By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

Green Bay Packers football and cheese might be the first thing that comes to mind for most about Wisconsin. To those in baseball, they probably think of short, cold springs with a limited pool of talent. The state has produced good players over time, but just four have been drafted out of high school in the top 10 rounds since 2000. Only three were selected in that range in the 1990s.

With that being said, there has been an uptick in talent and 2016 looks to be a banner year. Three prospects—C Ben Rortvedt (Verona Area HS, WI), SS Gavin Lux (Indian Trail HS, WI) and RHP Nathan Brown (Arrowhead HS, WI)—made the PBR Draft 100 and a few more should garner significant attention from scouts, whether it’s now or after a few years in college.

“Overall, the talent is as good as it’s ever been,” R.J. Fergus said. “Each year, you have three or four guys that lead the class. This class is pretty deep.”