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. 11 Stoughton

2014 Record: 20-5
WIAA Classification: 1
Conference: Badger South
Head Coach: Jeremy Dunnihoo
2014 Playoff Run: Regional Champions

TOP PLAYERS

Cade Bunnell, SS, 2015 (Kansas State)
Alex Zacharias, RHP/3B, 2015 (UW-Whitewater - football)
Alec Showers, RHP/OF, 2015

UP AND COMING

Stoughton will be returning a lot of players from 2014 but one of the biggest impacts could come from freshman RHP Dillon Nowicki. Nowicki enters Stoughton HS with probably the best fastball in the building. Already touching 86 mph, Nowicki sits at 84-85 with good arm side run and has flashed plus off speed stuff for his age. The 2018 grad is already being courted by major universities and looks to be the top arm in Wisconsin’s 2018 class.

OUTLOOK

Stoughton’s strength will be in the depth of returning seniors to the 2015 squad. The Vikings will return 11 players from last year’s Regional Championship team including three all-conference returners in Kansas State commit Cade Bunnell, Alex Zacharias and Alec Showers. The Viking return two arms in Zacharias (5-1) and Showers (2-0) but both also contribute heavily as position players as well. A true No. 1 could emerge out of freshman Dillon Nowicki who, mentioned above, is a power arm that already possesses two plus pitches for his age. Stoughton should be the favorite to take the Badger South title and if they get hot at the right time they have all the pieces to make a deep run.

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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