Wisconsin Baseball Central
Legion Week 4 Power Rankings
Note: these are our last American Legion baseball power rankings of the summer. The postseason begins this week.
Honorable Mentions
Madison Impact
Kewaunee County Lakers
Green Bay Shockers
Marinette
Waupun Post 210
Sheboygan Post 83
10. Watertown Post 189
Last week: 7
Watertown is 21-8 this season after going 3-2 last week. As the hosts of the Class AAA state tournament, they are guaranteed a spot in the field and therefore do not need to win their regional to advance. Still, they will square off with teams like the Madison Impact (honorable mention this week) and Oconomowoc in games that should help them prepare to make a run for the state title later this month.
9. Onalaska Post 336
Last week: 9
Onalaska got swept in a doubleheader on Sunday night by Viroqua to drop their record to 25-8 this season. They are the second highest ranked Class AA team this week, only behind Menasha. Their 25 wins is one of the highest totals in the state, if not the highest. Post 336 will open up postseason play this week, and they’re the favorites to win their regional, although teams like the Baraboo Bandits and La Crosse North Stars will hope to give them a run for their money.
8. Menasha Twins
Last week: 8
The Twins stay put in the #8 spot this week. Last week they went 3-1, with their only loss at the hands of #3 Oshkosh. They are now 18-4 this summer, and still the highest ranked Class AA team in the Power Rankings. They won the state tournament last year, and they’ll have a good chance to defend their title this year. Their regional is very winnable, as they are the only team in their bracket that finished well above .500. They open up regional action against Waupaca on Wednesday.
7. Wisconsin Dells Post 187
Last week: 10
Post 187 has been one of the most consistent teams in Wisconsin this summer, and they should be considered the favorites to win the state title in Class A. They have a 23-2 record at this point in the year, and they don’t necessarily need to win their regional to get to the state tournament. Should West Salem win the regional and the Dells take second, they would both make it to the tourney. Of course, they’ll probably want to take matters into their own hands and leave nothing up to chance by winning the regional, which they are certainly capable of.
6. Plover Black Sox
Last week: 6
The Black Sox hosted the Central Wisconsin Classic this weekend and made a run to the title game before losing to the Madison Impact to take second place in the tournament. The successful tournament campaign capped off a 5-2 week, and they are now 20-9 this season. They’re in for a tough fight in their regional, which also features #5 Marshfield. Plover and Marshfield finished as state champions and state runners-up last season, respectively, but only one of them at most can make it to the state tournament this year. They could also get a tough game from the likes of Wausau (14-19) and the Stevens Point Sixers along the way.
5. Marshfield Blue Devils
Last week: 3
Marshfield only drops two spots in the rankings this week because of how well Beloit and Oshkosh played, but the Blue Devils still managed to stay in the top five. They went 1-1 last week to make their overall record 20-6. They lost to #2 Eau Claire on Tuesday, which was the second time they lost to Post 53 this year. In fact, all five of their losses this year have come from teams that are ranked this week (two to Plover, two to Eau Claire, and one to Sheboygan). Their struggles against the top teams might be a little worrisome, but they will have a chance to rectify that in regionals. They figure to clash with Plover in the battle for the state tournament berth. When all is said and done, either the #5 or #6 team in the state will be sitting out the state tourney (barring a scenario where neither of them make it, of course).
4. Beloit
Last week: 5
Beloit had an impressive 6-0 run last week to help them climb up a spot in the rankings. They are 24-5 this summer, and have one regular season game remaining on Monday night. Their postseason regional will give them some tough competition. It features some good teams like Genoa City (20-12) and Janesville Post 205 (17-10), but Beloit will be the favorites for a reason. They have seven starters batting over .300 and their top two pitchers have sub-2 ERAs. They missed out on the state tournament last year, but they have all the goods needed to get there this summer.
3. Oshkosh
Last week: 4
Oshkosh picked up a couple of really good wins last week. They hammered the Green Bay Shockers (honorable mention this week) on Friday and came from behind to beat #8 Menasha on Sunday. They are now 20-3 this season and are ready to begin postseason play. Their regional is fairly weak and very winnable for Oshkosh. Their stiffest competition on paper is Kimberly, but the Cougars have forfeited their last couple of games. Ultimately, it would be a pretty big upset if anyone besides Oshkosh wins the Appleton regional.
2. Eau Claire
Last week: 2
Eau Claire went 4-0 last week and picked up an impressive win over #5 Marshfield to make their record 21-3 this summer. They closed out the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of the Superior Reds on Sunday. They’re the firm favorites to win their postseason regional, which features the likes of Chippewa Falls and La Crosse Post 52. As the only ranked team in the field, Eau Claire should feel confident about their chances of returning to the state tournament.
1. De Pere
Last week: 1
De Pere remains in the #1 spot entering the postseason with a 23-5 record. Last week they dropped a game to the Green Bay Shockers (honorable mention this week) but bounced back with a convincing win over Ash Port. They have one of the most powerful offenses in the state. The one through nine spots in their batting order are all capable of having game-changing performances on any given day. Center fielder Emmett Kulick batted .579 in conference play with four home runs and 23 RBIs, while left fielder Connor Rutherford hit .483 with 16 RBIs and six extra base hits in conference action. De Pere hosts a regional this week, which also features Green Bay Southwest, Manitowoc Post 88, and Sheboygan Post 83. They open up their postseason campaign against Manitowoc on Wednesday. Ultimately, De Pere has a great chance to reach the state tournament and compete for their first title since 2008 and the Great Lakes Regional berth that comes along with it.
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