The Wisconsin high school baseball season kicks off on April 27, opening day for regular season action under WIAA regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2021 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Wisconsin Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis. These preseason previews are also assembled with the help of Joe Waite and his comprehensive Baseball Wisconsin Yearbook, and the 2021 edition will soon be available for purchase here.

Our 2021 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Eau Claire North
Preseason Rank: No. 21
2019 Record: 25-4
Conference: Big Rivers
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Bob Johnson

TOP PLAYERS

OUTLOOK

The Huskies are still, technically, the reigning D1 champs. And while this 2021 roster will look drastically different than the one that hoisted the state title back in 2019, Eau Claire North has earned its reputation as one of the best programs in western Wisconsin, and a robust junior class should help the Huskies hoist hardware once again.

Junior Gabe Richardson was this team’s starting third baseman as a freshman on that state-winning unit, so his experience as a run-producer who’s also completely comfortable with the speed of the varsity game will be instrumental to the success of this year’s Huskies. He hit .450 in 60 varsity at-bats as a freshman, so expect a substantial improvement, somehow, as Richardson’s aptitude from the right-handed batter’s box has steadily improved since. He spent the end of last summer as a member of Team Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games, and he’s among the most intriguing uncommitted juniors in the state.

Gabe Richardson (8/2/20)

The seniors in this dugout did not earn much, if any, playing time in 2019, blocked by a stacked 2019-20 group. OF Cody Dayton, INF Evan Zachow, and INF Chad Kron stick out as potential 2021s who can provide depth that complements a junior group head coach Bob Johnson will utilize most heavily.

Of those 2022s, in addition to Richardson, consider juniors RHP/OF Ryan Robertson, RHP/OF Jalen Pascal, and LHP Andrew Milner as the team’s pitching depth. Robertson was effective in a couple looks through both 2019 and 2020 as a low-80s strike-thrower, whose athleticism also works from the left-handed batter’s box. We saw Milner in July, actually, at the Badger State Battle where he sat 78-79 mph with a sweeping curve, listed at a lanky 6-foot-4, 165 pounds.

Long and lanky southpaw Andrew Milner (@Huskybb35, 2022) has been effective here against GRB Rays White, having held them scoreless with five Ks in five IP. Sat in the upper-70s, T79, from a 3/4 slot with a slurve-y breaking ball, 64-66 mph.#BadgerState pic.twitter.com/0bqS5SDTSH

— PBR Wisconsin (@PBRWisconsin) July 2, 2020

Inside the lineup, more juniors like UTL Cole Bakkum, 1B Sam Feck, and C Jonah Hanson form a solid lineup bolstered by Richardson right in the middle.

BOTTOM LINE

The North Huskies might not look like the same squad that won it all at the D1 level in 2019, but underestimated that team back then and aren’t about to make the same mistake in 2021. While these juniors could have significantly benefited from experience gathered last year, few teams will have the advantage of returning varsity players, which will help level the playing field for young rosters like the one North has – and you can’t forget about coach Johnson’s lopsided winning record (265-76) in his 16th spring at the helm.

Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2021 season.

Find more information on the 2021 Huskies below:

+ Team Website

+ Team Schedule

+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN