Bracket Breakdown: Division 1
The Division 1 playoffs begin this Tuesday, and we've got you covered from the first pitch of the regional semifinals to the final out of the state championship game. Today we’ve got the most comprehensive breakdown of the Division 1 field that you can find. Read on for a breakdown of all the action.
There are several heavyweights that could be considered the favorites to win the state title. At this point in the season, the best bet is Kenosha Indian Trail. The Hawks are 22-3 this year, and they won the Southeast Conference title. Beyond the Hawks, you can look at Arrowhead (24-2), Janesville Craig (23-2), Sun Prairie (20-5) and Eau Claire Memorial (22-2) as definite title contenders. Let’s take an in-depth look at every sectional.
Sectional 1
Eau Claire North's Tanner Halvorson throws a pitch against River Falls this April. The Huskies are the No. 2 seed in sectional one. Photo by Spencer Flaten/Wisconsin Baseball Central.
Team to watch: Chippewa Falls
Sectional one will be played out in the west side of the state for the most part. Top-seeded Eau Claire Memorial is 22-2 this season and a co-champion of the Big Rivers Conference. They have beaten every team in the sectional, besides Stevens Point, Marshfield and Merrill (they haven’t played any of them). The pitching of Travis Berg and Storm Standiford has been phenomenal this year—the two have combined for just one loss this season.
No. 2 seed Eau Claire North (20-3) has one of the best offenses in the state, and it could carry them all the way to the state tournament. They have several starters batting over .300 this year. As a team, they’ve averaged 8.5 runs scored per game. They’ve beaten many of the teams in this sectional, but they got swept in two games against Eau Claire Memorial. If they want to go to state, they may need to avenge those losses.
Stevens Point, the No. 3 seed, is 20-3 this year. They’re the champions of the Wisconsin Valley Conference, and one of the most dangerous No. 3 seeds in the Division 1 field. They have some impressive wins on their résumé, including victories over Green Bay Preble (top seed in sectional two), Wausau West (No. 4 seed in sectional two) and DeForest (No. 3 seed in sectional three).
Our team to watch in this sectional is No. 4 seed Chippewa Falls (14-8). The Cardinals have beaten Eau Claire Memorial, Stevens Point and some of the other lower seeds in the bracket. They know that they can hang with the big boys in this sectional. Infielder Jake Sperry has been a game-changer for Chippewa Falls. He’s hitting .459 with 19 RBIs this season.
Among the other teams in this portion of the bracket, none really stand out. No. 5 seed Hudson is 8-10 this season, while defending sectional champion and No. 6 seed River Falls is 11-12. Don’t be stunned if all four top seeds make it to the sectional semifinals.
Sectional 2
Green Bay Preble's Jarrett Scheelk pitches against Bay Port this May. Preble is the top seed in sectional two. Photo by Spencer Flaten/Wisconsin Baseball Central.
Team to watch: Wausau West
Sectional two is the home to the co-champions of the Fox River Classic Conference. Top-seeded Green Bay Preble is 20-5 this season. They have proven themselves to be one of the top ten teams in the state this year. They’ve beaten Kimberly (top seed in sectional four), Stevens Point (No. 3 seed in sectional one) and Bay Port this year. They split their season series with the Pirates, so the only possible rubber match would be in the sectional final. The No. 2 seed Pirates are 19-4 this season and co-champions of the FRCC. They’re the defending sectional champions. Connor Sullivan (.397 average, 25 RBIs, 2 home runs) and Quinn Pierner (.366 average, 20 RBIs) are just two of the Pirate hitters that have over 10 RBIs this year. It might not be a stretch to say that Preble has a tougher road to the sectional final than Bay Port.
The highest-seeded team that the Pirates could face is No. 3 Pulaski. At one point this year, the Red Raiders were in first place in the FRCC, but they finished the year losing seven of their last eight games. They’ll need to turn things around if they want to make a playoff run.
The No. 4 seed, Wausau West, has finished the year on a much different note than Pulaski. Over their last 16 games, the Warriors went 14-2 to push their overall record to 17-7. That’s why they’re our team to watch in this sectional. They have the ability to beat all of the top seeds in this bracket.
