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Ringing in the New Year: A look ahead at what may come in 2014

January 2, 2014

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director - Wisconsin/Illinois

With the new year upon us and 2013 in the rear view mirror we take a look ahead at 2014 and make five bold predictions on the year to come. Some may be more outrageous than others, but all real possibilities in 2014.

5. More than 15 prospects from Wisconsin’s Class of 2015 will sign Division 1 NLI’s at the early signing period in November of 2014.

With six verbal commitments already on the board in the Class of 2015, I could easily see nine more prospects get the opportunity to sign Division 1 NLI’s by November. The Class of 2015 is very strong and has plenty of high level talent. This past November we saw 11 Division 1 signings from the Class of 2014 so 15 is very real possibility.

4. The Prep Baseball Report Wisconsin will get over 100,000 visits in 2014

In 2013 more than 80,000 visits from the state of Wisconsin were made to the Prep Baseball Report website. As we work to reach more fans of high school baseball and promote more and more players in Wisconsin we are hoping to surpass 100,000 visits from the state of Wisconsin in 2014.

3. Jeren Kendall will be drafted within the top 5 rounds

Jeren Kendall skyrocketed on the national landscape this summer and many draft boards have Kendall in the top 100 available high school prospects in the country. Obviously Kendall’s intentions will have a big play in where he might land and it could be tough to get him off of his Vanderbilt scholarship, but a good showing at the Super 60 in February could easily land Kendall in the top five rounds.

2. Two of 2013’s state champions will repeat in 2014

Oconto could be a shoe in to repeat in 2014 losing only two seniors to graduation. Although big contributors, a big part of their team will be returning in 2014 including 2016 graduate Grant Frazer. Greenwood graduated only four seniors but one of which was their top player in Westin Wuethrich. Lodi started three freshman in the state championship game and will also be returning top pitcher Fred Manke. Sun Prairie did it last year without star Tony Butler and Rob Hamilton always seems to produce more talent year after year. So my bold prediction is that two of these teams will repeat in 2014.

1. By the end of 2014 the Class of 2016 will have more Division 1 commitments than the Class of 2014 did

The Class of 2016 might be one of the strongest in Wisconsin in a long time. With already three committed prospects in the class they are eight shy of the Class of 2014 with 11. After last year’s Midwest Future Games six participants made Division 1 commitments and with what should be a stronger class in 2016 there is a chance that more than 11 prospects could be committed from the Class of 2016 by the end of 2014.

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