Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 11 Burlington
March 24, 2019
The Wisconsin high school season kicks off on March 26th, the first day for regular season games.
Leading up to the opening week of games we will be rolling out team previews of our top 25 high school teams all across the state and across all classifications, counting down our Preseason Power 25.
We will bring you a snapshot of what to expect along with top players and keys to success for that particular team.
Team: Burlington
Preseason Rank: 11
2018 Record: 20-8
Conference: Southern Lakes
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Scott Staude
Playoff Run: Sectional Champions
2018 Final Rank: 14
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 3
TOP PLAYERS
| Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Commitment |
|
WI |
Burlington |
2019 |
LHP/1B |
Illinois State |
|
|
WI |
Burlington |
2019 |
RHP/1B |
Valparaiso |
|
|
Jason Adams |
WI |
Burlington |
2019 |
RHP |
|
|
WI |
Burlington |
2020 |
C |
||
|
WI |
Burlington |
2019 |
INF |
||
|
WI |
Burlington |
2019 |
OF |
Concordia (WI) |
|
|
WI |
Burlington |
2019 |
INF |
Marian University |
|
|
WI |
Burlington |
2020 |
OF |
||
|
WI |
Burlington |
2019 |
OF |
Cincinnati Christian |
KEY PLAYERS LOST
Grant Tully, OF
STAT RAT
Illinois State recruit Trey Krause littered the box scores in 2018. Known for his attributes on the mound, Krause hit to the tune of .474 on the year and led the team in plate appearances, while also leading the way in OPS at 1.137. On the mound he logged more innings than any other Demon pitcher with 61, roughly 30% of the teams total innings. He went 6-2 over that span, notched two saves, and posted a 1.28 ERA, striking out 90 in the process. Some lofty numbers to repeat in 2019, but if he does, he would likely be staring at another first-team all-conference and all-district selection.
X-FACTORS
Coach Staude and the Demons don’t have much to replace from graduation, as they return six of their top eight plate appearances from a year ago. But one of those missing cogs was outfielder Grant Tully, who hit .350 for Burlington and was a reliable bat near the top of the lineup. Junior Dalton Damon, could be poised to fill that production and then some. Damon saw just 32 at bats in 2018 and played in over half of the Demon’s games, but started to see more regular time down the stretch. He started Burlington’s last five games and went 5-for-16 in that stretch, he also brings back one of the team’s better on OBP’s which could easily make him a candidate to slide into Tully’s void in the lineup.
Damon recently showed us improved metrics at the Madison Preseason I.D. with a short level compact stroke that may be ready for a breakout season.
Dalton Damon (3/10/19)
OUTLOOK
Burlington has won the Southern Lakes three years in a row now, as well as making it to state all three of those years. They’ve been a mainstay of Fox Cities Stadium since 2016 and show no signs of going away this year. Over the course of their three year run, this may be the most talented group they’ve had since winning it all in 2016.
It all starts on the mound for Burlington. They have a pair of Division I commits returning for their senior campaigns, and both have the stuff to take the Demons back to state. We’ve mentioned the gaudy stat lines put up by Trey Krause above, and fellow senior, RHP Trent Turzenski is no slouch either. Turzenski is a Valparaiso commit who went 5-1 last year with a 2.51 ERA. However, his only knock from a year ago may have come in the command category. He returns the highest walk rate on the team, but his stuff has been so overpowering that very few of them come around to score. Well we’ve personally seen significant improvement in Turzenski’s command of the baseball, as well as a spike in velocity since last season. Turzenski has gone from a mid 80’s right-hander to an upper 80’s guy that can touch 90 mph, and rumors of even more. Combine that with a 6-foot-6 presence on the bump, and Turzneski may be one of the more intimidating at bats in the state.
Trent Turzenski (8/12/18)
Offensively Coach Staude’s top three run producers return from last year’s team in C Christian Brenner, Turzenski and Krause. Brenner hit just .263 as a sophomore, but manned the most demanding position on the field and led the team in RBI and doubles.
The Demons will be athletic in the outfield, as their top two base stealers return out there in Daniel Peterson (.310) and Michael Rozell (.240). The third wheel could be Dalton Damon and he’s a 7.19 runner in the 60, so there should be no lack of speed roaming the gaps.
Burlington returns most of its offensive production around the horn. Between Krause and Turzenski flip flopping at first base, depending on who is pitching. Riley Palmquist and Tucker Strommen return up the middle. The pair are sure handed defenders, and any offensive production they provide is simply a bonus.
BOTTOM LINE
The Demons have the track record of getting to state and its a group of multiple varsity letter-winners who have seen and been a part of playoff success. If one thing is for certain about the 2019 Demons, when the kitchen gets hot, they can handle the heat.
Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.