Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 4 Eau Claire Memorial

The Old Abes will deploy one of the state’s best and deepest pitching staffs this spring and it’s bound to take them on a lengthy postseason run. Their rotation will be manned by three ace-type starters: Zach Gustafson (East Carolina), Jack Brown (Minnesota State), and Austin Selz (Minot State). The trio will be suffocating offenses all season long, taking some pressure off their junior-filled, inexperienced lineup.

Gustafson has demonstrated a profile that might make him the best arm among the three in college, earning himself a Division-I offer, but Brown has been the most effective in high school. Last year, Brown led the staff with an 8-1 record and a 0.84 ERA. He’s head coach Dan Roehl’s old trusty. Brown’s been a member of this staff since he was a freshman and has been praised for his hard work and dedication to his craft on the mound. He pairs a mid-80s fastball, that’s touched 89 mph, with a sharp curveball that’s generally silenced his opposition over his three years on varsity. Brown’s the No. 6-ranked right-handed pitcher in his state’s class while Gustafson is No. 8.

Jack Brown (3.12.17)

The East Carolina-bound righty has been a dynamo ever since he’s been on varsity, too. Gustafson was 3-4 last year but his 1.56 ERA paints a better picture. He and Brown were both second team all-conference selections in the uber competitive Big Rivers Conference. Gustafson uses a mid-80s fastball that features some occasionally hard sink. He also utilizes a curveball with some shape and a changeup that couples especially well with his sinkerball.

And no team has it easy if they dodge either Brown or Gustafson on their schedules. Slated in to be one of the best “back-end” starters in the state is Selz. Committed to Minot State in North Dakota, Selz is another mid-80s arm with a curveball-changeup combo. He’s a dependable strike-thrower that makes this staff a three-headed monster that should keep the team in nearly every ballgame.

As if that weren’t enough, opposing teams won’t have it any easier getting to Memorial’s bullpen. Close ties means they’ll have to come back against their explosive closer: Tanner Kohlhepp (Tennessee).

Kohlhepp is D-I bound and will be pitching at the next level and operates as the Old Abes’ starting shortstop, too. The senior is going to be Coach Roehl’s closer where his upper-80s fastball, that has touched 92 mph in the past, will play even better. Kohlhepp will come out firing, cementing leads and securing wins. He’s got a wicked slider, too, that won’t allow batters to home in on his fastball.

His contributions on the mound will be critical but Kohlhepp might offer more support in the batter’s box. He’ll be a four-year starter once spring ball is underway and is Memorial’s only returning first team all-conference pick. For what the Old Abes have in established talent on the mound, they lack in inexperience in their unpolished lineup. Kohlhepp, OF Keagan Calchera (Minnesota-Duluth), 2B/INF Mitchell Froelich, and OF Kasimer Palzkill are the returning seniors who’ll be responsible for the run-scoring this offense can provide its elite staff. All four hovered around the .300 mark in the box, so they might need to take another step forward, offensively, in order for Memorial to make a real play at state.