Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 8 Burlington
March 23, 2018
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 high school teams all across the state and across all classifications, eventually launching 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: 8
2017 Record: 21-5
Conference: Southern Lakes
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Scott Staude
Playoff Run: State quarterfinals
2017 Final Rank: 7
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 4
KEY PLAYERS LOST
Jacob Lindemann, RHP (Wichita State)
Zach Campbell, OF (UW-Whitewater)
Dale Damon, 3B
Aaron Sturdevant, C
TOP PLAYERS
| Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Commitment |
| Grant Tully | WI | Burlington | 2018 | SS | |
| Drew Pesick | WI | Burlington | 2018 | RHP | |
| Derek Koenen | WI | Burlington |
2018 | RHP | |
| Joe Tully | WI | Burlington |
2018 | OF | |
| Trey Krause | WI | Burlington |
2018 | LHP | |
| Trent Turzenski | WI | Burlington |
2018 | RHP | |
| Riley Palmquist | WI | Burlington |
2019 | 2B | |
| Jason Adams | WI | Burlington | 2019 | RHP |
Newcomer to watch
It may be a familiar last name to the Demons fan base, but sophomore Dalton Damon could make a varsity debut in 2018. Dalton is the younger brother to the graduated Dale Damon, who earned all-conference honors last season. Coach Scott Straude isn’t afraid to roll with sophomores either as he’s carried at least two of them on the last two state quarterfinal teams. Dalton is an above-average runner in the outfield and has a quick bat and strong build that looks equipped for a varsity season. He could fill into an outfield spot vacated by Zach Campbell, another recent grad.
On paper the Demons may not need it, but Damon can also pitch in on the mound with an upper-70s fastball and above-average 12/6 curveball.
X-Factor
If Burlington is going to make it three straight trips to Fox Cities Stadium, then it will likely come on the shoulders of LHP Trey Krause. Krause was a go-to arm down the stretch for Coach Straude, twirling a complete game shutout in the sectional semis over Indian Trail and their PBR Player of the Year, RHP Ryan Hoerter. Krause will be counted on for more starts like that in his junior campaign if the Demons will return to state.
Outlook
Burlington should have their sights set on Appleton again in 2018. They return a strong nucleus of talented juniors and senior leadership, all with state tournament experience and likely a bitter losing taste. After a quick five-inning exit from Fox Cities Stadium last year, the 2018 version has something to prove with the talent to do so.
The strength of the 2018 Demons is on the mound where they will rely on two of the better arms in Wisconsin’s 2019 class. Along with seniors RHP Drew Pesick and RHP Derek Koenen, the aforementioned Krause and RHP Trent Turzenski have next level type stuff. They only lose one significant arm from last year’s team in Zach Campbell who started 9 games and logged over 50 innings. The Demons also did it all without ace RHP Jacob Lindemann all last season as he was rebounding from elbow surgery. Krause is likely to headline the staff after a 7-1 season posting a 1.56 ERA. As previously mentioned, he started the Demon’s state quarterfinal game in 2017, and proved poised for the situation as just a sophomore. He brings a ton of confidence to the mound, which should rub off on the rest of the team. Turzenski also logged significant innings as a sophomore, and at 6-foot-6, 220-pound he’s a towering presence with a big fastball to go with it.
Offensively they will have to fill the voids left from graduating their 1-4 hole hitters, the good news is 5-9 collectively hit well over .300. The middle of the infield returns intact with Grant Tully and Riley Palmquist, however a big gap will need to be plugged behind the dish, where Aaron Sturdevant was a mainstay in the three-hole.
If they can piece back together what was a nearly seven-run-per-game offense, Burlington can be at the top of the Southern Lakes standings for the third year in a row.
BOTTOM LINE
The Southern Lakes conference will be one of the state's sleeper conferences in 2018, outside of Burlington and Wilmot, expect Badger to be in the mix with a ton of returners while Westosha Central and Union Grove have some high-end talent and should be much improved. Bottom line is if the Demons can take the crown in the Southern Lakes they will certainly be battle-tested for another deep playoff run. My guess is Krause and the rest of Coach Staude’s roster will be chomping at the bit this time around.
Find more information on the 2018 Demons below:
+ Website
+ Full Schedule
Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.