Posted 4/22/08
UW-Platteville's Gabe Neitzel is a senior outfielder from Horicon, Wis. He leads the Pioneers into Wednesday's home doubleheader vs. UW-Whitewater, beginning at 1 p.m. The Pioneers are also home May 2 and 3, both against UW-Oshkosh.
How is your senior season going?
"It's going a lot better than last year, that's for sure. After last year's struggles, it's nice to get back on track this year and play as well as I can. As a team, we've had our ups and downs. We're inconsistent, but we have a real talented team and I think in the second half of the season we can make a push and definitely be in the top four of the conference. We haven't been there (to the WIAC playoffs) since I was a freshman. To play in the type of atmosphere would definitely be something we would like to do, especially with as many seniors as we have."
You put your name in the NCAA III record books as a sophomore when you hit two triples in an inning against UW-Superior. Do you ever look at the record books or think about what you accomplished?
"It was kind of cool. When it happened, it didn't really hit me that it was two triples in an inning. What did hit me later was that I hit two in one game, which doesn't happen too often. Then I found out the next day at practice I tied an NCAA record, and I thought that was really cool. The coolest part of that is I don't think anyone will ever hit three triples in an inning. So I will probably always have at least a share of that record."
You are much more than a baseball player, and you are involved with the campus radio station besides your studies. What would you like to do once you graduate?
"As long as I can remember, I've wanted to do radio, whether it be play-by-play or a sports talkshow. I definitely want a career in sports broadcasting, on the radio. Radio has always interested me more than television. Here, I've had the chance to call football and basketball, but in the summer I had the change to do some high school baseball games on the air, and that is absolutely by far my favorite thing to do. If I can find a job doing baseball play-by-play, that would be my dream job."
If you had a dream announcement to make about the last game of your collegiate career, what would be the call?
"The dream one would be making the call of us getting into the WIAC tournament. I would love to be able to be in the booth and make the call because that would be a huge moment for this team this year."
How did you get to be such a Red Sox fanatic?
"I am a card-carrying member of the Red Sox nation. When I was little, back in Horicon, we have the progression from t-ball, to pitching machine leagues to Little League. When I was in pitching machine league, our team was the Red Sox. It started from there. I loved Mo Vaughn back in the day, and it grew from there. It's probably a little out of control, to be honest. Some people will tell way I'm out of control, but that's OK with me. I have a Manny (Ramirez) jersey, a (David) Ortiz jersey, the Ted Williams jersey I got when I went to Fenway this year, and a (Jason) Varitek jersey. I have about 15 different shirts, five different hats and my Red Sox jacket. For a kid from Wisconsin, I have a lot of Red Sox memorabilia."
Interview by Sports Information Director Paul Erickson