was next and upped its total to 1,092 after a successful fall campaign.

TAKING ON THE BIG TIME
Milwaukee has played numerous ranked foes over the years and will add Wake Forest to the list, last knocking off a ranked squad when the Panthers topped #25 Texas Tech in February of 2016. It was during the 1999 postseason that the team made the biggest splash against a ranked opponent, defeating then-No. 1 Rice at the NCAA Regionals for the program's first-ever victory over a ranked team. Since that time, the Panthers have recorded six victories against ranked opponents.

Milwaukee vs. Ranked Opponents Since 1999
2018: March 14: L, 6-9 at #24 Illinois
2016: Feb. 19-21: L, 3-12; W, 10-3; L, 1-9; L, 0-12 at #25 Texas Tech
2015: April 8: W, 4-3 at #15 Iowa
2013: Feb. 22-24: L 6-1; L 6-1; L 7-6 at #20 Miami (FL)
2012: March 3: L 6-2 vs. #22 Cal Poly
2012: Feb. 17-18: L 4-0; L 16-0; L 6-3 at #22 East Carolina
2011: March 4-6: L 15-6; L 13-9; L 7-3 at #16 Arkansas
2010: June 5: L 22-1 vs. #15 San Diego State
2010: June 4: L 6-2 at #1 Arizona State
2010: March 19: L, 4-0; L, 2-1 at #25 Kansas State
2010: March 12-14: L, 14-6; L, 7-0; L, 3-2 at #14 Arkansas
2009: April 14: L, 12-2 at #23 Minnesota
2009: March 6-7: L 8-7; L 19-6 at #25 Louisville
2009: Feb. 27: W, 19-11 vs. #25 Michigan
2009: Feb. 20-22: L 15-3; L 13-5; L 14-1; L 11-0 at #6 Arizona State
2007: March 2-4: L 16-3; L 7-3; L 18-2 at #21 Kentucky
2007: Feb. 18-19: L 8-3; L 28-2; L 8-1 at #6 Arkansas
2006: March 3-5: L 14-3; L 9-5; W 7-2 at #20 Missouri
2005: April 20: L 2-3; L 9-1 at #28 Creighton
2004: March 30-31: L 10-0; L 9-0 at #20 Nebraska
2003: March 7: L 8-0; L 9-6 at #12 Nebraska
2002: May 31: L 7-2 at #13 Nebraska
2002: April 2-3: L 10-1; L 16-1 at #13 Nebraska
2001: May 25: L 12-4 at #8 Notre Dame
2001: March 28: L 16-2; L 16-10 at #8 Nebraska
2000: April 24-25: L 11-0; L 8-5; W 9-7 at #15 Nebraska
2000: March 29: W 14-3 at #21 Notre Dame
1999: May 29: L 8-5 at #21 Texas Tech ... L 27-1 vs. #1 Rice
1999: May 28: W 8-4 vs. #1 Rice

HOW MANY?!?
Last spring, Milwaukee played 21 straight away from home to begin the year and the number is set at 20 this season. The record was set back in 2018 when the Panthers played 34 consecutive road games to open the slate (the home-opening date was April 26), becoming the final NCAA Division I team to accomplish the "feat" (North Dakota State was also in the running for the title, but did play April 25). The team will travel over 12,000 miles over the course of the first five-plus weeks of this season via plane or bus, visiting five different states (North Carolina, California, Oregon, Ohio and Indiana) before playing its scheduled home opener March 20 against Younsgtown State.

2018: 34 regular-season games on road prior to first home game
2016: 31
2008: 30
2017: 29
2013: 29

2018: April 26 marked latest home opener
2013: April 24
2016: April 20
2008: April 15
2017: April 13

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 in the Horizon League and lists Joe Vyskocil as the No. 8 entry on BA's "Top Prospect List" in the conference.

The D1Baseball website also lists Milwaukee No. 3, and spotlights a handful of Panthers on various lists. For "Top Prospects, 2020 Draft", the entries include Jack Mahoney at No. 2 and Jack Thelen at No. 11. Nate DeYoung checks in at No. 5 for the "Top Prospects, 2021 Draft". Lastly, three players are on the "Impact Freshmen" list, with Ty Olejnik (#3), Dylan Szajkovics (#7) and Quinton Morris (#9) all making the cut.

The Perfect Game Horizon League preview ranks MKE third and selected three players for its preseason all-league squad: Joe Vyskocil (1B), Adam LaRock (OF) and Mike Edwards (P).

PRESEASON POLL
Milwaukee was picked to finish third in the 2020 Horizon League preseason baseball poll. UIC, the 2019 tournament champions, squeaked out a one point advantage to come out on top with three first-place votes and 33 points. Regular season champ Wright State got the other three and was second with 32. Milwaukee (24), Northern Kentucky (16), Youngstown State (14) and Oakland (7) rounded things out.
 
