Division 4 Preseason Rankings

The 2016 spring season is nearly here, and it's time to take a look ahead to what Wisconsin will have to offer this year. Preseason rankings, exciting as they may be, are subjective and up for debate. There will undoubtedly be ranked teams that go through struggles this season, while unranked teams that were overlooked will come from nowhere to make some noise. With that being said, the following teams are who we at Wisconsin Baseball Central feel will be the best of the best this year. Read on to see our Division 4 preseason rankings.

Honorable Mentions

Bangor

Argyle

Niagara

10. Oakfield

The Oaks hovered around .500 last year and reached the regional finals before they were defeated by Johnson Creek. They have a handful of important players back this season, including four all-conference picks. 1st team all-conference infielder Johnny Bovee returns alongside 2nd team outfielders Joey Ruplinger and Jered Strong. 2nd team pitcher Parker Dietzel will be an important contributor on the mound. If everything comes around for Oakfield this year, they should compete for one of the top spots in the Trailways North Conference.

9. Weston

The Silver Eagles took second place in the Ridge & Valley Conference last year, only finishing behind state runner-up Ithaca. They will have five starters returning from that 16-win team, including their best player: Mark Klang. The senior batted .507 last year with 10 extra base hits and 22 RBIs. He’ll be joined by Marcus Schmitt (.405 average, 21 RBIs), Ramsey Arneson (.317 average, 11 RBIs) and Trenton Boland (.250 average, 24 runs scored) to form a potent offense. Klang is also their ace on the mound. Last spring he went 9-3 in 77.2 innings with a 1.35 ERA and 96 strikeouts. However, Klang is Weston’s only returning pitcher with more than five innings pitched. The offense should be good, but pitching is an uncertainty for the Silver Eagles. If a couple of players can step up on the mound, they should put up a fight against Ithaca for the conference crown this season.

8. Johnson Creek

The Blue Jays tied for second place in the Trailways South Conference behind state champions Rio last spring, and they have six starters back this year. They will need to replace some of their best players, but the returning starters are good enough to get the job done. Alex David (.295 average, 33 runs scored), Nick Williams (.275 average, 17 RBIs) and Dakota Pastorius (.312 average, 15 RBIs) will all be important bats in the lineup. Williams (7-3, 60.1 innings, 2.20 ERA) was the Blue Jays’ #2 pitcher last year, and he should be the ace this spring. David (17.2 innings, 4.75 ERA) will also provide important innings.

7. Pecatonica

The Vikings went 20-5 last year and won the Six Rivers Eastern Conference but were upset in the first round of the playoffs by Barneveld. They’ll have several key contributors back this season, and an all-conference player in every area of the game. Catcher Brooks Chandler, infielder Kyle Kleppe and outfielder Gavin Burdick all received 1st team all-conference honors last year. AJ Hendrickson, a 1st team all-conference pitcher, returns as the team’s best pitcher. The Vikings will certainly be capable of defending their conference championship this spring.

6. Hurley

The Midgets (yes, that’s their real mascot) won the Indianhead Conference last year and finished the season 15-11. They have seven returning starters this spring along with their three best pitchers. Dante Bender (.403 average, 25 RBIs) and Mitch Maki (.447 average, 13 RBIs) are back as the team’s top hitters, but they’ll be supported by Austin Kolpin (.385 average, 8 RBIs) and Ronnie Nickel (.328 average, 13 RBIs). Maki (6-2, 52.2 innings, 1.46 ERA) and Bender (5-3, 44 innings, 2.23 ERA) are also the team’s top pitchers, followed by Kolpin (2-0, 17 innings, 2.06 ERA), who rounds out the rotation. Hurley looks to be in good shape to defend their conference title and improve on last year’s regional semifinal postseason exit.

5. Rib Lake

The Redmen won 18 games and made it to the state tournament last year, but they were defeated by Ithaca in the semifinals. They’ll have five starters back this year, as well as two of their top four pitchers. The top of their lineup—leadoff man Austin Ewan (.281 average, 15 RBIs, 16 steals), two-hitter Austin Zondlo (.211 average, 10 RBIs, 9 steals) and three-hitter Bryan Solis Arenivas (.333 average, 20 RBIs)—returns entirely intact. Solis Arenivas (6-1, 52.2 innings, 1.32 ERA) and Joe Frombach (0-2, 22.1 innings, 1.57 ERA) are the only returning pitchers with varsity experience, so pitching depth is a question mark for Rib Lake.

4. Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran

The Lancers went 18-6 last year and have five all-conference players returning this spring. 1st teamers Tim Schaller, Bryan Sydow and Levi Schaller are joined by 2nd teamers Riley Sotnyk and Sam Lisak to form the heart of the team. While they finished in second place of the Dairyland Conference last year, the Lancers should be confident they can compete for the top spot this season.

3. McDonell Central

The Macks were the top team in Division 4 for most of the 2015 season, but they were stunned in their first playoff game by Owen-Withee. They will have six starters returning this season. Central Michigan commit Zach Gilles will lead the way along with 2nd team all-conference picks Dalton Hutton and Nick Rooney. While McDonell lost their top pitcher from last year, they will have arms capable of filling the void. The Cloverbelt West Conference will be competitive this spring, and McDonell Central should be right in the thick of things.

2. Rio

The defending Division 4 state champions return with the majority of their team intact this spring. They have five returning starters and three of their top four pitchers back in the mix. Preseason 3rd Team All-Wisconsinite Trajan Prochnow will be one of the team’s most important players on both sides of the ball. On the mound last year, he went 7-0 with a 1.45 ERA in 48 innings. At the plate, he batted .430 with 26 RBIs. Other top returning hitters include Trevor Kearney (.449 average, 16 doubles), Jacob Black (.352 average, 26 RBIs) and Decker Dyle (.375 average, 17 RBIs). Kearney (3-0, 29 innings, 3.86 ERA) and Black (4-2, 21 innings, 2.33 ERA) both having pitching experience as well. All things considered, the Vikings are in good shape to defend their state title this year.

1. Ithaca

In 2014, Ithaca reached the Division 4 state semifinals. Last year, they reached the state title game. This year, the Bulldogs look primed to take the only step they haven’t taken yet. They have eight starters and their entire pitching staff returning from last year’s state runner-up team. Jacob Huebsch (.427 average, 26 RBIs), Caleb Olson (.341 average, 23 RBIs), Joey Clary (.387 average, 18 RBIs) and Cody Klossowski (.373 average, 19 RBIs) are just a few of the Bulldogs’ top hitters returning. Huebsch (11-2, 77 innings, 1.36 ERA, 118 strikeouts) is also the team’s ace, while Nolan Clary (4-1, 33.2 innings, 2.70 ERA) and Luke Oelke (5-1, 27.2 innings, 2.28 ERA) have valuable varsity experience. Ithaca has all of the goods needed to return to the state tournament for the third year in a row. More importantly, they have the goods to finish the deal this time.

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Note: Stats for Weston, Johnson Creek and Hurley were found on wissports.net.