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Wisconsin Mailbag: Top Questins of the Week

December 20, 2013

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Wisconsin/Illinois

We started a new feature at the Prep Baseball Report which allows readers to ask our scouting directors any questions they wish about high school baseball in their state. Whether it’s about possible state title contenders, top prospects, recruiting, etc. your questions will get put into our “Mailbag” via the ask.fm app and our scouts will answer your questions through Twitter (@PBRWisconsin) and Facebook.

This new feature has been so popular we are recapping some of the best questions of the week right here.

To submit a question about Wisconsin high school baseball to the PBR scouting staff simply follow the link HERE. Also if you have a burning question about the national landscape of high school baseball or draft specific questions you can send them to National Supervisor Nathan Rode HERE.

Top Questions of the Week

Who is on the cusp of making the top 10 for the class of 2016?

There are several players right on the edge. The class of 2016 is really strong in Wisconsin as we've stated before. Projectable guys like Matt DeYoung, Matt McCarty, Ryan Selner and Jack Kinzer just to name a few.

Best chance of winning state besides Sun Prarie?

SPASH. They return a ton from last year’s runner up squad including their top two arms in Schulfer and Giese.

What do you have to say about the 2016 class?

The 2016 class in Wisconsin will probably be the best class Wisconsin has seen in a while. There are already 3 prospects who have made D1 commitments before playing their sophomore year of baseball which is nearly unheard of in Wisconsin. Just looking at the list now I would guess there are already 10-15 possible D1 prospects and I'm sure there are more to be uncovered that we have yet to see.

When will the 2017 rankings be released?

2017 rankings won't come out until late march. Typically right before the season starts. Usually by then we will have seen enough freshman at our Preseason I.D.'s that we feel confident enough to come out with the initial list. I can't tell you how important it is to be identified early these days. Three of the initial top 10 ranks in the 2016 class are already committed to D1 programs.

Who do you think is the best pitcher in the 2015 class?

Best "pitcher" right now in the 2015 class is Brendan Meissner, no doubt. He might not have the most electric stuff or the best fastball but he can flat out pitch. He has the best overall command in the class and his curveball is a swing a miss pitch that he can throw in any count. When you’re talking about someone who can pitch, he is the guy.

What high schools have the best underclass talent?

When you’re talking about underclass I'm assuming you mean freshman and sophomores. We haven't seen a whole lot of freshman yet so it’s tough to say but Tremper has two of the best sophomores in the state with Lavey and Kutzler. Actually Arrowhead might have the best crop of underclassmen walking their halls, unfortunately playing a summer schedule most of them choose to play with a high profile travel team instead of playing high school baseball.

How does the SEC look for this coming year? Favorites? Dark Horses? Thanks!

The SEC was a pretty senior heavy conference last year so there is a lot of turnover in the conference. Watch out for Tremper. Tremper may have the best double play combo in the state with Justin Lavey and Noah Jensen. Also Indian Trail could be a dark horse, coming off of their first season of baseball with no upperclassmen last year. Bradford will have a tough time replacing Lee and Tibor on the mound.

Who has the best change-up in the 2015 class?

Right now I would have to say RHP Dustin Landers (Kaukauna). The fact that he throws it so aggressively is what sets his apart. His arm action is right on par with his fastball which adds a ton of deception.

Any 2014 kids from Wisconsin have a chance to get Drafted in June? Your top 3 guys?

Yes - Jeren Kendall. Wisconsin has never been a hotbed for the MLB draft so to have even one high school prospect picked is a stretch. Kendall has showcased plus tools at multiple national events over the summer and has seen his name near the top of many national draft lists. Zack Hederson and Scott Schreiber would round out the top 3 for me.

Who do you think will win the Big Rivers?

Well hopefully the weather doesn't play as big of a factor this year. I still like Memorial they have a strong core of returners with Roach and Everhart on the mound and Prissel and Traaseth offensively. Also watch out for sophomores Travis Berg and Henry Eilen to make an impact on the mound.

Who do you think will end up being the top LHP in th e 2015 class and why?

Tough to say, there are plenty of good options. Right now Nickolas Lackney (Whitefish Bay) is the top LHP, we've seen him up to 87 mph from the OF so if he can replicate that on the mound there's no telling how good he can be. Also Connor Wollersheim, who just transferred to Appleton North this year is batting back from Tommy John and if he returns to form could also be the favorite here.

Who is going to win the Bay Conference this year?

Hortonville should be the clear cut favorites to win the Bay Conference again this year. They graduated only three seniors with the majority of their starters returning from a 21-3 team last season. UW-Milwaukee commit, LHP Alex McIntosh, will lead the way on the mound for the Polar Bears along with RHP Dan Borek who is committed to Missouri S&T. Overall experience should give Hortonville the upper hand in the Bay Conference.

How do you think Eau Claire Memorial will do this season?

Eau Claire Memorial should be solid again this year. It will be tough to replace last year's No. 1 prospect in the state, RHP Jacob Sparger (Louisville commit). Those are big shoes to fill and the Old Abes will probably have to rely heavily on Minnesota State commit RHP Dalton Roach to eat up a lot of Sparger's innings. 2015's INF Sam Prissel and C Eli Traaseth got invaluable varsity experience last year as sophomores and should be ready to contribute even more this year.

If you have a question about Illinois high school baseball, ask the PBR scouting staff about it through the ask.fm app HERE.

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