WAVERLY - A.J. Lewis has always been known as a defensive force.

But this spring, the catcher resembled Carlton Fisk. Go figure.

"I kinda wonder the same thing, to be honest," said the Wartburg backstop, when asked how he hit .417 during conference play. "(But) last offseason, me and my buddies were just in the cages all the time.

"I wanted to come around and help this team offensively to help take this team a step farther."

As it turns out, Lewis is in position to do just that this postseason. He can start tonight at 7 p.m., when Wartburg (26-13) takes on host Augustana (32-11) at an NCAA regional in Rock Island, Ill.

Though hitting hasn't always been a strength, Lewis has long been a pillar in the Knights' lineup. After all, his intensity is indespensible.

"He brings a toughness, mentally and physically, to this group of guys," noted Wartburg coach Joel Holst. "(Lewis is) that leader on the field. And offensively, he's improved his game quite a bit - his knack for coming up with the key hit has been big.

"He's kinda put the whole package together for us this season."

Holst trusts the junior catcher to call his own games - and call out teammates if it's called for. Six weeks ago, for instance, Lewis lit into teammates for a rash of angry bat-tossing after their strikeouts.

"It made our team look bad - like crybabies," Lewis explained.

"That's big," said senior hurler Luke Albert, "because (getting called out) means more coming from a peer than coming from a coach. … It gets you back on track. He's pretty intense in the dugout."

The backstop isn't afraid to take a bruise or two, either, while smothering wayward sliders.

"When the game's on the line, and it's a tight situation," said Holst, "A.J.'s ability to block bad pitches in the dirt (is huge)."

"I just expect that I can throw whatever I need to throw, and he's gonna stop it. With a guy on third base, that's a big deal," said Albert, 5-2 on the mound this season.

Lewis shrugs off such praise, saying his defense is simply instinctual.

Winning, too, has become a nearly involuntary act for Wartburg in recent weeks as the Knights have reeled off 10 wins in their last 12 contests.

With Lewis' passion behind the plate, Holst expects the 'W's to keep rolling in … even if the Rock Island regional features some especially strong clubs like Augustana, which happens to be hitting .352 as a team.

"Our guys have gone through this enough," said Holst, in his eighth NCAA Tournament in nine years, "that we just want them relaxed, but with a little edge, too."

Lewis should be able to supply the latter.

"I want everyone," said the catcher, "to have every confidence in the world that we can make it to the (Division III) World Series - and just have that swagger."

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com

DIVISION III REGIONAL BASEBALL

Who: No. 4 seed Wartburg (26-13) vs. No. 3 Augustana (32-11)

Where: Rock Island, Ill.

When: Tonight, 7 p.m.

What's at stake: A potential trip to the D-III World Series, at Appleton, Wis., next week.

Fast facts: Wartburg, hitting .310 as a team, is led by Jerrold Martijn (.395). …Tonight's winner plays Thursday at 7 p.m., versus the winner of the UW-Wisconsin-Stevens Point/Linfield first-round clash. … Augustana - which features seven lefties in its lineup - is led by John Wagle, currently hitting .426, with 10 homers and 59 RBIs. … Top seed Illinois Wesleyan (33-9) is the regional's odds-on favorite.