Junior Future Games: Team Wisconsin, Game Recaps
July 28, 2022
From July 26th to July 31st, the Prep Baseball Report staff will run the PBR Junior Future Games at the state-of-the-art LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson, Georgia.
The 9th Annual Invitation-Only event will feature the best identified 2026-2027 prospects from across the PBR Coverage Area in a five-day event at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, GA. Participants will be given the unique opportunity of competing against other top-level players while representing their respective state in a high-level atmosphere.
This event will run in conjunction with the PBR Future Games. The Future Games features the top uncommitted players in the Class of 2024 and 2025 from across the Prep Baseball Report’s 40+ state coverage area. It is one of the most highly recruited events of the summer and attracts more than 300 college coaches from across the country each year.
This one-of-a-kind event will include individual workouts and a 4-game guarantee with single elimination bracket play to determine a champion in each age group.
Below you'll find a few helpful links that'll make navigating the week easier:
+ TEAM WISCONSIN 14U SCHEDULE: https://bit.ly/3cLKSFK
+ TEAM WISCONSIN 14U ROSTER: https://bit.ly/3vhFa4N
GAME 1: WISCONSIN vs GEORGIA 2
Team Wisconsin brought out the bats as the sun set at LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson, GA for day one of tournament play at the PBR Junior Future Games. In five innings of play, Team Wisconsin scored in every inning, stringing together a total of seven hits and eight walks.
To start, RHP Carson Hawley (Bay Port, 2026) got the call for Team Wisconsin, featuring a FB that sat 76-78 mph, topping out at 79, and a CB-SL-CH offspeed combo that kept a tough Team Georgia 2 off balance. His day was done after going for four strong innings, where he only gave up one hit.
Team Wisconsin began the scoring in the first inning, via an RBI single from OF Matthew Hietpas (Appleton North, 2026), who finished 3-for-3 today with four RBIs. After OF Matthew O’Grady (Badger, 2026) scored, one of three times he crossed home plate in the evening, 1B Dominic Santarelli (Kenosha St. Joseph, 2026) scored after an RBI single by 3B Caleb Johns (New Berlin Eisenhower, 2026), giving Team Wisconsin an early 2-0 lead.
Clutch hits from Hietpas and SS Jake Cummins (Milton, 2026) in the second and third inning allowed Team Wisconsin to extend their lead to 5-1 after three innings of play.
After a 2-run response from Team Georgia 2, Team Wisconsin added two runs in each of the last two innings of play, via wild pitches and RBI singles from both Hietpas and OF Luke Schaning (Nathan Hale, 2026). A shutout inning from RHP Cade Minatto (Indian Trail, 2026) allowed Team Wisconsin to finish with a 9-3 victory in their first game of the tournament.
Solid defense was a staple in the win for Team Wisconsin, as the group only had one error and wild pitch. Among those highlights were from O’Grady, who made a sliding catch in centerfield, and Cummins, who single-handedly turned a double play in the fourth inning.
GAME 2: WISCONSIN vs TENNESSEE
In the last session of Day 2 of the PBR Junior Future Games, Team Wisconsin took on Team Tennessee in a non-pool play matchup.
RHP Parker Lawson (Bay Port, 2026) was the starter for Team Wisconsin in game two. Lawson impressed with his ability to repeat his delivery, drive the ball downhill from a high three quarter slot, and throw strikes with multiple offerings. His fastball showed life at the plate sitting mostly around 80 mph. He worked very quick with an up tempo delivery and fast pace keeping Team Tennessee hitters off balance in his outing.
Team Tennessee put up two runs in the second inning off of Lawson to give themselves an early 2-0 lead. The offense continued to carry its momentum from last night though, as they responded with three runs of their own.
