The Leader

[Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge]

Milwaukee Panther baseball player Mike Goetz is leading the team with an unbelievable .469 batting average after 13 games this season, earning the centerfielder the March 3, 2006 title of Horizon League Player of the Week.

"A guy on the team congratulated me," Goetz said. "I really don't think it's that big of a deal. It is an honor, but the season is too long to let something like this get to my head."

Goetz started his baseball career in Franklin, WI where he played for Franklin High School. His college career began at MATC in Milwaukee for one semester and he was recruited to play for MATC-Madison for a year and a half. He then played for the Northwoods Summer League, which allowed for a smooth transition from MATC - Madison to UWM.

Goetz has been one of the top leadoff hitters in the Horizon League since last spring. This season Goetz is leading the team with 23 hits and five stolen bases. He is also third on the team in RBIs with 10.

"It was always a goal of mine to go to a D1 school," said Goetz. "I had to take the junior college route to get to D1, but I'm here."

The Panthers are off to a 5-8 record that includes a very impressive victory over Missouri, ranked 20th, on March 5.

"That was the most exciting game I ever played in," Goetz said. "That was a team we needed to beat to become a super-regional type of team. We got compliments from some of their players; it was a good feeling to earn their respect."

When looking at the 5-8 record, one may think that UWM is off to an unusually poor start, but history reveals that isn't the case. Over the past several seasons, the baseball team has started slow and picked things up later in the season. Part of the reason is the weather; other southern teams have the opportunity to practice outside every day, while UWM is limited to fielding balls and hitting in cages in the Klotsche Center.

Of the Panther's final 22 games, 13 will be played here in Milwaukee. UWM's first home game isn't until April 8 at Miller Park. They will host the Butler Bulldogs in a doubleheader after the Brewers play the Diamondbacks.

"The field [at Miller Park] is the nicest I've ever played on," Goetz said. "But once you are out there, everything is the same. It's the same size field, and you don't notice that you are in a huge stadium."

Goetz also broke a UWM hitting record by consecutively recording a hit in 24 straight games. The record hitting streak was 22 games, set in 2001.

With such a stellar college career, and a wide variety of baseball experience, Goetz hopes to continue his future in baseball, but isn't holding his breath.

"I'm shooting for it, but that's something I can't determine," he said. "It's not my decision. It's up to a guy in the stands. By making that a goal, it makes playing counterproductive. I just play as hard as I can."

Article Tools