Muskego tops D1 Preseason Poll
The Warriors were the final summer season champions
With some great baseball teams around the state, picking teams who could end up at the top of the heap is a daunting process. Over 15 D1 coaches were contacted state wide and from there, a committee of four did the best we could to predict the future. With that said, here is the Top 21 Preseason Teams in the annual Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Preseason Poll.
1. Muskego:
The Warriors are young but very good. Coach Jacob Paige has six starters back, many of whom have been starting for more than one year. They have two pitchers with ERAs last year under two runs a game back for this season, and a four year starter in Danny Hauboldt and a sophomore catcher in Maddux Lessard who hit .406 as a freshman.
2. Monona Grove:
The Silver Eagles were 22-6 last and fell short of going to Appleton in the Sectionals. They were young. Now they’re not. Their three top pitchers were a combined 16-2. They have six All-Badger Large players back, including NCAA D1 prospect Terek Verhage, the 2023 Badger Conference pitcher of the year, Kaden Connor, who is the son of head coach Kevin Connor, and junior Cal Moreau, who was the league’s pitcher of the year last season.
3. Westosha Central:
The Southern Lakes Conference is loaded with very good teams this and Westosha was the preseason pick to win it. The Falcons won 25 games last season that included a Sectional Championship. They return six starters and 80% of their innings pitched from that team. The staff will be led by Minnesota State committ, Brody Schulte who was 9-0 last season and is the unquestioned ace of the pitching staff.
4. De Pere:
This is not a pick just because they are the defending State Champions. Bob Van Rens had plenty of talented players watching the school’s best group of seniors win the school’s first state title last year. Those players were already ready to excel in their own rights and can’t wait to have their chance. The group will be led by seniors Mason Sequin and Lucas Koskey, who have alreay been varsity starters. Consecutive State Titles is not out of the question.
5. Kenosha Indian Trail:
The Hawks have five starters returning from last year’s 20-win team but the real strength of this team is on the mound. Seniors Samuel Callow and Jack Zeller were 7-0 and 7-1, respectively, allowing under two runs a game. They’ll be challenged by Oak Creek, Franklin, and Kenosha Tremper in the SEC as usual, which should make them even better when it comes to tournament time.
6. Arrowhead:
Coach Vince Mancusso’s teams are solid year after year and this spring will be no exception. With two-thirds of the Warhawks pitching staff returning including senior righty Peter Kussow who was 5-1 with a sub run per game ERA, they have a formidable task of winning their fourth straight Classic 8 with a loaded Muskego team picked in front of them: they are up for the challenge.
7. Kimberly:
Ryan McGinnis’ Papermakers have dominated the FVA for the past two decades, winning at least a share of the title with few exceptions. There is no indication of anything changing this year. Senior Sawyer Deering is one of the best players in the state. He was 5-0 on the mound and batted .450 against high caliber pitching. He alone gives Kimberly a chance to make the short trip to Grand Chute come tournament time.
8. Union Grove:
The Southern Lakes is as balanced and strong as ever. The Broncos. Coach Nathan Meyer’s squad went 23-5 last season and brings back senior Cody Ashburn who went 7-0 last season. Four starters return so Meyers will be depending on young talent to step up and fill those spots.
9. Bay Port:
Picked behind the defending state champs, coach Harvey Knutson’s squad brings back half of a senior ladden team from last year but everyone knows there is a plethora of talent waiting in the wings. Senior Keagan Wheeler and junior Parker Lawson are two returning starters with big seasons ahead of them. They’ll lead a young but talented team.
10. Menomonee Falls:
Tim Gotzler’s Falls Phoenix arguably overachieved last year with a graduating class that had no one moving on to play collegiate baseball: but that’s what great programs do. Falls is looking to win it’s third straight Greater Metro crown and fourth in five years with a very talented junior class, solid pitching, and great defense: Jayden Forbes logged 59 innings last season and posted a 1.22 ERA.
11. Madison Memorial:
The Spartans are challenging to be the first non-Sun Prairie or Janesville Craig team to win the Big Eight since Middleton did it six years ago. Memorial will be led by senior Oliver Soldat who will be starting his fourth year of varsity baseball, giving him the chance to break multiple school records. Junior Caleb Liggon was 1st Team All Conference last year batting .358.
