2015 Division 4 Preseason Rankings

Honorable Mentions

Bangor

Greenwood

Barneveld

10. Bruce

Bruce made it to the sectional finals last year after earning a top seed in the postseason, but they lost to state runner-up McDonell Central. This year they will have a group of players back with the experience of a deep playoff run under their belts, including three all-conference players. It remains to be seen if they can build on that experience, but if they can, Bruce will be a team to keep an eye on in 2014.

9. Pepin/Alma

The Eagles won 14 games last year and advanced to the sectional semifinals before losing to eventual state runner-up McDonell Central. A lot of their key players from that team are back this year, including five all-conference players. 1st teamers Lance Johnson and Brice Anibas will be among their best players this spring.

8. Highland

After going 20-6 in the regular season (and ending the year on a nine game winning streak), Highland lost in the first round of the playoffs last season. This year they’ve got three all-conference players coming back and six contributors returning overall. Three of those players batted over .300 last year, led by Austin Yager’s .440 average. Yager is also Highland’s ace on the mound. A year ago he posted a 2.45 ERA in over 71 innings pitched. Overall, they’ll have three of their top five pitchers back this year.

7. Johnson Creek

The Blue Jays were upset in the first round of the playoffs last year after narrowly missing out on the Trailways South championship to rivals Deerfield. This year they will have six starters returning offensively, and four pitchers with experience are coming back as well. 1st team all-conference catcher Hunter Garsky and 2nd team all-conference outfielder Alex David will lead the offense, while Cameron Walling and Nick Williams will be key contributors on the mound.

6. Cochrane-Fountain City

The Pirates were one of the best teams in Division 4 last year. They compiled 17 wins and reached the regional finals. They did lose several starters to graduation, but there is also a group of returning players ready to carry the burden. In total they will have eight letter winners back from last spring, three of whom were all-conference players. Senior Dylan Rodgers and sophomore Devin Zonick-Greenwald will be two of their key players this year as they seek to defend last year’s conference championship.

5. Pecatonica

The Vikings won 21 games last year en route to a second place finish in the Six Rivers Eastern Conference. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but a solid group of players are back after learning from that experience. Drew Schliem and Brooks Chandler were both 1st team all-conference last year, and they’ll provide stability in the Pecatonica lineup. In total, the Vikings will have four all-conference players back this spring.

4. Wausaukee

Wausaukee has been a Division 4 powerhouse over the last couple of years. In 2013 they played in the state tournament and last year they won 18 games, a conference title, and reached the sectional finals. This spring they’ll be a top team once again. Five all-conference players return from last year, including 1st teamers Aaron Schleis and Zach Orlando. The Rangers could get back to the state tournament this year if things go their way.

3. Pittsville

The Panthers won 21 games last year and made it to the state semifinals before falling to eventual state champions Lake Country Lutheran. This year they have six positional starters returning, including shortstop Aron Masanz (.451 batting average, 19 stolen bases), centerfielder Nathan Dupee (.361 average, 26 RBIs, 21 stolen bases), and catcher Paul Downs (.290 average, 21 RBIs). Pittsville’s pitching staff will be their main strength this year though. Three of their four most used pitchers are back. Downs (2.13 ERA), Dupee (2.63 ERA), and Jacob Schulz (1.40 ERA) form a formidable rotation that should take the Panthers far in both conference play and postseason action.

2. Ithaca

The Bulldogs finished last year as co-conference champs, won 17 games, and reached the state semifinals. It was a pretty successful season for Ithaca, but this year they might manage to do even better. They’ll have seven starters back from last year, and two of their top three pitchers as well. Offensively, second baseman Aaron Kepler (.403 batting average), leftfielder Joey Clary (.407 average), and first baseman Caleb Olson (.333 average) will be some of the threats Ithaca has. On the mound they’ll likely turn to Jacob Huebsch (5-0, 0.81 ERA) and Luke Oelke (2.19 ERA) to get things done. A return trip to state might be on the cards for the Bulldogs this year.

1. McDonell Central

The Macks came about as close as you can get to being state champions last year before being denied by Lake Country Lutheran in an 11 inning thriller of a title game. Although they came up just short last year, the good news for McDonell Central is that they have six everyday starters back in the lineup and two of their top three pitchers back on the mound. Centerfielder Zach Gilles (.420 batting average, 29 stolen bases) will team up with first baseman Nolan Baier (.473 average, 3 home runs, 36 RBIs), rightfielder Kendall Dorn (.277 average) and third baseman Jake Wiensch (.295 average) to lead the offense, while James Davis (2.30 ERA in 58.1 innings), last year’s ace, will be their go-to guy on the bump again. Beyond Davis, sophomore Keegan Swodoba (2.05 ERA) can give some quality innings on the mound for the Macks. Based on last year’s performance and the quality of the players that they have coming back, there’s no reason to believe McDonell Central won’t be a powerhouse in Division 4 this season.

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