The UWM Panthers got a taste of big-league life on Friday, taking on the Milwaukee Brewers in an exhibition game at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix.
The Panthers managed two hits off of Brewers pitchers, singles by senior second baseman Billy Quirke and redshirt freshman shortstop Mike Ferri, in the 11-0 loss.
Five UWM pitchers — seniors Adam Reuss and Jay Peters, sophomores Jared Reklaitis and Jake Sommers, and junior Brandon Parr — tallied scoreless innings against the Brewers, who fielded much of their regular lineup.
UWM head coach Scott Doffek appreciated the experience, if not the result.
“It’s a day we circle on the calendar, as soon as we see it on there,” Panthers coach Scott Doffek told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Most of our kids are Midwest or Wisconsin kids, so they all grew up watching the big-league guys. So, getting a chance to compete against them was great. Unfortunately, we did not play very well.
“Whether we’re playing big-league guys or not, that just wasn’t a very good brand of baseball from our side of things.”
This is the third consecutive year that the Brewers have played UWM in an exhibition game.
“Only a handful of major league teams offer that opportunity to a college team, so we feel extremely fortunate,” Doffek said recently. “It’s an experience our players never forget. They’ll always remember pitching against Ryan Braun or hitting against a Brewer.”
UWM will also play a regular season game at Miller Park, when the Panthers face Horizon League rival Oakland University on April 30.