No. 5 seed Antigo has shown that they can hang with some of the top teams in the state this year. The Red Robins are 16-5 this season and lost by just one run to both Sun Prairie (top seed in sectional six) and Waupaca (a top-ranked team in Division 2). A potential matchup between Antigo and Wausau West could be a great game in the early rounds.
Green Bay East/West, the No. 6 seed, made it to sectionals last year and is 13-10 this season. They’ve got some good players, such as Trent Bauer (.316 average, 17 RBIs), and a playoff run can’t be ruled out just yet.
Sectional 3
Team to watch: Waunakee
This sectional should see some competitive and well-fought games. Many of the teams in this section of the bracket beat up on each other during the regular season, which should make for a fun postseason.
Middleton earned the top seed, and they are 19-5 this season. The Cardinals finished near the top of the Big Eight Conference, and they have proven that they’re the team to beat in sectional three. They beat Janesville Craig (the top seed in sectional five) earlier in the year. They can pride themselves on their pitching, which has allowed more than four runs in a game just five times this season.
La Crosse Logan is the Mississippi Valley Conference champion this year and earned the No. 2 seed with a 19-7 record. The Rangers have exceeded the expectations of many this year, and they’d undoubtedly love to cap it off with a trip to the state tournament. Although they haven’t played the No. 1 or No. 3 seeds in the bracket, they have beaten the No. 4 seed. They’ve had a solid offense this season, and that may be key to a potential playoff run.
DeForest, the Badger North Conference champion, is the No. 3 seed. They are 18-6 this season. To their credit, the Norskies have beaten many of the teams in this sectional already this year, including Sauk Prairie and Waunakee.
Sauk Prairie is the No. 4 seed despite having a 9-13 record this spring. The highlights of their résumé are arguably wins over Waunakee and Oregon. They lost to both La Crosse Logan and DeForest this year, so they’ll need a great showing to beat any of the top seeds in the bracket.
At 11-14, La Crosse Central clocks in as the No. 5 seed. Their best win of the year is undoubtedly over Stevens Point (No. 3 seed in sectional one). That may not matter if they aren’t able to break out of the slump they were in at the end of the year. They lost six of their last eight games. In fact, they had a six game losing streak going until they swept a doubleheader from Wisconsin Rapids in their last games of the regular season.
Our team to watch in this sectional is No. 6 seed Waunakee. At first glance, their 12-13 record isn’t the greatest. However, they have wins over No. 2 La Crosse Logan, No. 3 DeForest and No. 4 Sauk Prairie. They’ve shown they can hang with some of the top teams in the bracket. They would have a rematch with DeForest if they win their first game, and that could be an exciting game.
The rest of the bracket won’t blow you away with their bodies of work. No. 7 seed Onalaska beat La Crosse Logan early in the year, but got beaten handily by the Rangers in a rematch in May. No. 8 Holmen and No. 9 Baraboo are capable of pulling off an upset, but they’d be an underdog in most potential matchups.
All things considered, the top three seeds are the strongest contenders for the sectional title, and there’s a bit of a drop off behind them.
Sectional 4
De Pere's Jacob Enli tries to escape a jam on the bases against West De Pere this May. De Pere and West De Pere could face each other in the second round of the playoffs. Photo by Alex Cheban/Wisconsin Baseball Central.
Team to watch: Manitowoc Lincoln
Sectional four is usually full of several top teams in the state, but it’s little bit weaker this season. Top-seeded Kimberly is 20-4 this year and currently on a 13 game winning streak. During that stretch, the Papermakers have beaten Appleton North, Hortonville, Kenosha Indian Trail (top seed in sectional eight) and Kenosha Tremper (No. 2 seed in sectional eight). It’s hard to pick against Kimberly in the playoffs. They know what it takes to win postseason games. However, a state title has eluded them despite being in the state championship game two years in a row. Can they finally get it done and bring home a title? Only time will tell.
