1st Team Preseason All-Wisconsin

The 2016 spring baseball season is nearly here, and with it comes a plethora of fantastic players taking the field all around the state. We’ve set out to pick the best of the best: players who can influence games in ways that others can’t and help lead their teams to success. Obviously, there are hundreds of players in the state but only a handful of spots available on our preseason All-Wisconsin teams. As a result, there will be players that could have made the teams, but were left out for one reason or another. To pick the teams, we used the following selection criteria: statistics from the previous year, overall talent/ability as a player, and strength of opposition faced throughout the year. The most emphasis was placed on statistics from last year. With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at Wisconsin Baseball Central’s Preseason All-Wisconsin teams. In this edition, we have the 1st team.

Catcher: Ben Rortvedt, Verona

A strong case can be made that Rortvedt is the best player in Wisconsin this year, and for good reason. Last spring the Arkansas commit batted .437 for Verona with 17 extra base hits, including 5 home runs. His 29 RBIs were the best on the team. He only struck out 6 times in 107 plate appearances, and his on base percentage was .533. Rortvedt participated in the Perfect Game All-American Classic last summer, and he’ll be a player that many scouts keep an eye on as the MLB Draft approaches this summer.

Infielder: Gavin Lux, Kenosha Indian Trail

If Rortvedt isn’t the best player in Wisconsin, then Lux is. The Arizona State commit helped Indian Trail reach the state quarterfinals last year with his .481 batting average, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 17 steals and 32 RBIs. He struck out just twice in 120 plate appearances. Like Rortvedt, he also played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic last summer, and he figures to be a name to watch when the MLB Draft rolls around.

Infielder: Justin Lavey, Kenosha Tremper

Lavey, a three year varsity player at Tremper, had his finest season as a Trojan last year. The Louisville commit batted .423 with 3 triples, 3 home runs and 21 RBIs. His on base percentage was .521, which proved to be lethal to his opponents given the fact that he stole 30 bases. Not one to get himself out very often, Lavey only tallied 4 strikeouts in 97 plate appearances. Both Kenosha Tremper and Kenosha Indian Trail should be highly ranked teams this year, and it’ll be interesting to see their rivalry play out now that it features two of the best players in the state in their senior years.

Infielder: Jeff Holtz, Arrowhead

Holtz was a freshman starter on the team that was ranked #1 in the state for most of the year last spring, and he’s already committed to play baseball at Indiana University. He batted .465 for Arrowhead in his first taste of high school baseball and bashed 11 doubles, 2 home runs, and 21 RBIs. His 40 hits and .521 on base percentage were both second best on the team. Arrowhead will be a top team again this year, and Holtz should be a big part of that.

Infielder: Jake Hall, Lake Country Lutheran

Hall was the starting shortstop for Lake Country Lutheran’s state title-winning teams for the past two years. Last year, he batted .425 with 11 extra base hits and 27 RBIs. However, his speed is arguably the most valuable part of his game. He stole 35 bases last year, a total which is among the highest in the state. The senior will lead the way as the Lightning try to win their third consecutive state championship.

Outfielder: Johnny Duranso, Arrowhead

Duranso had the best batting average on the Arrowhead squad last year. He hit .477 with 7 extra base hits, 27 RBIs, and 24 runs scored. It all culminated in being named a 1st team all-state outfielder. If that type of production continues this spring, the UW-Oshkosh commit will be a terror for Wisconsin Little Ten pitchers to face.

Outfielder: Nick Winter, Milwaukee Lutheran

Winter helped Milwaukee Lutheran claim their first state championship since 2003 last season. The UW-Milwaukee commit batted .475 for the champions with 7 doubles, 5 triples and 13 RBIs. He is one of the best players on the base paths in Wisconsin. He stole 32 bases last year, including 3 in the Division 2 state championship game. Winter is just one of several returning players from last year’s squad, so Milwaukee Lutheran will undoubtedly be looking to win back-to-back titles this June.

Outfielder: Dominic Clementi, Arrowhead

Clementi, a University of Michigan commit, is the third Arrowhead player to be named to the Preseason 1st Team All-Wisconsin squad. Last year, he batted .422 with 9 extra base hits (including 2 home runs, of which one was a walk-off) and 16 RBIs. He was a very productive player at the top of the lineup. He scored 37 runs for the Warhawks, which was the team’s highest total by far. He also led the team in on-base percentage with a .523 percentage.

Pitcher: Jack Eagan, Wautoma

Eagan won the Gatorade Player of the Year award in Wisconsin last year following his junior campaign for Wautoma. The Indiana commit pitched 47.1 innings, had a 0.89 ERA, and struck out 80 batters. He gave up just 6 earned runs in 10 starts. He was also a threat at the plate with a .463 batting average, 4 home runs and 32 RBIs.

Pitcher: Ryan Schmitt, Arrowhead

Last year, Arrowhead had one of the most formidable pitching staffs ever featured on a high school baseball team in Wisconsin. By the numbers, Schmitt was the best of that bunch. In 48.2 innings pitched, the University of Illinois commit went 8-0 and posted a 0.29 ERA. He struck out 75 batters and only gave up 13 walks. What is perhaps most impressive though is the fact that he only allowed two earned runs all season. Arrowhead will once again have one of the best pitching rotations in the state, and Schmitt will be one of their top hurlers.

Pitcher: Keaton Knueppel, Verona

Kneuppel was stellar on the mound last year for Verona. The Gonzaga commit pitched 61 innings for the Wildcats and finished the year with an 8-2 record. His 1.26 ERA and 78 strikeouts were both the best on the team. If he continues to make strides this year, hitters in the Big 8 Conference will have a lot of trouble scoring runs against him.

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