2020 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. UIC (3 first-place votes) 33
2. Wright State (3 first-place votes) 32
3. Milwaukee 24
4. Northern Kentucky 16
5. Youngstown State 14
6. Oakland 7

FAMILIAR NAMES ON AN IMPRESSIVE LIST
The NCAA.com website put out a press release at the end of January with a list of "The top 150 hitters in college baseball, according to D1Baseball analytics". The list was compiled using statistical analysis, focused on three major areas: Plate Discipline, Hit Ability, and Game Power. The players were then graded from 1-100.

A pair of Panthers appeared on the list, with Jack Thelen leading the way at No. 123 (overall grade of 81.1). He was joined by Joe Vyskocil, who checked in a few spots later at No. 129 (81.0). Milwaukee and Wright State (2 players) were the only Horizon League schools on the list.

IT'S MILLER TIME
Through a marketing agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Panthers have played at Miller Park every season since 2002. The team has posted a record of 18-11 in games at the major league park, following a convincing 13-1 victory over Oakland May 11. This spring, the team hosts Oakland once again at the MLB Park, scheduled for April 17.

REK-N-EFFECTS
Jared Reklaitis made his name as a strikeout pitcher throughout his senior campaign last spring, tying the school record with 15 in a game as a junior before putting up the first 14-K game in program history in 2019. He ended up leading the Horizon League in strikeouts and also inched past the school record, finishing with 104 K's to edge Brian Keller's former mark.
1. Reklaitis, 104, 2019
2. Brian Keller: 103, 2016
3. Ben Stanczyk: 95, 2004
4. Chad Sadowski: 91, 1999
5. Austin Schulfer: 87, 2018

NINTH-INNING DRAMATICS
Falling behind by three runs in the top of the eighth inning is never a good situation, but the Panthers gave everyone something to smile about in game two of a doubleheader against Wright State April 20 of last season. The rally started in the ninth with a sac fly from Nate DeYoung and ended one batter later when Matt Quartel sent an 0-1 pitch deep over the right field fence for a three-run home run to make Milwaukee a winner at 7-6 after being down to its final out of the day.

The last time MKE even approached such a late comeback victory was May 9, 2015, coincidentally also against the Raiders. Down 4-2 in the ninth, Daulton Varsho hit a walkoff three-run shot with the Panthers down to their final out, cracking a 3-1 pitch off the scoreboard to complete the 5-4 thriller.

FORTY IS THE NEW TWENTY
The Panthers put on an offensive showcase against Youngstown State April 13 of last season, finishing game one of the doubleheader with an impressive 22 runs and 23 hits. That marked the 23rd time in school history that the team recorded 20-or-more runs in a single game and the first since tagging these same Penguins for 22 in March of 2016. The total of 22 also officially ties for the 10th-most in a single contest. When paired with the 18 runs scored the day prior (in an 18-6 win), the 40 runs in back-to-back games is the most since a 44-run windfall against Concordia Wisconsin (W, 25-2) and Wisconsin Lutheran (W, 19-0) back in early April of 2000, which is also the school record. The only other time MKE has plated 40-plus runs in back-to-back games is the 43 tallied against CUW (W, 17-6/W, 26-7) in a twinbill in April of 1999.

CONGRATS ON THE NEW TOP SPOT
With a 6-3 victory over Illinois State in March of last season, Scott Doffek  moved atop the Milwaukee baseball career victory list. He passed Jerry Augustine, who held the record of 347 wins in his time at Milwaukee from 1995-2006 (347-297-1/.539). Doffek entered the 2019 season at 335 victories after joining some rare company in 2017 when the Panthers topped Youngstown State in late April, giving Doffek career victory No. 300 as the Milwaukee head coach. He was just the second coach in program history - dating all the way back to 1957 - to reach that level.

1. Doffek (2007-present): 370 and counting
2. Augustine (1996-2006): 347
3. Jim Burian (1982-1990): 143
4. Bill Ritter (1957-1970): 122

LONG BALL GETS CONTAGIOUS
Milwaukee found its power stroke against Oakland April 6 last spring, clubbing seven home runs in the 15-1 victory. Amazingly enough, the team spread the wealth, with seven different players taking a slow stroll around the basepaths - including Jack Thelen's first collegiate round-tripper. That established a new mark for a Horizon League contest, topping the six shared by two prior teams. It also marked the first time Milwaukee smashed that many long balls since recording seven against Concordia back in April of 1999. The school record remains the nine the team powered out against IPFW on April 6, 2005.

AN OPENING STATEMENT
The Panthers made the trip to the D9 Sunshine State Classic an impressive one in 2019, topping Marshall, Big East foe Villanova and ACC opponent Pittsburgh. It marked just the second 3-0 start in program history since becoming an NCAA Division I program in the 1990 season. The other came against Maine (all three games) to open the 2015 campaign. The only other time MKE even began 2-0 was in 1995 when the Panthers topped Youngstown State (16-6) and Bowling Green (6-5). Despite dropping the series at Arizona, the 6-3 start through nine games was also the best since the same mark in 1995.

ON TAP
The Panthers head to California for a four-game series at Sacramento State. First pitch of the opener is set for 7 p.m. CST Thursday.