Blue Wahoos Create Special Memories, Economic Impact With Wisconsin-Whitewater, College Baseball Tournament 

His SUV was packed with enough luggage, players’ equipment and three passengers that Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball coach John Vodenlich had just enough room to drive.

This has been a rite of spring routine.

And it has been blissful.

Nine months removed from winning the school’s third NCAA Division III national championship in dominant style, the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks are back in Pensacola set to launch another run.

The team is hosting its seventh annual Blue Wahoos Challenge, a 10-day set of 21 games featuring eight teams from five different states playing games at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

At the urging of Blue Wahoos owners Quint and Rishy Studer, both Wisconsin-Whitewater graduates, this college baseball event has enabled teams from Wisconsin and other states the opportunity to practice, compete and enjoy Pensacola’s weather, beaches, amenities and hospitality.

“This was Quint’s vision from the get-go” said Vodenlich, one of the most successful NCAA D-3 baseball coaches in history with a current 778-238-1 record that is the seventh best win percentage all-time at this classification.

“And I think how he views it I think it’s a win-win. The community wins, because we’re coming down with all these teams and players,” Vodenlich said. “And we wouldn’t be coming here otherwise. And it’s a win for us and the teams coming here.

“Quint was the architect and he was very clear on what he wanted to do. And I think we accomplished it.”

The Blue Wahoos supply the venue. The teams pay for their transportation, lodging and food. They stay at hotels or rental properties on Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach, or 0elsewhere in the area.

The Warhawks have 35 players in their traveling party, along with seven coaches and support personnel. Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa brings 50 players.

Other teams’ travel with rosters that are within those numbers. The teams bring parents and relatives and friends to watch the games and spend tourism money for 10 days in Pensacola. In playing 21 games in a 10-day span, it brings a residual effect with area restaurants, attractions and lodging.

“Think about this, you have eight teams buying food, lodging, rental vehicles and going places. It’s huge,” Vodenlich said. “And whether you fly or drive, it’s relatively easy to get here.”

Vodenlich drives in advance of his players arriving on planes. He divides the trip with a stay in Nashville, then on to Pensacola. From Wisconsin to Pensacola, the 1,045 miles are mostly on an Interstate highway.

“For us, we have this amazing place to play and our families have a great venue to watch.” Vodenlich said.

The Warhawks began a new season Feb. 19-21 at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They dropped three of the four games – two of which were one-run losses.

One of their starting pitchers, junior Brady Malkow, sustained an elbow injury after pitching and winning the opening game. He will be lost for the season after Tommy John elbow surgery.

Whitewater lost 12 seniors and had four others from the 2025 championship team transfer to Division I programs in this age of NIL money. The bulk of his teams are made up of Wisconsin and Illinois players, sprinkled with players from other parts of the country.

Starting second baseman, senior Andy Thies, is from Tallahassee and a graduate of Chiles High. He batted .335 last year with 14 homers and 68 RBI.

“I still feel good,” Vodenlich said. “We got a lot of great kids.”

It’s a winning culture the Warhawks have forged over decades of success. When his team arrived in Pensacola last year, Vodenlich knew it was going to be a special year, barring injury misfortune.

Whitewater finished 49-6, including a sweep of their games in Pensacola, then outscoring opposition by a combined 74-19 in five straight wins at the NCAA Division III World Series.

“We finished runnerup the year before (2024) and most of those players were coming back and with the right attitude,” Vodenlich said. “They were not happy with finishing second. It could have been a cause for celebration, but most of them were not happy about it.

“They were very focused. Very special. That was the most impressive thing about it.”

The national title followed titles in 2014 and 2005. The latest one reinforces why Vodenlich loves coaching.

“That’s why we play for it,” he said. “And it’s like the purest part of the game. It’s not about the money, it’s not about anything other than just competing and trying to be the best.”

This year’s Blue Wahoos Challenge includes two new teams – Nebraska-Wesleyan from Lincoln, Neb. and Trinity College from Hartford, Connecticut.

It also includes a new venue for one day – on March 13 three games will be played at John Melvin Christian College’s field in Pace, due to a corporate event happening at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Those games on March 13 can also been seen on a live stream broadcast: www.johnmelvinlive.com.

Former pro player and Gulf Breeze High graduate Pete Della Ratta, part of the Pensacola Pelicans’ inaugural 2002 season, is now vice president at John Melvin Christian College and has lent its field for the day.

Vodenlich begins working on logistics for the next Blue Wahoos Challenge as soon as the current one ends. By September, he has the teams in place.

“Word of mouth,” he said, when asked the biggest factor in getting teams to travel to Pensacola. “Through word of mouth they heard we were doing this and they start contacting us.

“And typically I just tell them, let me know what your dates are, then as soon as I confirm our dates to play here in Pensacola, I let them know. If it falls within that window that works for them, we try to accommodate.

“I send an email out to the entire 400 team mail list for Division III. Most of the teams already have plans, or they had a different date on when they can travel like this. Usually, I get 10-15 inquiries about it, requesting more details. We don’t follow up unless the dates work.”

“But it’s just great to play here.”

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Blue Wahoos Challenge College Baseball

WHEN: March 9-18. Game times vary.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium, John Melvin Christian College (March 13).

ADMISSION: $14.25 all day pass.

TEAMS: Wisconsin-Whitewater (host school), Grinnell (Iowa) College, Edgewood University (Madison, Wisc.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wisc.), Sewanee (Tenn.) University, Trinity College (Hartford, Conn.), Nebraska-Wesleyan (Lincoln, Neb.), Concordia University-Wisconsin (Mequon, Wisc.)

SCHEDULE:

March 12: Wisconsin-Whitewater vs. Sewanee (10 a.m.), Carroll vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (1 p.m.), Grinnell vs. Concordia Wisconsin (7 p.m.)

March 13 (all games at the home field of John Melvin Christian College in Pace, FL): Wisconsin-Whitewater vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (10 a.m.), Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Concordia Wisconsin (1 p.m.), Grinnell vs. Edgewood (4 p.m.). Games can be viewed on live stream at www.johnmelvinlive.com.

March 14: Edgewood vs. Trinity (10 a.m.), Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Carroll (1 p.m.), Concordia Wisconsin vs. Grinnell (4 p.m.)

March 15: Wisconsin-Whitewater vs. Carroll (10 a.m.), Concordia Wisconsin vs. Trinity (4 p.m.), Edgewood vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (7 p.m.)

March 16: Edgewood vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater (11 a.m.), Trinity vs. Grinnell (4 p.m.)

March 17: Edgewood vs. Trinity (10 a.m.)

March 18: Trinity vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater (9 a.m.)/