Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 15 Hudson

+ 1B/LHP Owen Weadge (2022; St. Cloud State): With the graduation of RHP/3B Owen Anderson (2021; St. Cloud State) and OF Sam Erickson (Flower Mound, 2024; Texas A&M) moving to Texas, the Raiders will be without arguably their two best players this year. That makes the return of Weadge even more important, as Hudson’s senior two-way standout will look to build off his successful junior campaign. Wedge finished the year with a .362 batting average, .464 on-base-percentage, and a 1.65 ERA in 20 innings of relief work. He was a second team honoree in a conference littered with talent from top-to-bottom and Hudson’s senior leader will have to replicate last spring’s success if they want to see themselves playing deep into June.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

+ LHP Bradyn Bezanson (2024): On paper, pitching is a strength for this Hudson team and the addition of Bezanson to this roster bolsters an already deep group. A top-25 prospect on our sophomore class rankings, Bezanson’s a pitchability southpaw that’s coming off a successful summer playing at a high level throughout. He’ll pitch in the low-80s with his fastball, bumping it up to 84 mph, and completes his arsenal with two pitches that, metrically, are impressive. He’ll spin his mid-60s slider at a 2,300+ RPM average with 21 inches of horizontal movement from a low arm slot (3.6 ft. average). Bezanson’s changeup checks several boxes on a TrackMan, as he kills spin (1,223 RPM avg.) and vertical break (4.1 IVB avg.) while also generating 15+ inches of horizontal action on the pitch. Having Bezanson in their back pocket should prove valuable for the Raiders and could elevate their mound production if he can pitch at the level we’ve known him to.

OUTLOOK

Hudson surprised many with the success they had last season, headlined by series wins over Eau Claire North, Chippewa Falls, and Rice Lake en route to their first outright claim of the Big Rivers conference championship since 2013. A large chunk of that roster returns this season, but the losses of Anderson to graduation and Erickson moving to the Lone Star state certainly won’t be easily overcome. Head coach Brent Blegen’s squad has talent, and most importantly, an even complement of senior leadership with young, high-octane talent.

Anderson’s departure opens up 38 elite innings from last spring - he struck out 63 batters and pitched to a 1.84 ERA in that span. Pitching is a strength for this team and they feel, internally, that this returning group has what it takes to sustain success over the course of this season. RHP Brody Von Berge (2022; Augustana University) will be a top-of-the-rotation arm for this team after logging 19 ⅓ quality innings last season with a 2.53 ERA and 22 strikeouts. RHP Logan Von Berge (2022; Augustana University) had an equally impressive season to his counterpart, punching out 24 batters while posting a 2.29 ERA in 18 ⅓ innings pitched, working as a swing-type arm that both started and pitched in relief. Highlighted above as the “X-Factor”, Weadge’s time on the mound will be as equally important as what he does offensively. He returns the most innings of this group and is another name that the Raiders feel extremely comfortable giving the ball to at any given time. Expect all three of these seniors to see an increase in workload this spring and if their production sticks, the Raiders will trot out a high-quality, experienced arm in each game they play.

Brody Von Berge (7/5/21)

Though he only threw four innings as a sophomore in 2021, an integral piece of this Hudson rotation will be LHP Ben Berkhof (2023). Berkhof owns the highest ceiling of this bunch, as the 6-foot-3, 190-pound uncommitted junior has steadily seen an uptick in his arsenal over the last calendar year. Berkhof recently attended an event in Minnesota and ran his fastball up to 88 mph, sitting in the 86-88 mph range with an 83% zone rate - the most important metric. His ability to spin his breaking ball appears to have improved as well, which was a major step forward Berkhoff needed to take in his development. He has the raw stuff to be an all-conference type selection and, if he’s able to put it all together, the Raiders have a true weapon they can utilize on the mound.

Ben Berkhof (10/3/21)

Speaking of Busson, the uncommitted junior is a top-40 prospect on our state’s 2023 rankings and figures to be an integral part of this offensive attack. As a sophomore last season, Busson slashed .339/.403/.468 with eight doubles, 19 RBIs, and he only struck out eight times in 62 at-bats. We recently saw Busson at the Madison Preseason ID, where he showed improved athleticism (7.19 60-yard dash), a stronger arm across the infield (86 mph), and consistently loud contact (90.3 mph avg. EV) from a potent right-handed stroke. Penciled right in the middle of this order, Hudson needs their first team all-conference honoree to build upon previous production and he’s more than capable of doing so.

The Raiders have talent surrounding Busson and Weadge in this offense, starting with INF Braden Ducharme (2022). Albeit a small sample size, Ducharme slashed .333/.444/.476 in 21 at-bats last season with the expectation being he slots into an everyday role in 2022. C Kyler Hove’s (2022; McKendree) main task will be handling this talented pitching staff, but the senior backstop returns after posting a .270/.471/.405 triple-slash en route to second team all-conference honors. Another returner, INF Wylie Baumer (2022), will be tasked with a more important role than before, likely seeing everyday playing time in his senior season. It’s an athletic, yet entirely new, group of outfielders for the Raiders made up by some combination of OF Brennan Ducharme (2022), C/OF Payton Lawrence (2023), OF Eli Ramthun (2023), and the aforementioned Logan Von Berge (2022; Augustana University) really being the only one who saw consistent playing time last season. Finally, sophomore C Hunter Carlson (2024) oozes upside attached to a 6-foot, 175-pound frame and was on this team last year as a freshman despite not seeing much game action. Carlson’s carrying quality right now is his defense behind the plate, but there’s plenty to like about his left-handed stroke, too. It’s possible he plays his way into somewhat consistent playing time this spring and doing so would add another talented offensive piece to the puzzle.

Hunter Carlson (10/3/21)

BOTTOM LINE

Even with two integral losses from their 2021 team, Hudson’s plenty talented and a large chunk of last year’s conference championship squad returns with an entire year of varsity seasoning under their belt. Pitching is likely to anchor this group and how much offensive production they’re able to get from key players is likely the deciding factor to how successful they are. They’ll certainly be battle tested come the WIAA playoffs, as the Big Rivers conference is as competitive as ever, and catching fire at the right time could have Hudson playing deep into June.

Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2022 season.

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PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN