Throughout the Badger State, Sectionals played out on Tuesday, June 4 to determine what 20 teams will be making an appearance at the State Tournament in Appleton at Fox Cities Stadium. The Prep Baseball Wisconsin staff will continue its comprehensive coverage by breaking down what to expect from all four divisions at the final stage of the WIAA season in preview form.

The WIAA State Tournament is set to take place between June 10-13, concluding on Thursday by crowning four state champions to wrap up an eventful 2024 season.

The Division 3 action will get underway with the semifinal matchups in the afternoon session on Tuesday—concluding with the championship game that is set for 12:00 p.m. on Thursday. A champion will be crowned between Bonduel, Cumberland, Kenosha St. Joseph and No. 24 La Crosse Aquinas.

BONDUEL (23-3)

The Bears have put together a solid 2024 season—dominating their competition throughout the year to get to Appleton. Arguably the most impressive part about this run has been their pitching staff, as Bonduel has allowed just one run in four playoff games in this stretch. They emerge as an under-the-radar group to look out for—starting on Tuesday afternoon.

LHP/OF Cade Johnson (2025) has eaten up a ton of innings for the Bears, and has done so in an effective fashion. He enters the State Tournament with a flawless 10-0 record—boasting a low 0.60 ERA in 58 innings of work. Johnson has been their workhorse throughout the entire season, as he struck out four batters and allowed zero runs in the four frames against St. Mary Catholic in the Sectional Final.

RHP/INF Brodie Hartmann (2024) and RHP/1B Noah Weier (2024; Wisconsin-La Crosse (football)) are a pair of seniors who have taken on a majority of the innings outside of Johnson’s, and both have excelled. The two arms have combined for a 9-2 record, including 45 strikeouts to just seven walks for Hartmann. Each arm will be important in relief or in a starting role for game two of this tournament, all while putting up competitive numbers at the plate.

As for the bats, while those three play a vital two-way role for the Bears, their backstop in C Easton Reinke (2024) has been the headliner all season. Reinke garnered attention in our Diamond Notes earlier this year, and his production hasn’t fallen off since. The senior is hitting .436 with 11 extra base hits, good for an OPS of 1.167. He has been a staple in the middle of their order all season long, as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double in the 6-0 win over the Zephyrs to get to this point.

Role players will need to continue to step up, as it has been the solid pitching and defense of this unit that has advanced them to compete in Appleton. Bonduel will take on Kenosha St. Joseph at the beginning of the afternoon session on Tuesday, set for 2:30 p.m. at Fox Cities Stadium.

CUMBERLAND (21-8)

After a slow start to the season, the Beavers have picked up some major steam and enter Appleton on an 11-game winning streak—looking to maintain it and fight for a Division 3 title. Similar to the likes of the aforementioned Bonduel Bears, it has been the pitching staff that has carried them in the playoffs. Cumberland has only allowed five runs in four playoff games—boding well for the near future.

Their arms’ workload has been distributed pretty evenly throughout the course of the season, led by their captain in RHP/INF Gavin Prinsen (2024). Prinsen leads the team in innings pitched at 44.2, striking out 83 batters during that time with a 2.19 ERA. The right-hander has accumulated six wins through Regional play, all while hitting .355 with a team-leading five home runs. He added one more home run to his totals on Tuesday, as he launched a solo shot out against St. Croix Falls in a 3-2 victory.

LHP/UTL Cooper Schramski (2025), RHP/INF Uriah Johnson (2025) and RHP/INF Landon Wickstrom (2024) round out the rest of the pitching staff for the Beavers, each of which accumulating multiple victories during their season. Schramski is fresh off of a 10-strikeout performance against Mondovi in the Sectional Final, as the left-hander powered this unit to a win against a strong Division 3 opponent.

All four arms may see some time on the mound in Appleton, as they will need some assistance from the bats, too. That’s where C Ryan Lundmark (2024) and INF Nathan Schmidt (2024), a pair of senior captains, lead the way. Before Sectionals, Lundmark was hitting .402 with a team-high 37 hits in the process. He has manned the leadoff spot for a majority of the year—emerging as the Beavers’ top table-setter along the way.