Appleton North is the No. 2 seed, and they’ve got a 16-9 record. They’ve been trending in the wrong direction at the end of the season. They’ve lost four of their last seven games, and they are currently on a three game losing streak. They’ll need to turn it around if they want to make it to the state tournament for the first time since 2012. They have the talent to do so. Taylor Borchers (.395 average, 24 RBIs) and Evan Sankey (.290 average, 18 RBIs) have been two of the top performers for the Lightning. Josh Gonzales (5-2, 1.79 ERA) will give them good innings on the mound.
West De Pere, the champion of the Bay Conference, is the No. 3 seed. The Phantoms are 16-9 this spring. They have beaten Hortonville and a few of the lower seeds in the bracket this season. They’ve got strong individual talent in players like Matt McNabb and Kyle Kosobucki that can have big impacts on games.
Hortonville got the No. 4 seed in this sectional with a 13-11 record. The Polar Bears started the season much better than they finished it. They lost eight of their last 11 games, which is obviously a troubling sign. They did pick up a nice win over Oshkosh North (No. 3 seed in sectional six) late in the year, so there is definitely hope for them to turn things around.
Manitowoc Lincoln, the No. 5 seed, could be a dark horse in this sectional. The Ships are 15-11 this season, and they went 10-2 in the month of May. That’s a good way to end the season. They beat Bay Port (No. 2 seed in sectional two) once this year, and lost to them in extras in their second matchup. When you couple how the Ships have played toward the end of the year with how Hortonville is finished, it might not be a huge surprise to see an upset if they square off in the second round.
The No. 6 seed, De Pere, is also 15-11 this spring. Like Manitowoc, they also beat Bay Port this year. Guys like Lucas Reynolds and Hunter Staniske have had strong seasons for the Redbirds this year, and they could be difference makers in the postseason.
No. 7 seed Kaukauna is 13-13 this year, and they went 2-4 against the top four seeds in the sectional, so a run by the Ghosts isn’t out of the question. However, a pitcher other than Bret Skenandore (5-2, 1.22 ERA) will need to step up for that to happen. Their other two top pitchers have been inconsistent this year.
No. 8 seed Appleton East went 3-0 against Appleton North and West De Pere this year, so they shouldn’t be taken lightly. No. 9 Neenah has strong pitching that could lead to a run in the playoffs. Finally, No. 10 Menasha has shown they can compete with wins over the likes of Oshkosh North this year.
While this sectional is pretty balanced among the No. 2 through No. 10 seeds, Kimberly appears to be playing much better baseball than any of their potential opponents at this point in the year, so they’re the favorites to return to the state tournament.
Sectional 5
Team to watch: Janesville Parker
Top seed Janesville Craig is head and shoulders above the other teams in sectional five. The Cougars are 23-2 this year, with a Big Eight Conference championship to their name. Few teams in the state have as many quality wins as Craig. They’ve beaten Sun Prairie (top seed in sectional six) twice, Middleton (top seed in sectional three) and Verona (No. 2 seed in this sectional) twice. They’re currently on a 14 game winning streak.
Verona, the No. 2 seed, has been inconsistent this season. They have a 14-8 record, and they finished the season better than they started it. After starting the year 5-6, they won nine of their last 11 games. They may have found their groove at the right time. In the last week of the regular season, they beat Sun Prairie, the top seed in sectional six.
Beloit Memorial is the No. 3 seed with a 17-8 record this year. They have more wins than Verona, but they lost to the Wildcats twice this year and are therefore the lower seed. The Purple Knights are on a nice six game win streak, including a win over Middleton, the top seed in sectional three. They could turn some heads with a playoff run.
Fort Atkinson has a 14-11 record, and they’re the No. 4 seed in this sectional. Their best win this year was a win over Jefferson, one of the top teams in Division 2. Beyond that, they haven’t really taken down any top teams. There’s no better time to start doing so than in the playoffs, and they’ll need to if they want to make a run. They’re on a four game losing streak to end the regular season, so they’ve got some work to do to turn things around.
No. 5 seed Janesville Parker is 13-9 this season, and they’re our team to watch in this sectional. The Vikings have beaten the likes of Sun Prairie and Verona this year, and a tough regular season schedule could give them an edge in the postseason.
Madison West is the No. 6 seed, and they’re 10-13 this year. They are one of two teams that has beaten top-seeded Janesville Craig this spring. However, they struggled in the month of May, and they’ll need to turn their fortunes around in a hurry.
