By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Wisconsin/Illinois

The Mailbag is a feature 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 week one of the top questions revolves around the split high school seasons in Wisconsin with spring and summer baseball, a hot topic for sure. Also included this week are some of the top prospects in their class, college baseball and recruiting.

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

How do you feel about Wisconsin playing summer baseball? Do you know if Wisconsin will go to spring in the near future?

Great question and certainly a hot topic. Honestly I don't like it. There are so many opportunities in the summer months for players to get exposed to recruiters at the next level as well as a higher level of competition. A lot of really good players are getting denied these opportunities because their high school plays summer baseball. Plus they are losing out on valuable at bats and opportunities. You go to the state championship game for your summer high school team and you played maybe 30 games. Your top travel programs are playing twice that many games in the same time frame and against better competition and getting more exposure. I am the biggest advocate of high school baseball because I feel kids learn a lot of structure, are held to academic standards, and learn time management skills that they will need in college, unfortunately a lot of these players are starting to forgo playing for their high school team in order to play for a high level travel program and you can't blame them. Take a look at the 2015 rankings as an example. 2015's is the most actively recruited class at this point in the year. Out of the top 13 ranked prospects 6 of them attend summer high schools, 6 attend spring high schools and one is home schooled. Of those 6 summer high school players only one is committed and he chooses to forgo playing for his high school. Now, out of the other 6 that attend spring high schools 4 of them are already committed. Just a small example, but again I can't stress enough how much of an advocate I am for high school baseball. As for moving to a spring schedule in the future I have no idea but it would make for a much more uniform season. OK, now that my rant is over argue amongst yourselves. Would love to hear some feedback.

When should you first send your information to a college coach if you want to go to their school in the future?

It's never too early to start sending your information to colleges. However, I would suggest once you start playing competitive high school baseball and have attended a showcase or workout to get real numbers and grades on your tools. Without information on where you play travel/high school baseball or verified numbers on your velocity and speed, sending information to colleges could get looked over.

Who will win the FVA this year? Best players in the conference?

The FVA should be strong again this year. Appleton North and Kimberly should both be near the top. Kimberly probably has the top overall player in the league in Scott Schreiber so I might have to give the nod to them. Oshkosh North has to be a favorite to take the top spot as well. They played a lot of sophomores last year who now have another year of experience. I like the Spartans to be a sleeper. Best players in the conference would include Scott Schreiber, Connor Rolain, Alex Henwood, Alex Hintze and Dustin Landers.

Who is the top 2015 player out there in your opinion?

Well we have Pete Schuler ranked No.1 so obviously we think very highly of him. He has a huge upside and a left handed hitting catcher is always in high demand.

What are key components that colleges look in for for athletes?

I think one of the biggest things college look for, and hardest to determine, is whether or not a players tools will play at their level. Regardless of size or high school stats a college coach must determine whether or not a players skill set will improve and if it can play at the next level. This can be very tough for recruiters and is not always defined by a stat or number. The game is a lot faster at the college level so arm strength, bat speed and foot speed are all important factors at the next level.

What do you think the top 3 baseball college conferences are?

No brainer - SEC, ACC and PAC-12

I heard the Big Ten is an up and coming conference, what do you think about that?

Full disclosure I'm a B1G alum and it was great to see my Hoosiers in the CWS last year, but lets face it they will only have 1-2 teams in the tournament every year. I know a lot of teams improved their facilities but they still don't stack up with a lot of the southern schools. Bottom line is the B1G plays in cold weather states and recruits from cold weather states where there is less of a talent pool.

Any knowledge on the 2017 class?

I've heard some rumblings but haven't seen enough yet to speak on, the Preseason I.D.'s should help a lot. Let us know if you got anything. Prospects can always send us there information to start a profile through the Recommend a Prospect feature http://www.prepbaseballreport.com/request-showcase-invite/WI/WI-recommend-a-prospect

Who is going to win the Wisconsin Little Ten?

Oconomowoc won it fairly easily last year and has a solid core back so I would have to put them as the favorites. Don't have a firm grasp on the entire conference but I know Watertown lost some big pieces to graduation.

Any players to watch out for in the Green Bay area this year?

RHP Luke Van Lanen out of Pulaski is very interesting. If I had to pick a darkhorse for late round pick in this year's MLB draft it would probably be him. He has shown a plus arm from the outfield and if he can come close to replicating that on the mound he would be a highly interesting prospect to take a chance on.

Any not so known kids to look for in the 2014 class?

Not sure if they're unknown but I would watch out for Brad Sabol and Logan Berg. Two LHP's that have a lot of upside. LHP's are hard to come by and these two are very intriguing.

Who are the top 10 players you will be keeping an eye on the most this spring?

Quick list off the top of my head. Noah Jensen, Alex Marro on the mound will be interesting this spring. Ryan Selner, Keith Kutzler, Jack Eagan, Nick Blomgren.....literally the list could go on forever, we will try to see as many players as we can but those are a few that we've seen limited action of or have high potential.

Who are some big players from smaller schools that you've seen? (enrollment less than 500)

Not sure what the enrollment is but Grant Frazer from Oconto comes to mind, sophomore with a long frame and a lot of athleticism, low 80's on the mound. Also LHP Jack Collins from Denmark and Shane Coker from Athens off the top of my head.

Is Sun Prairie the favorite in the Big 8?

I would agree with that. Defense is solid, going to have to replace Fairchild behind the plate. they did it without their biggest star last year with Tony Butler on the sidelines. They will be solid on the mound too, Lund and Curran are both back, also look for Junior Kanyon Fellers to pitch some big innings.

Who will be the Gatorade player of the year??

You gotta think Scott Schreiber is the leading candidate again. He's got the advantage of putting up ridiculous numbers both at the plate and on the mound. I would think he is the leader in the clubhouse before the season starts.

What is the best pop time of all 2015 catchers?

Using the advanced search function on our website, Pete Schuler is the only 2015 catcher in WI that we have recorded sub 2.0 pop times on.

How will Hortonville do this upcoming baseball season?

Title contenders for sure. Returning a ton of talent from last year’s team, lot of experience. LHP Alex McIntosh will take them far on the mound.

Who will win the Greater Metro this year?

I've gotta say Oak Creek. They would also be my favorites to win it all they are very strong on the mound and Doran Turchin is one of the best athletes in the class. I'd put my money on the Knights.

Who are some of the best two-way players in the 2016 class?

Good question. Most players by the time they get to college will not be two-way players but at the high school level with limited talent often players are asked to do double duty. I would say right now Nathan Brown is the best two way player but I think he will ultimately be on the mound at the next level. Cyrillo Watson also has a chance just because he has a ton of arm strength for his age. 

Who is the best hitter in the class of 2015?

Rudy Rott. He flat out hit. There's something to be said for his ability to barrel up the baseball. Ohio University got one of the more consistent hitters out there.

How do you think the Milwaukee Lutheran Red Knights will be this year?

Improved. They have a solid group of young guys led by Selner, Walker and Wright - all sophomores.

How do you think Racine Park will do this season?

Not sure if Park won a game in conference last year. Unsure what their underclass looks like but outside of Widmar they will be thin.

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