SS Trey Kerkhoff (Burlington, 2026) got the third inning started with a triple to the left field corner. Kerkhoff showcased his quick bat and flat swing on the triple when he slashed a fastball down the line taking great turns around the bases to leg out a three-bagger. Later on, a walk and two stolen bases allowed OF Matthew O’Grady (Badger, 2026) to score, along with OF Luke Schaning (Nathan Hale, 2026), who also walked.
RHP/CIF Caleb Johns (New Berlin Eisenhower, 2026) was the only member of Team Wisconsin to finish with multiple hits on the night, as he sent two singles to the opposite field. Johns showed why he’s one of the top hitters in Wisconsin’s 2026 class with the hit tool that was on display on both hits. He did an excellent job of understanding how Team Tennessee was attacking Team Wisconsin hitters to the outer corner of the plate. He kept his barrel above the ball and shot both hits to the 6-hole for base hits.
The offense for Team Wisconsin remained quiet for the rest of the game, as Team Tennessee took home a 7-4 victory. C Maddux Lessard (Muskego, 2027) was a notable performer on offense, as he reached base all three times, including a single, BB, and HBP. Similarly, OF Matthew Hietpas (Appleton North, 2026) scored the fourth run of the day after he went to the opposite field for a double.
Lessard continues to impress with his bat speed, knowledge of the strike zone and barrel awareness to slash line drives to all fields. Hietpas is also showing why he is one of the top talents in the class, by showcasing his ability to barrel up pitches to all quadrants of the strike zone and drive them to all fields like he did on that double to straight away right field.
Team Wisconsin will take on Team PNW today at 12:30 p.m. as they make a return to pool play.
GAME 3: WISCONSIN vs PNW
Team Wisconsin took the field at LakePoint Sports Complex for the third time as they matched up against Team PNW (Pacific Northwest).
RHP/INF Trey Kerkhoff (Burlington, 2026) toed the rubber for Team Wisconsin, as he pitched for three innings and gave up three runs. Trey’s athleticism was on display with his dynamic delivery and quick arm and a fastball that was around 80 mph. He showed the ability to drive the ball down hill and kept hitters off balance.
The offense for Team Wisconsin went quiet, as the first 14 batters were only able to string together two hits, one from Kerkhoff, and the other from INF Hudson Burg (Fond du Lac, 2026), who barreled a line drive to left-center field.
After being down 4-0, Team Wisconsin broke into the scoring column with a bases-loaded HBP from OF Luke Schaning (Nathan Hale, 2026), cutting the deficit to 4-1 entering the sixth inning.
RHP Matthew Hietpas (Appleton North, 2026) put in quality work for Team Wisconsin, as he was able to hold Team PNW’s lead at four runs. Matthew’s natural arm strength was on display topping out at 82 mph while showcasing a hard downer breaking ball. He did a great job of getting outs and being aggressive in the zone when he had to make a pitch.
Team Wisconsin was able to rally in the sixth inning, as a couple of HBPs mixed with clutch hits allowed the group to take its first lead of the game. C Cade Minatto (Indian Trail, 2026) cut into Team PNW’s lead with a two-RBI triple to the opposite field. Minatto then scored via a sacrifice fly from Burg, tying the game at four apiece. Minatto did a great job of using his hands shooting the ball in the gap.
Three batters later, INF/RHP Brayden Alivo (St. Thomas More, 2026) barreled a double to left-center field, scoring OF Carson Hawley (Bay Port, 2026), and giving Team Wisconsin a 5-4 lead heading into the final inning. Brayden Alivo has been taking great swings all week and either hitting the ball hard at someone or running into some hard luck. Brayden did a great job of continuing to be aggressive in the zone and driving a fastball to the upper part of the zone to the left center field gap.
A leadoff walk came around to score for Team PNW in the bottom of the sixth, and the game was called due to a time limit at the end of the inning, resulting in a 5-5 tie.
Team Wisconsin finished pool play with a 1-0-1 record, allowing them to advance to the Gold Bracket to compete for the national championship. It is still to be determined when and who Team Wisconsin will face on Saturday.