Milwaukee College Teams Face Off at American Family Field

Introduction: UW-Milwaukee baseball defeated MSOE 13-5 Wednesday at American Family Field. David Go reports.

(Go Narration) Players and coaches weighed in on the special opportunity to take the field at a Major League stadium. Nolan Vincent is a senior pitcher for MSOE.

(Vincent) Here, just any game here is kind of a blessing. It’s a really cool opportunity, I mean we always play UWM tough here, so we’re just looking for that first win.

(Vincent) The first time it was soaking it in, not knowing if we were gonna come back or not, then last year it was kind of like a hey we’re doing this again and then this year it’s a really  cool experience and I’m hoping this year I get a chance to get on the field but we’ll see what happens.

(Go) For players on both sides, the game is a highlight of the year, playing new competition and in the best stadium in Wisconsin.

(Meidenbauer) I wanna get a couple hits today, I wanna beat them.

(Hoier) I’d also like an opportunity to get a hit today.

(Hoier) My name is Camden Hoier, I’m a freshman at Milwaukee School of Engineering, and I play first base.

(Meidenbauer) I’m Sam Meidenbauer, I’m a sophomore at MSOE and I play third base.

(Go) What’s one thing so far that you were surprised about?

(Hoier) Walking to the batting cage and seeing Christian Yelich

(Meidenbauer) Yeah I would say the same thing. Seeing Christian Yelich up close in street clothes, it’s different than seeing him with his uniform on and it’s a cool thing to see.

(Meidenbauer) I played here last year and it was a very fun experience. It’s just surreal playing in an MLB stadium where you know your hometown heroes are playing here every day and you get to live their life for one day and it’s really cool to do.

(National anthem)

(PA announcer – starting lineups: And the head coach of your Panthers in his first season, Shaun Wegner)

(Sound of bat)

(Go) The Panthers let an early lead slip, allowing the Raiders to tie the game at 3 in the top of the fourth inning. But Milwaukee responded with 5 runs the following inning.

(Centerfield song)

(Go) Michael Poll is a student manager for UWM athletics.

(Poll) This is a dream come true to play here, every year we play here it’s the best time of my life playing here.

(Glove pop and cheering)

(Narco song)

(Go) The Panthers wound up defeating the Division III Raiders 13-5. Zach Lane and Q Phillips each hit their first home runs of the season.

(Thomas Otto) Lane’s been coming really close a lot this year so it was good to see him finally get one, and then Q as well, he’s worked pretty hard to get where he is right now, so good to see them get some success.

(Otto) I’m Thomas Otto, a senior catcher.

(Otto) Before the game it was pretty cool, we got to see a lot of the Brewers players walk out to their cars. Just seeing them, it’s a pretty surreal moment knowing you’re playing on on the same field that they are.

(Go) Shaun Wegner played and coached in many games at American Family Field as a player and assistant coach with the Panthers. But Wednesday’s game was his first as head coach.

(Wegner) Yeah, this place is a place that you dream about playing. I think every kid in America and in Wisconsin dreams of playing in the big leagues, and in this ballpark for our guys it’s a pretty cool experience. But really when it boils down to it once the game that first pitch starts it’s just a baseball game you’ve got to try and use your instincts as best you can.

(Wegner) I don’t think we played our best baseball but we found a way to win and we’ll try to carry that into the weekend.

(Take me out to the ballgame…)

(Go) For Media Milwaukee, I’m David Go.