By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Wisconsin/Illinois

The Wisconsin high school season kicks off on March 31, the first day for regular season games. Most teams will begin practicing on March 23, getting their rosters set and finalizing their lineups.

Throughout the month of March we will be counting down our Preseason Power 25 Team Rankings leading up to the No. 1 team right before opening day.

CLICK HERE for complete Preseason Power 25.

No. 10 Lake Country Lutheran

2014 Record: 32-0
WIAA Classification: 3
Conference: Midwest Classic
Head Coach: David Bahr
2014 Playoff Run: Division 4 State Champions

TOP PLAYERS

Ben Wilkins, RHP/3B, 2015 (Grand Valley State)
Jake Hall, SS, 2015
CJ Teske, RHP/1B, 2015
Jacob Budnik, OF, 2015
Andrew Buran, INF, 2016

KEY LOSSES

It will be nearly impossible to replace District Player of the Year and Second Team All-State selection BJ Sabol, who went 13-0 on the mound with a 0.57 ERA in the Lightning’s undefeated state championship season.

STAT RAT

The Lightning numbers across the board were absurd in 2014, but Ben Wilkins will be the likely candidate to replace Sabol’s production on the mound. The Grand Valley State commit nearly matched it last year going 10-0 on the mound with a 1.16 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 48+ innings pitched.Wilkins also provide thump in the Lightning lineup hitting .430 on the year with 38 RBI.

UP AND COMING

Another arm that could emerge and provide significant impact on the mound this season is sophomore RHP Ryan Nehls. Nehls is already touching low 80’s and looks to have a high ceiling on the mound with feel for three pitches. He saw limited varsity experience in 2014 working 1.2 innings and struck out four of those five outs.

OUTLOOK

Lake Country Lutheran is making the move from Division 4 to Division 3 in 2015 so the Lightning will not get the chance to defend their D4 title. However, LCL should still be the top candidate to take the D3 crown as well. LCL lost a huge chunk of innings in LHP BJ Sabol but last year’s No. 2 Ben Wilkins is returning for his senior season, and watch out for sophomore RHP Ryan Nehls to log some significant innings along with Teske and Kyle Lewis. LCL’s offense returns nearly intact. The entire infield (Wilkins, Hall, Buran and Teske) as well as starting CF Jacob Budnik return for their senior campaigns as well. That potent of an offense will be tough to stop even after making the move to D3. Let’s be honest, there is not much dominating pitching in D3 and Oconto may have the only arm capable of shutting out the Lightning in Grant Frazer. LCL will be hard pressed to see many fastballs over 85 mph outside of their own intrasquads. The Lightning are my pick to take the D3 crown and I don’t think they will be phased at all by the switch in classifications.

If you are a high school coach and have yet to send in your Preseason Questionnaire please fill one out HERE.

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