La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team clinched its 13th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championship in school history Monday night after UW-Stevens Point was swept in a doubleheader at UW-Whitewater.  It is the first league title for the Eagles since 2000.  UW-L, 27-9 overall and 18-2 in the WIAC, tied a school record for single-season victories (27) with its doubleheader sweep at UW-Superior April 29.  The Eagles finished 27-14 overall in 2000.

By virtue of winning the league championship, UW-L will be the top-seed and host the WIAC Tournament May 11-12.  The top-four teams in the final league standings advance to the double elimination tournament.  The tournament winner receives the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship.

This year's conference title is the first outright championship for UW-L since 1978.  The team also won outright crowns in 1972, 1973, 1976 and 1977.  UW-L tied for the WIAC title in 1958, 1960, 1963, 1975, 1979, 1991 and 2000. 

UW-L has a five-game lead in this year's league standings with four games remaining.  UW-Stevens Point is in second-place (13-7) while UW-Whitewater (12-8) is third and UW-Oshkosh fourth (10-14). 

UW-Superior is currently in fifth-place (8-12) followed by UW-Stout (6-14) and UW-Platteville (5-15).

Since dropping a twinbill at UW-Stevens Point April 5, UW-L has won 15 of its last 16 games overall, including 14 straight conference contests.  The Eagles lone loss in the last 16 games came to St. Olaf College (Minn.) April 26 by the score of 6-3.  UW-L earned a 6-3 victory over the Oles in the first game of the doubleheader.

UW-L is 13-1 at home this season.

Head coach Chris Schwarz, who earned his 150th career victory earlier this season at UW-L, is in his eighth season at the helm of the Eagles.  He was named the 2006 WIAC Coach of the Year after UW-L finished 22-19 overall and 15-9 in the conference.  Schwarz was also selected the 2006 Wisconsin College Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association.

Schwarz, a member of UW-L's last conference title team in 2000, was a four-year letter winner (1999-2002) for the Eagles and was selected to the 2002 All-WIAC Team after pitching in a school record 19 games.  He is second in career saves at UW-L with 10.  A member of two WIAC Championship teams (1998, 2000), Schwarz was a team captain in 2002.

Schwarz is assisted by Scott Gillitzer, Joe Mohr, Matt Kloss and Kent Van Egtern this season.