Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 15 Brookfield East

The Wisconsin high school season kicks off on March 27th, 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: Brookfield East
Preseason Rank: 15
2018 Record: 13-15
Conference: Greater Metro Conference
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Ty Johnson
Playoff Run: Regional Semifinals
2018 Final Rank: NA
Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 2

TOP PLAYERS

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

OF Q Phillips is one of the top outfielders in Wisconsin’s 2021 class. A top ten prospect in the state, Phillips has previously played club ball in the summers, and has transferred to East from Marquette where he spent his freshman year. A 5-foot-10 170-pound switch-hitting outfielder, Phillips has the ability to affect the game in every facet. He’s an elite type defender who can go get the baseball in either gap, and should be a lockdown defender in center field at the next level. His speed will also play on the basepaths, a 6.94 runner in the 60, we’ve also seen him get down the line at sub 4.3, which will certainly put pressure on opposing infields and make Phillips an option to lead off the Spartan lineup.

Q Phillips (2.17.19)

X-FACTORS

Senior RHP’s Bailey Banaszynski and Riley LeTourneau will likely determine how far the Spartan run goes come playoff time. The duo both possess serious next level stuff - Banaszynski has shown us to be the more effective distance guy, with the ability to go deep into games holding a three pitch feel and velocity. Banaszynski is a sturdy 6-foot-2, 215-pounds and can sit comfortably in the 84-87 mph range for multiple innings while touching 88 mph. His off-speed stuff and ability to relentlessly pound the zone made him a Winona State commit last fall.

LeTourneau on the other hand is an imposing 6-foot-4, 210-pounds and routinely pitches in the upper 80’s and looks effortless. His repertoire and control has improved over the years, and when he’s most effective as a starter he’s able to pound the zone with lesser velocity and then reach for more when needed. A Madison JC commit, LeTourneau possesses some of the easiest velocity in the state.

Riley LeTourneau (6.12.18)

This combo could give Coach Johnson an intimidating 1-2 punch at the front end of his rotation if they pitch to capabilities. And a combo like this can give any team a chance at getting out of sectionals.

OUTLOOK

It will be a common theme this year in baseball to see how the summer teams adjust, not only to the new season, but also the influx of new players into their programs. And we’ve already mentioned it in several of our previews already, but it’s debatable to say that no other team in the state will benefit more from the move in 2019 than the Brookfield East Spartans.

Coach Johnson will be bringing back the majority of a lineup last year that only went 13-15, but it’s the jolt of talent that will immediately be infused to this roster that at least has us talking. Most notably in the senior class, the Spartans will add three top 40 players in the state, by our rankings - RHP Riley LeTourneau, RHP Bailey Banaszynski and C Ethan Toone. All three are serious college level talents and potentially turn Brookfield East into a title contender.

We mentioned Banaszynski and LeTourneau at the onset, and they may hold the key to the Spartan puzzle, but Ethan Toone will supply an immediate impact catching these two. Toone is an Evansville commit and is a projectable athlete with a big arm out of the crouch, he’s not your prototypical wide bodied backstop that might clog the bases either. Toone is a lean 6-foot-2, 185-pound athlete that runs a sub 7.0 and has quick twitch to his game. At the high school level, he may even be able to bring more than just his catching skills to yard. He’s a well-rounded athlete that is a huge pickup for Coach Johnson and his staff.

Ethan Toone (7.24.18)

The outfield should be as steady as it gets, returning two all-conference selections out there in Joey Pagel (.314), and Cole Barnes (.390). Potentially add Q Phillips between the two and you have an outfield that will be stingy giving up extra bases. Both Pagel and Barnes hit one and two-hole respectively in last year’s final playoff loss to Waukesha North, which speaks to Coach Johnson’s trust in their at bats as well.

Ryan Mazza hit three-hole in that same lineup and typically hit in the middle all year, finishing with a .435 clip at the plate. Mazza, another All-GMC selection, will be the most reliable bat returning to the lineup, and likely play on the left side of the infield. Last year both Mazza and Nick Radtke pulled two-way duties on the infield and on the mound. Radtke finished with a .367 batting average and went 2-4 on the mound with an ERA just north of 4.00.

On the mound, if the Spartans have to go deeper than those four arms already mentioned, a couple of sophomore arms come to mind in Logan LeTourneau and Will Staviski. LeTourneau saw some varsity action last year for the Spartans, while Staviski spent his time in club ball.

BOTTOM LINE

While we can put all these good vibes on paper about the 2019 Spartans, they still have to go and play the games. As with any team making the adjustment from summer to spring there will likely be several unforeseen hurdles, and getting all of the new talent to gel and play as a unit can be difficult.

In 2016 Arrowhead made the switch to spring look rather easy, running through the season into the state title game with just a two-loss record. We’re not saying that is Brookfield East, but they are one of our more tantalizing teams to watch this season, and one of our top ranked teams to make the summer to spring switch for a reason.

We’ll get a feel for the Spartans from day one, as they will get tested right out of the gates with opening week matchups against Catholic Memorial and Oak Creek.

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

Find more information on the 2019 Spartans below:

• Full Schedule

• Team Website

• Gamechanger

• Twitter