No. 7 seed Stoughton also went 10-13 this year. Their best win this year is a 5-0 victory over Fort Atkinson, but they don’t have any other standout wins. When Michigan commit Dillon Nowicki is on the mound, the Vikings can hang with most teams in this sectional. He can’t pitch every game though.
Janesville Craig is the top seed in the sectional for a reason, and it would be an impressive feat if any team beats them before the state tournament.
Sectional 6
Team to watch: Beaver Dam
Early in the year, it seemed like this sectional would be a battle between Sun Prairie and Oconomowoc, without any other serious contenders. That is no longer the case.
Sun Prairie is the No. 1 seed in this sectional. The Cardinals are 20-5 this season despite playing a very tough schedule. They beat Oconomowoc, Kenosha Indian Trail (the top-ranked team in the state), Verona (No. 2 seed in sectional five), Beloit Memorial (No. 3 seed in sectional five) and Middleton (top seed in sectional three) this year. In fact, they beat Middleton twice. Almost all of their starters are batting over .300 this season. They are looking to return to the state tournament after missing out last year.
Oconomowoc, the No. 2 seed, started out the season very well. They went 14-1 in their first 15 games. From there, though, they seem to have hit a brick wall. They went 2-8 over their last 10 games to finish with a 16-9 record. They have a lot of talent on their team, but can they get it turned around in time to make a second straight appearance at the state tournament?
No. 3 seed Oshkosh North is 16-10 this season. They are a quality team, as proven by their wins over Appleton North (No. 2 seed in sectional four) and Hortonville (No. 3 seed in sectional four) this spring. Their ace, Brian Brown, has been solid on the mound this year. He’s 6-2 with a 2.39 ERA this season. When he’s on the mound, the Spartans tend to win.
Our team to watch in this sectional is No. 4 seed Beaver Dam. The Golden Beavers are 17-8 this season, and they won eight of their last 10 games. They have beaten a lot of good teams this year, including Milwaukee Lutheran (the top-ranked team in Division 2) twice. They also beat West De Pere (the No. 3 seed in sectional four). They may be peaking at just the right time.
No. 5 seed Watertown is 14-10 this season. The Goslings did well toward the end of the regular season—they finished on a 9-2 stretch. Their best wins this year are over Milwaukee Lutheran and Jefferson, two of the top teams in Division 2.
The rest of the teams in this sectional had decent seasons at best. No. 6 Fond du Lac is 10-11 this year, while No. 7 Hartford is 11-14. It wouldn’t be stunning if one of the lower seeds pulled off an upset, but for the most part the top seeds should do well.
Sectional 7
Team to watch: Milwaukee Riverside
Sectional seven is the most lopsided in the field. Top-seeded Arrowhead is the overwhelming favorite to win it. In fact, they should win it without much trouble at all. However, the same thing was said last year, and Milwaukee Reagan ended up winning the sectional title.
Arrowhead is 24-2 this year, and they have been paired with teams from the Milwaukee City Conference that can only dream of having the amount of talent that the Warhawks have. Arrowhead won the Wisconsin Little Ten this year, which is no small feat. They have six college commits on their roster, including four to Division 1 schools. Their top two pitchers, Ryan Schmitt (Illinois commit) and Nate Brown (Florida commit) have been absolutely dominant this year. It’s very hard to envision either of them losing on the mound in this sectional. Nothing’s impossible, but it’s still unlikely.
Our team to watch in sectional seven is the No. 2 seed, Milwaukee Riverside. It may seem odd to tab the No. 2 seed as a dark horse, but that speaks to the state of this bracket. After starting the year 0-6, the Tigers recovered for a 16-10 record. They’ve got several good players on their roster, including Savier Pinales (.521 average, 12 extra base hits, 21 RBIs, 21 stolen bases), Sean Quiles (.370 average, 17 RBIs) and Tyrese Mitchell (.333 average, 15 RBIs). On the mound, they’ll need to rely on Josiah Roundtree (2-4, 3.09 ERA) and Antonio Valadez (5-2, 2.81 ERA) to guide them through the postseason.
