WIAA Summer Preseason Rankings

Honorable Mentions

Cedarburg

Grafton

Campbellsport

Marquette

Brookfield Central

West Allis Hale

Sussex Hamilton

10. Muskego

The Warriors went 18-12 last year and made it to sectionals before losing a tight one to Oak Creek. They have a good chunk of that team returning this year, and they have a shot to win the depleted Classic Eight Conference. The offense will be led by 1st team all-conference player Luke Thomka (.355 batting average last year) and 2nd team all-CE infielder Ryan Tobin (.402 average). They’ll have two top pitchers returning in Thomka (8-2) and senior Noah Jansen (2-2, 2.88 ERA). They will need some less experience players to become solid contributors if they’re going to take the next step and compete for a sectional championship.

9. Homestead

Homestead finished state runners-up last year, as they were defeated by Brookfield Central in the state championship game. This season they have four returning starters in addition to two top pitchers. St. Cloud State recruit Trevor Cho (.396 average, 29 RBIs last year) will join UW-La Crosse commit Mitch Sutton (.349 average, 24 RBIs) in the middle of the lineup again this year to give the Highlanders some good pop with the bat. Jared Stieve (10-1, 2.38 ERA) and Erik Skaar (6-2, 2.75 ERA) were Homestead’s top two pitchers last year, and they are back to be workhorses on the mound again this year. The Highlanders will rely on some players getting their first meaningful action in the starting lineup. If they perform well, the Highlanders have a chance to be very competitive again this year.

8. Plymouth

The Panthers made it to the state tournament last season, where they fell in the semifinals to eventual champions Brookfield Central. Four starters return from that team, and their two best pitchers are back in the fold for another year. The offense will rely on big sluggers Zac Cain (.506 batting average, 41 RBIs last year) and Tyler Willeford (.378 average, 30 RBIs) to lead the way, but they’ll need some new guys to step up to help out. Cain (8-2, 1.56 ERA) will also be the main man of Plymouth’s pitching staff, but the Panthers will also have a great number two guy in Matt Olig (6-0, 1.25 ERA) to help out in his own right. The Panthers’ season may come down to how well some new faces step into their new roles.

7. Menomonee Falls

The Indians lost in the sectional semifinals to Homestead last season, but they had a very successful season. They went 22-11 and finished in 4th place in the highly competitive Greater Metro Conference. They have a bunch of solid players coming back this year, including what should be a good pitching staff. University of Illinois recruit Ty Weber (8-1, 1.29 ERA) will be their top pitcher again this year, and he’ll be joined by Michael Bowe (0.98 ERA) to stifle opposing lineups. At the plate, a number of players will contribute, including Weber (.430 batting average), Bowe (.320 average), Lukas Kell (.320 average), and Josh Zahn (.324 average).

6. Howards Grove

The Tigers won the Central Lakeshore Conference last year (which is known for only using wood bats during conference play) and went 22-3 overall. They have the majority of that team returning this year, including several all-conference players. 1st team all-CLC outfielder Zach Fritz (.321 batting average last year) will team up with 2nd team all-CLC outfielder Dakota Rabe (.317 average) and 2nd team all-CLC infielders Bryce Hoffmann (.312 average) and Andrew Reinemann (.224 average) to lead a potent offense. The Tigers will need to replace their ace from last year, but they have a few pitchers capable of picking up the slack in Fritz (5-0, 3.08 ERA) and Hoffmann (5-1, 2.62 ERA).

5. Pewaukee

The Pirates lost to Brookfield Central in the sectional semis last year, but finished the season 23-10 and took 2nd place in the Woodland West. They have over half of that team returning this year, including several all-conference players. Catcher Zach Brennan (.366 batting average last year) and outfielder Brandon Knoke (.352 average) will be some of their best hitters this summer, while Steve McGowan (7-3, 1.73 ERA) and Ryan Mulvey (2-2, 2.95 ERA) will be their top two pitchers. They should compete with Greendale for a conference title again this year.

4. West Bend West

The Spartans collected an impressive 26-7 record last summer, but crashed out of the playoffs at the hands of conference foes Whitefish Bay in the sectional semis. They have almost all of their pitchers back from last year, including honorable mention all-conference player Nathan Burns (6-1, 1.67 ERA), Jake Lenz (7-1, 1.52 ERA), and Jake Kopp (4-5, 3.64 ERA). Offensively, Lenz (who was a 1st team all-conference outfielder with a .330 batting average) will join University of Oklahoma commit Anthony Schlass (.352 average) and Jack Thelen (.306 average) to try to put a lot of runs on the scoreboard.

3. Greendale

The Panthers had a fantastic season last year, in which they won 29 games and their conference but ultimately ended one game short of the state tournament. The good news for Greendale is that most of that team is back this summer. Tristian Pipp (.437 batting average), Ty Ramirez (.353 average), Angel Ramirez (.388 average), and Sam Sabinash (.396 average) compose the core of the Panthers’ lineup, most of which hit over .300 last year. On the mound, it’ll be Creighton commit Ty Ramirez (8-0, 1.00 ERA) paving the way, with Zach Miller (5-1, 1.12 ERA) and Michael Jankowiak (3-1, 2.04 ERA) helping provide depth to the staff. With the talent they have this year, it’s not a stretch to say that Greendale could improve on last season’s excellent performance.

2. Whitefish Bay

The Dukes were conference champions and sectional finalists last year, but Homestead ended their state tournament aspirations when they were one game away from getting there. They have over a dozen players returning this year, including their three best pitchers and six starters in the field. University of Minnesota recruit Nick Lackney (7-1, 1.04 ERA) will headline a pitching staff that’s composed of other great pitchers like Navy commit Joe Kaszubowski (6-2, 1.23 ERA) and Adam Fuda (7-1, 1.12 ERA). At the plate, players like Andrew James (.352 batting average), Lackney (.339 average), Kaszubowski (.344 average), Teddy Weber (.337 average), John Leckie (.341 average), and Sam Kozoil (.321 average) will score a lot of runs. Whitefish Bay will hope to take the next step this summer and compete for a state title.

1. Oak Creek

The Knights made it to the state semifinals last season before being turned away by Homestead in a close game. They have seven starters back from that team, and four of their five most used pitchers return as well. The offense will be led by the likes of University of Illinois recruit Doran Turchin (.444 batting average, 4 HRs, 41 RBIs last year), St. Cloud State recruit DJ Ellifson (.316 average), and Xavier recruit Mitch Makarewicz (.260 average). On the mound, Makarewicz (3.66 ERA) will team up with Joey Richter (1.11 ERA), Mitch Magyar (2.39 ERA), and Kurtis Slippy (2.53 ERA) to stifle opposing offenses. With a ton of experience in their squad, Oak Creek is the team to beat this summer.

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