Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 13 Hortonville
April 26, 2021
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: Hortonville
Preseason Rank: No. 13
2019 Record: 17-9
Conference: Fox Valley Association
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Greg Yeager
TOP PLAYERS
| NAME | POS | CLASS | COMMITMENT |
| Caleb August | INF | 2021 | - |
| Ben Beulow | C | 2021 | - |
| Landon Springstroh | OF | 2021 | - |
| Tyler Upp | RHP | 2021 | McHenry County JC |
| Sam Dodd | UTL/RHP | 2022 | - |
| Carson Holmes | LHP | 2022 | - |
| Easton Plachetka | INF/RHP | 2022 | - |
| Thomas Burns | RHP | 2023 | - |
| Jonah Conradt | RHP | 2023 | Arizona |
| Camden Kuhnke | INF/RHP | 2023 | - |
| John Sargent | OF | 2023 | - |
| Brett Sommer | INF | 2023 | - |
| Hayden Timm | 1B/DH | 2023 | - |
| Nathan Vela | RHP/INF | 2023 | - |
OUTLOOK
There’s a talented stockpile of pitching inside the Hortonville dugout – they’re arguably the state’s deepest staff. While much of that talent is inside its sophomore class, the Polar Bears have some upperclassmen capable of showing that group the ropes, catching them up in time for the big Fox Valley Association match-ups with Kimberly, Neenah, and the Appleton programs.
Senior C Ben Beulow has a critical role on this team, and is maybe the most important player on the roster. He’ll be this squad’s everyday catcher, handling young arms with big velocity and stuff. Beulow can help steer them through their first-ever outings at the varsity level, especially as the lone returning starter from the 2019 team.
Beulow’s ability to help acclimate sophomore right-handed pitchers Jonah Conradt, Thomas Burns, Camden Kuhnke, and Nathan Vela is pivotal to the long-term success of this Hortonville season.
However, this sophomore class will make sure that the Polar Bears will receive a few chances at reaching a state tournament.
Conradt, an Arizona commit, is one of the top-ranked prospects in the state’s 2023 class. He’s a live-armed, wiry righty, listed at 6-foot-1. In a few preseason bullpens thrown at PBR Wisconsin events, Conradt regularly sat in the upper-80s, reaching 90-plus mph a few times, on a fastball that features swing-and-miss action on its own – and not just because of its velocity. Conradt’s separated himself from most of his peers for his ability to spin a couple different breaking balls, and his changeup has looked like a weapon as well. If he’s able to make an instant impact inside this rotation, he can become one of the top arms in the state this season, and not just among underclassmen.
Jonah Conradt (3/14/21)
At our Fox Cities event in early March, we saw Burns demonstrate some huge offseason gains. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound sophomore delivers the ball from a high, steep angle to home, and it, too, features pronounced carry and spin through the strike zone – all while sitting 86-89 mph, topping 90. If he’s locating it, it will dodge barrels all by itself, but Burns can also spin a tight 12/6 curveball as well as a deceptive changeup.
Thomas Burns (3/6/21)
Kuhnke will be a two-way weapon for Hortonville this spring. Projected to earn varsity starts on the infield, Kuhnke’s athleticism sticks out for a player his size and age. He’s a sturdy, strong 6-foot-1, and an above-average runner. His foot speed should help him become an asset on defense, and provide an offensive boost to a lineup looking for one. Kuhnke’s also a closer-type arm, and he reached an 87 mph high back in early March, too. As for Vela, he’s a highly athletic 5-foot-10 sophomore who swings a quick right-handed bat, and his 83-84 mph fastball plays way up given his extension and release height, featuring ride through the strike zone.
So the future is bright in Hortonville, and their 2021 state chances are enhanced by seniors RHP Tyler Upp, INF Caleb August, and OF Landon Springstroh. Upp’s a strike-throwing senior with a sinking low-80s fastball that should translate to a lot of success in his final prep spring.
There’s a few solid juniors on this roster who should add to its depth, like INF/RHP Sam Dodd. Dodd’s a physical 6-foot-4 righty who’s been turning himself into a follow quarterback prospect, but that physicality has previously shown very well from both the mound and batter’s box, so his skill set will fit right into this lineup in any shape or form. INF/RHP Easton Plachetka is a corner infielder with some bat strength to fit around the middle of this order. And LHP Carson Holmes is an athletic southpaw who was up to 81 mph on the mound around this time last year, so we’re interested in getting an updated look some time soon.
And this 2023 class is actually equipped with a few more names to watch: 1B/DH Hayden Timm, OF John Sargent, and INF Brett Sommer. Timm has some left-handed power potential that could force its way into the daily lineup at some point this season, and Sargent moves around defensively with some athleticism, and he should earn playing time in the outfield because of it.
BOTTOM LINE
Rostering one of the most talented class’ in the state, the Hortonville sophomores can begin their memorable prep careers, finally, in 2021. The Polar Bears balance out their hefty, gifted 2023 class dependable upperclassmen across the diamond and lineup that should be able to capably back up the squad’s clear strength: pitching. Head coach Greg Yeager has gotten a lot of previous versions of Hortonville teams that weren’t this talented on paper, so it’ll be exciting to see how far this young and inexperienced group can go this spring.
Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2021 season.