Milwaukee Reagan is the No. 3 seed in this sectional. The Huskies pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Wisconsin high school baseball history last year when they beat Arrowhead in the sectional final. They haven’t played to the same level this year, though. They've been hovering around the .500 mark this season. A run to the sectional final can’t be ruled out, but they’ll likely have to go through Riverside to get there.
It’ll be a big upset if any team other than the top three seeds makes it to the sectional final. No. 4 seed Milwaukee Madison beat Reagan once this year, but they also lost to the Huskies twice and to Riverside three times. No. 6 seed Milwaukee South did very well in the weaker Division of the Milwaukee City Conference, but they got crushed by Reagan earlier in the year.
There’s really only one way to look at sectional seven: it’s Arrowhead’s to lose.
Sectional 8
Kenosha Indian Trail's Nick Elsen is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run against Notre Dame this May. The Hawks enter the playoffs as the top-ranked team in Division 1. Photo by Spencer Flaten/Wisconsin Baseball Central.
Team to watch: Westosha Central
Sectional eight is the toughest sectional in the field. Any of the top six seeds are good enough to make a deep run in the playoffs, which should make for some entertaining games.
Kenosha Indian Trail is the top seed and the top-ranked team in Division 1. The Hawks are 22-3 this spring and they won the Southeast Conference championship. They have five college commits on their roster, including three to Division 1 schools. Shortstop Gavin Lux will likely be taken in the MLB Draft this June. The latest mock draft by MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo has him going 25th overall to the San Diego Padres. It’s not hard to see why, as he has absolutely dominated this season. Ryan Hoerter, an Auburn commit, anchors the pitching staff and will be hard to beat in the postseason. The Hawks are the favorites to win the state title at this point. Things might get more difficult for them if Lux does get drafted and his organization asks him to sit out the final games of the year. But as of now, that’s all conjecture.
The No. 2 seed is Kenosha Tremper. The Trojans are 18-6 this spring. They ended the season on a 1-3 run, but they have the ability to turn things around. Louisville commit Justin Lavey (.425 average, 31 RBIs, 22 stolen bases), St. Louis commit Keith Kutzler (.304 average, 26 RBIs) and catcher Christian Zamudio (.406 average, 18 RBIs) have all had strong years at the plate. It’s worth noting that the Trojans got swept by Indian Trail in three games this spring.
No. 3 seed Burlington is a very strong team. The Demons are 19-5 this year, with some high quality wins. They’ve beaten Tremper, Jefferson, and Waterford (twice) this spring. Their offense is one of the best in Wisconsin. Bryan Sturdevant (.506 average, 19 RBIs) and Aaron Mutter (.457 average, 31 RBIs, 5 home runs) lead a squad that has six starters batting over .300, and four hitting over .400.
Waterford, the No. 4 seed, started out the year 19-2 before losing three of their last four. They got swept by Burlington this year and lost to Indian Trail. However, they do have a good win over Oconomowoc (No. 2 seed in sectional six) on their résumé. Matt Korman (.392 average, 39 RBIs) and Michael Schmidt (.305 average, 19 RBIs, 18 stolen bases) are difference makers in the Wolverine lineup.
Kenosha Bradford is the No. 5 seed. The Red Devils are 15-10 this year. Their record is solid, and they have wins over Indian Trail and Burlington to hang their hats on. They’ve shown they can beat the best in the regular season, and they could do the same in the playoffs.
Westosha Central is our team to watch in sectional eight. The No. 6 seed is 17-7 this season, and they closed out the year on a seven game win streak. Further, they won nine of their final 10 games. Sluggers Tanner Bykowski (.481 average, 34 RBIs) and Garrett Gilbert (.422 average, 5 home runs) can change a game in an instant if given the chance.
No. 7 seed Racine Horlick is 15-7 this spring. They have beaten Burlington, Waterford and Kenosha Bradford this season. They could pose a threat to Kenosha Tremper if they square off in the second round.
If Indian Trail is going to return to the state tournament this year, they are going to have to beat some of the best teams in the state. Whatever team emerges from this sectional will be more battle-tested than any other sectional champion.
