Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 14 Bay Port

March 22, 2016

The Wisconsin high school season kicks off on March 29, the first day for regular season games. Most teams will begin practicing on March 21, getting their rosters set and finalizing their lineups.

Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we will be rolling out team previews of high school teams all across the state and across all classifications, eventually launching our Preseason Power 25.

We have been sending out our annual Preseason Questionnaire to coaches all across the state and as the responses flood in we will bring you a snapshot of what to expect along with top players and keys to success for that particular team. If you don’t see your team’s season preview make sure your head coach fills out his Preseason Questionnaire.

Team: Bay Port
Preseason Rank: 14
2015 Record: 24-5
Conference: Fox River Classic
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Mike Simoens
Playoff Run: Sectional Champions
2015 Final Rank: 4

TOP PLAYERS

Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
Connor Sullivan	WI	Bay Port	2016	3B
Evan Bindas	WI	Bay Port	2016	OF
Andrew Woeslaw	WI	Bay Port	2016	UTL
Quinn Pierner	WI	Bay Port	2017	SS
Bryce Braspennick	WI	Bay Port	2016	RHP

KEY PLAYERS LOST
Connor Hock, RHP (Notre Dame)
Dakota Klein, LHP (Texas A&M)
Joe Baier, OF (Chicago State)
Zach Abfall, OF (Wabash Valley)
Brady DeBouche, OF
Tony Albrecht, INF
Logan Froberg, INF

STAT RAT
18: Number of wins on the mound they graduated from last season's team that made it to state.

OUTLOOK
The Pirates have been a perennial powerhouse in Wisconsin's baseball landscape making the state tournament in Appleton seven of the last nine years. The Pirates are a well-coached organization and that fact alone will keep them relevant in 2016, but it could be a tough year for Coach Simoens and his staff to find the same caliber of players they have seen in recent years. The Pirates return only one significant arm from 2015 in senior Bryce Braspennick who went 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA as a junior. Junior SS Quinn Pierner will also likely see time on the mound after a solid sophomore campaign where he hit .410 and received all-conference honorable mention. Other than Pierner, Coach Simoens doesn't have much varsity experience returning to the field in 2016, but that hasn't stopped Bay Port in the past. I still look for Bay Port to be highly competitive in the Fox River Classic and make a run at a ticket to Appleton again.

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