PBR Wisconsin All-State: First Team

Vidal Colon SS / C / University School, WI / 2023

Uncommitted | .500 BA, 6 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 1.486 OPS

Colon, while relatively new to catching, took to the position with ease this past spring. His impact right-handed bat has become his calling card, and that tool in combination with his newfound defensive home, vaulted Colon into this first team honor. In 2022, the uncommitted junior hit .500 and recorded an OPS of 1.486, boosted by 12 extra-base hits, including four homers, generating 22 RBIs and 42 runs scored. Defensively, Colon made just one error all spring at catcher, and he threw out eight baserunners and picked off another four. On top of his work as a position player, Colon pitched 21 innings for USM and struck out 30 batters, finishing the season with a 1.67 ERA.

JD DIX SS / Whitefish Bay, WI / 2024

Alabama | .506 BA, 11 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 37 R, 1.387 OPS

The top-ranked sophomore in Wisconsin is also the one and only underclassmen to earn first team honors on this list, and he earned it despite the lofty expectations that come attached with his prospect status. Whitefish Bay played one of, if not the, most difficult non-conference schedule in the state, and Dix was one of the team’s best offensive players, which is really saying something, considering it also rostered this year’s PBR Wisconsin Player of the Year. Still, the sophomore hit .506 this spring with 11 doubles and he launched six homers, producing 35 RBIs and he earned 22 walks against just eight strikeouts. Dix has also evolved into a stellar defender, and his abilities at shortstop helped secure his spot as a first team selection on this list in 2022.

Cal Fisher SS / Deerfield, WI / 2023

Notre Dame | .571 BA, 13 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 1.818 OPS; 15:4 BB:K

A year older than the aforementioned Dix, Fisher was a first team choice on last year’s list as an underclassman, and he returns to this roster again in 2022, topping some already loud statistics in his junior campaign. This season, the Notre Dame recruit hit .571 and connected for nine homers and he drove in 32 runs – and he finished the year with one of the highest OPS marks in the state (1.818). He also K’d 67 batters in 39.1 innings for Deerfield this season, and he finished the spring with a 0.18 ERA, helping further etch his name into this first team list for the second straight season.

Caleb Guden SS / RHP / Medford, WI / 2022

Air Force | .500 BA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 1.383 OPS, 20 SB

The Medford senior star was, yet again, dominant offensively, defensively, and from the mound this past spring. Guden hit exactly .500 with 14 extra-base hits, including five homers – one of which came against top-ranked Whitefish Bay at the stadium Franklin Field, a big ballpark, as part of our high school invitational back in April. Guden recorded an OPS of 1.383, stole 20 bases, and struck out just 10 times as a senior, all while providing slick shortstop defense. From the rubber, Guden finished his prep career with a 1.05 ERA in his senior spring in 46.2 innings, and he struck out 56 batters.

Alexander Alicea SS / 2B / St. Thomas More, WI / 2023

Louisville | .515 BA, 11 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 24 SB; 1.000 fielding%

Carson Hansen OF / Pewaukee, WI / 2022

UW-Milwaukee | .490 BA, 13 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 33 RBI, 50 R, 1.297 OPS; 33 SB

Pewaukee’s star senior returns to the first team this season after earning first team honors as a junior. Hansen hit .490 with 13 doubles, two triples, and two homers this past spring, amassing 33 RBIs and a whopping 50 runs scored, aided by 33 steals, too. He was integral to this Pirates offense, again, and helped propel them to state. Hansen’s headed to UW-Milwaukee next spring, where he’ll continue to proudly represent Wisconsin baseball.

Michael Lippe OF / Whitefish Bay, WI / 2022

Louisville | .463 BA, 12 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 35 RBI, 1.365 OPS; 27 SB

Lippe’s a top-10-ranked junior in the state and he was fully healthy this spring and made the most of his final season of prep ball for Whitefish Bay, which was ranked No. 1 from the preseason until the start of the playoffs. Lippe – another Louisville recruit on this list – hit .463 this spring with 12 doubles, three triples, and three homers for the Blue Dukes, and he drove in 35 runs and scored 41 times. He also walked 25 times and K’d only 12 times, and he swiped 27 bases. He had a knack for coming in clutch when the opportunity came, from both the batter’s box and as the team’s primary closer, and his performances in these critical moments helped nudge him onto this first team list.

Landon Behringer OF / North Fond du Lac, WI / 2022

Concordia-St. Paul | .613 BA, 19 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 48 RBI, 47 R, 1.854 OPS; 56 SB

Behringer compiled some gaudy statistics in his senior season for North Fond du Lac, including his record-breaking 56 stolen bases, a record he broke in consecutive seasons. He’s North Fondy’s all-time leader in career batting average (.564), hits (114), RBIs (102), doubles (43), triples (14), and stolen bases (130), and he capped his prep career with a .613 batting average and an OPS of 1.854. Behringer collected 19 doubles, six triples, and three homers this season and he drove in 48 runs and scored 47 times, making up nearly a third of his team’s total runs scored in 2022. All the while, Behringer was the team’s most versatile defender and his excellent center field defense remains one of his top tools.

