2015 Division 1 Preseason Rankings

Honorable Mentions

Janesville Parker

Burlington

Watertown

Sheboygan South

10. Kenosha Tremper

The Trojans finished last spring winning nine of their final 12 games before being knocked out of the playoffs by eventual semifinalists Wilmot Union in the regional finals. This year they will have eight of their top nine hitters returning, including several high-level talents. Louisville commit Justin Lavey (.333 batting average), UW-Whitewater commit Noah Jensen (.342 average), and first baseman Jeff Steuck (.296 average) will lead the way for Tremper at the plate. On the mound, three of their top four pitchers will return, while about 50% of last year’s innings are back in total. Keith Kutzler will try to build on last year’s performance (4-3, 3.40 ERA), along with Zach Fuhrer (3.21 ERA) and Andrew Freiburg (0.91 ERA). If things go right for Tremper, they will be a very tough team to beat this spring.

9. Janesville Craig

The Cougars won 16 games last season and made it to the sectional semifinals before being knocked out by crosstown rivals Janesville Parker. This spring, Craig will have either five or six returning starters, and two of their top three pitchers back on the mound. Seniors Nick Blomgren and McCauley Cox will lead an offense that will help the Cougars be competitive in a lot of games and compete for a Big 8 championship.

8. West De Pere

After finishing 3rd in the Bay Conference last year, West De Pere went on to the sectional finals before being defeated by Kimberly, one game away from the state tournament. While the Phantoms did lose some talent to graduation, they have plenty of quality ballplayers coming back. Like last year, Brendan Meissner (0.95 ERA), a commit to the University of Illinois, will be the team’s ace. Offensively, the Phantoms have four returning all-conference players, including infielders Matt Bald, Meissner and Beau Mommaerts, and designated hitter Reece Lade.

7. Kimberly

Last year’s state runners-up, the Papermakers bring back four starters this year, including Ben Carew (.333 average), Griffin Hawley (.380), and Brice Swick (.389). On the mound, Swick (3.20 ERA) and Hawley (1.80 ERA) will team up with Ethan Taggart (2.00 ERA) to shut down opposing offenses. If some of last year’s backups can fill the holes left by the class of 2014, Kimberly could very well get back to the state tournament this year.

6. Sun Prairie

The Cardinals have won the Division 1 state championship three years in a row, and they could compete for another title this spring. Four starters return from last spring’s team, all of whom hit over .270 (3 hit over .305), including 2nd team all-state infielder Mike Brekke (.413 average). Kanyon Fellers (1.08 ERA) and Marquis Reuter (1.80 ERA), 2 of their top pitchers from last spring, will lead Sun Prairie on the mound, but beyond those two there will be holes to fill in the rotation. Luckily for the Cardinals, those holes can be filled by a JV squad that went 23-2 last year.

5. Oshkosh North

The Spartans lost a tight game to Sun Prairie in last year’s sectional finals after finishing the season 2nd place in the highly competitive FVA. Four all-conference players return from that team, including UCONN commit and 3rd team all-state pitcher Alex Hintze (8-2, 1.53 ERA). Overall they’ll have six returning starters, and three pitchers back as well. They should be solid on the mound, but they lost some of their best bats in the lineup so a couple of younger guys will need to step up if Oshkosh North is to win the FVA this year.

4. Appleton North

The Lightning were FVA champions last year, and reached the sectional semifinals before being defeated by West De Pere. 1st team all-FVA pitcher Jack Harvath and shortstop/Nebraska recruit Alex Henwood will lead a talented Appleton North team, which has seemed to be the norm in recent years. Four everyday starters return for North, with six or seven contributors back overall. The pitching staff will get a huge boost by the return of Kent State commit Connor Wollersheim, who is back after Tommy John surgery. Taylor Borchers, a Gonzaga commit, has also seen his stock on the mound rise dramatically recently, with his fastball touching the upper 80s. Tyce Wheeler, one of the best catchers in the conference, will also be back for his senior year. Their pitching is what really pushed them towards the top of the rankings. It will be very difficult to score against the Lightning, and their offense should do enough to win them a lot of ball games.

3. Eau Claire North

The Huskies won the Big Rivers Conference last year, and posted a 19-3 record along the way. Seven key contributors will return from that team, including four all-conference players (three first teamers). Isaac Gibson (.347 batting average), an honorable mention all-state player last year, will lead the offense along with Caleb Hurt and Nate Sorenson (both 1st team all-Big Rivers). Adam LaRock, one of the best juniors in Wisconsin, will contribute both offensively and on the mound. Besides him, Ryan Dickerson and Tyler Voegeli return with pitching experience. Ultimately, North’s success will come down to pitching. If they can get another guy or two to step up on the mound, they will be one of the best teams in Wisconsin again this year.

2. Arrowhead

Arrowhead is making the switch from summer baseball to spring ball this year, and that move will definitely benefit the program. Now that they’re playing in the spring, some of the best players in Wisconsin will join their ranks. Pitcher Jack Bredeson and outfielder Dominic Clementi, both University of Michigan commits, will get their first taste of spring baseball, along with Florida commit Nathan Brown. Ryan Schmitt, who will pitch for Western Kentucky University in the future, will also suit up for Arrowhead. Mike Bauer, a first team all-conference player for Arrowhead last year is also back for his senior season. Johnny Duranso, one of the better juniors in the area, can provide a solid bat for the Warhawks as well. With three NCAA Division 1 caliber pitchers on their incredibly deep pitching staff, expect Arrowhead to be one of the top teams in Wisconsin and the favorites to win the Wisconsin Little Ten. The only worry they might have will be the length of time it takes for the players to gel, but that shouldn’t be an issue.

1. Bay Port

Bay Port brings back six all-conference players from their 22-win, state quarterfinalist team of a year ago. While Arrowhead may have the best pitching staff in Wisconsin, the Pirates have the next best thing in Division 1, bringing back 5 of their top 6 pitchers from last year. Texas A&M commit and FRCC co-player of the Year Dakota Klein (0.90 ERA), Notre Dame commit Connor Hock (0.72 ERA), and Chicago State commit Joe Baier (3.30 ERA, .333 batting average) will be their 3 frontline starters. Offensively, five starters return from last year’s team, all of whom batted over .280 (4 batted over .320). Four of those returning starters were all-conference players. Any holes that they have will be filled by last year’s JV squad, which had a 22-3 record. All things considered, Bay Port will be the team to beat this year in Division 1.

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