12. Hudson:
The three-time Big Rivers Champions just keep reloading. Winners of 22 games last season, the Raiders are younger than usual but extremely talented. Sophomore Logan Hagman is attracting all kinds of attention with his skills. He was named 1st Team BRC and hit .367. Senior Steele Homme was the school’s starting quarterback and will quarterback the outfield and provide leadership for a young team.
13. Hartford Union:
The Orioles might have surprised teams last year but that won’t be happening again. Coach Steve Oleshko brings back senior Carter Kutz, a Nebraska committ and North Shore Conference Pitcher of the Year, who was 8-1 last season with a 1.62 ERA. Six starters return from a team that went 25-3 last season in a very tough league.
14. Sun Prairie East:
Head coach Jack Marchese’s club didn’t miss a beat when half of the school was sent to the other side of Sun Prairie for the new West High School. The defending State Runner’s Up bring back one of the best player’s in the state in Max Glusick who hit .475 and anchors the Cardinal defense. They won 27 games last year and it wouldn’t be a shock if they approach that number this season.
15. Germantown:
New inductee to the Hall of Fame Jay Wojcinski had got a solid return team returning to complete with Menomonee Falls in the Greater Metro. His Warhawks started two freshmen and three sophomores last year and still won 17 games. Wojcinski, who will get win #500 with 2025’s first victory, should very well expect to win a lot more than 20 games with the team he has returning this season.
16. Sussex Hamilton:
Though they are picked to finish third in the Greater Metro, they got a lot of love from area coaches and for good reason. With all but one starter returning and over 3/4rs of his pitching, its easy to see why. Senior Ethan Hibicke will be the glue to a team both on the mound and in the infield.
17. Oak Creek:
Veteran Hall of Fame coach Scott Holler has built and maintained one of the best programs in the state. Though picked behind Kenosha Indian Trail, and without the services of two-time D1 Player of tye Year Peyton Jibben for the first time in four years, the Knights will still be a formidable out and a team no one wants to face come tournament time or when the SEC crown is on the line.
18. Holmen:
Senior lefty Aaron Ploszay is a dominant pitcher and a big reason why the Vikings are the pick to win the Mississippi Valley, in front of DII #2 Aquinas who won a DIII State Championship last season. Eighth year head coach Mark Wall has two-thirds of his team returning that won 16 games.
19. Stevens Point:
Speaking of new Hall of Fame inductees, SPASH’S Kraig Terpstra’s Panthers are favored to win the Wisconsin Valley once again, something they’ve done 18 of the 21 past years that Terpstra has coached them. They might be down a bit this year but they will never be overlooked.
20. Franklin:
Coach Steve Drobost’s squad hasn’t missed a beat since taking over for the legendary Jim Hughes. Picked third in the ultra competitive SEC, his Sabres went 18-10 last year but return six starters make them a factor in that race. How quickly he and his staff get young pitchers to develop will determine their fate.
21. Hortonville:
The Polar Bears had an uncharacteristic down year last year ‘just’ four games over .500. That team comes back experienced and ready to move up. With 80% of head coach Greg Yeager’s pitching returning and six starters, including four year starting catcher Turner Kuhnke, the pieces are in place for a successful season.
Based on this, we evaluated the strength of each of the eight sectionals as compared with each other.
- Sectional 2 (Bay Port) 44
- Sectional 8 (South Milwaukee) 43
- Sectional 5 (Oregon) 37
- Sectional 6 (Oconomowoc) 36
- Sectional 7 (Muskego) 21
- Sectional 3 (Baraboo) 20
- Sectional 1 (Stevens Point) 11
- Sectional 4 (Oshkosh North) 8
Again, this is a very unscientific list and based solely on the strength of top 21 teams list this preseason. It does not account for teams outside the Top 21 Poll. You can see this spring's Sectional Assignments by clicking the pdf icon below. That list also includes a printable version of the rankings. As always, we wish all coaches and players a very successful season and that each team achieves growth this spring.
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