Keenan Mork RHP / River Falls, WI / 2023

Uncommitted | 46.1 IP, 1.36 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 85 K

Mork was, arguably, the most dominant pitcher in the state and his stats are even more impressive when factoring in his performances inside one of the most competitive conferences in the WIAA this season, the Big Rivers. The uncommitted junior struck out 85 batters in 46.1 innings this spring, and he allowed just nine earned runs on the year, good for a 1.36 ERA and an even more impressive 0.82 WHIP. Mork K’d 16 batters in two separate outings this season and was also named the BRC’s pitcher of the year prior to earning this spot on our first team list.

Mason Buss RHP / Arrowhead, WI / 2022

Kansas State | 44 IP, 0.48 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 68 K

Buss has dominated the Classic 8 these past two springs as a true ace in the state. He entered the state tournament with 68 punch-outs in 44 innings with a miniscule ERA of 0.44 and a WHIP of just 0.75. Buss’ overpowering stuff garnered him his conference’s illustrious player of the year honor, and it also granted him a spot on this list. Buss is a bulldog on the mound, and he attacks the strike zone with the kind of stuff that’s tough to catch up to even inside of the zone, which in turn allowed him to complete four games and record one no-hitter this spring, too. Now graduated, Buss is headed to Kansas State in the fall, wrapping up his prep career as one of the top arms in the state’s Class of 2022.

Vincent Gohlke LHP / OF / New Berlin West, WI / 2022

Illinois-Chicago | 52.1 IP, 0.67 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 92 K

Ashton Michek LHP / Bangor, WI / 2022

Augustana (SD) | 54.2 IP, 0.13 ERA, 126 K; 9 hits allowed, 1 earned run

Michek powered Bangor to state in 2022 behind some of the most impressive stats on this year’s all-state list. The lefty and Augustana (SD) recruit allowed only nine hits and one earned run in his 54.2 innings this spring, and he struck out a stunning 126 batters over that span – and those were his numbers prior to the state tournament. His ace status as the motor that pushed Bangor to state and incredible season totals landed him no-doubt first team all-state honors in 2022.

Matthew Merlo RHP / Random Lake, WI / 2023

Uncommitted | 61.1 IP, 0.79 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 111 K

This Random Lake junior had a historic season, and is one of, if not the, top pitcher that’s been a part of head coach Mike Donahue’s tenure at the program. This season, Merlo recorded the third-most strikeouts (111) in a single season in school history, and the second-lowest ERA (0.79) among qualified pitchers. He tossed a no-hitter against St. Mary Catholic and clinched his team conference in a 14-strikeout one-hitter later in the spring. He allowed just seven earned runs in his 61.1 innings and recorded a WHIP of just 0.88. Merlo’s also a prominent basketball prospect, but it’s clear he has a bright future on the mound as well.

Mitchell Voit RHP / 3B / Whitefish Bay , WI / 2022

Michigan | .566 BA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 1.461 OPS; 53.2 IP, 0.54 ERA, 87 K

Brayden Olson 3B / RHP / Saint Croix Falls, WI / 2023

Uncommitted | .465 BA, 12 2B, 3 HR, 1.209 OPS; 48.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 98 K

Also has been heralded as one of the best uncommitted players in the area both prior to, during, and after this WIAA season, and his spring stats tell a large part of that story. Olson guided St. Croix Falls to a Division 3 runner-up finish at the WIAA state tournament this season as a two-way star in Wisconsin’s junior class. Olson allowed not a single earned run in his 48.2 innings this season, and he struck out 98 batters total. The best his opponents could do was tally 16 total hits and just 15 walks over that span. Meanwhile, Olson recorded a 1.209 OPS with 12 doubles, three homers, and a batting average of .465, collecting 36 RBIs for SCF.

Chayce Osterhaus RHP / SS / Markesan, WI / 2023

Uncommitted | .552 BA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 1.661 OPS; 52.1 IP, 0.52 ERA, 102 K

Osterhaus is another record-breaking junior who earned a second team roster spot on this list. The uncommitted two-way player allowed only 17 hits and four earned runs in 52.1 innings this season, and he struck out an incredible 102 batters over that time. He notched 10 wins, two saves, and finished the season with a 0.52 ERA and a 0.57 WHIP. At the plate, Osterhaus hit .552, which was the second highest batting average in Markesan’s program history. He collected 11 doubles, two triples, and four homers, and he walked 28 times against just five strikeouts.