Schmidt hits right behind him in the order—featuring a quality one-two punch that Cumberland has used to find success throughout the year. A prime example came in their matchup against the defending Division 3 champions in St. Croix Falls, as both finished with a hit and an RBI to dethrone the Saints.

As the No. 4 seed in this one, the Beavers will continue to use this team effort to attempt to make a run to the title game and win it all. They will take on La Crosse Aquinas in the semifinals on Tuesday.

KENOSHA ST. JOSEPH (23-5)

The Lancers have once again put together a stellar season to earn a berth to the Division 3 State Tournament, as they emerge as one of the favorites to win it all next week. Kenosha St. Joseph has yet to lose a game against a Division 3 opponent this season, as they will look to maintain that streak throughout the rest of the season.

It truly begins with the offense on this unit, as the Lancers have put up big numbers throughout all of 2024. 1B Dominic Santarelli (2026; Louisville commit) features one of the strongest skill sets at the plate in Wisconsin’s 2026 class, as he has excelled in a big fashion for the Lancers. Before Sectionals, Santarelli was hitting .474 with an impressive 23 extra base hits, paired with 31 RBIs from the middle of their order. The star sophomore only added onto those totals with a 2-for-3 performance against St. Mary’s Springs, where he hit a home run and a double in a 2-for-3 outing. He followed it up with another home run in the Sectional Final, this time against Lake Country Lutheran in a 2-1 win. His presence has been key for Kenosha St. Joseph all season long, as he will look to stay hot up in Appleton.

C Peter Visconti (2025) has nearly matched Santarelli’s production, as the catcher leads the team in BA at a .481 clip. After a successful stint at the Prep Baseball Future Games in the summer of 2023, Visconti has continued to produce at the plate and behind the dish for his high school program in the spring. He scored a total of three runs in their two games at Sectionals on Tuesday—providing a spark from the two-spot in the lineup. Visconti remains one of the top uncommitted juniors in Wisconsin’s 2025 class heading into the summer circuit.

The offense doesn’t quite end with those two prospects, as the Lancers feature a couple of multi-sport athletes who have thrived on the diamond. INF/RHP Tommy Santarelli (2024) has been a big piece for this team from a two-way perspective, tallying four wins on the mound while batting .471 with 11 extra base hits. He is joined by their leadoff hitter in OF Eric Kenesie (2024; Buffalo (basketball)), a three-sport star who has produced at the top of their order for multiple seasons. Kenesie currently holds the WIAA’s all-time scoring record in basketball at 51 points in a singular game—dating back to his junior season.

On the pitching side of things, RHP Mason Ballard (2025) has steadily improved and put together a solid 2024 as Kenosha St. Joseph’s ace on the bump. Before Sectionals, Ballard was at a 6-3 record with a 2.63 ERA in 45.2 innings of work. He will be looked upon to take on more valuable innings for this group as they make their way to Appleton.

INF Zach Rizzo (2026) rounds out the bats as an upside sophomore who has gained quality experience on the varsity stage in 2024, as he finished with a combined three hits in two games on Tuesday—powering the Lancers from the five-spot in the order.

Kenosha St. Joseph will battle against Bonduel in the first matchup of the afternoon session this upcoming Tuesday at Fox Cities Stadium.

LA CROSSE AQUINAS (23-4)

The Blugolds were the lone team in the 2024 season to make an appearance on the Power 25 rankings in the state, as their strength of schedule paired with success has made them a strong Division 3 team—looking to avenge their loss last season in the Division 3 title game.

A couple of newcomers, in addition to star players excelling has been the formula for victories on this La Crosse Aquinas squad—beginning with the play of INF/RHP Eddie Peters (2024; Xavier). The star shortstop did miss some at bats earlier in the playoffs, but made his return known during Sectionals on Tuesday. Peters tallied four hits and three RBIs from the middle of their lineup in two games—adding onto a .522 BA that he held through 25 games this season. The right-handed hitter has tallied three home runs and 24 RBIs with a 1.425 OPS—leading the charge for the Blugolds. He may see some action on the mound, too. Peters has been strong in a closer’s role for Aquinas these past couple of seasons, as he has tallied three this season.

OF/RHP Tanner Peterson (2024; Winona State University) has been another strong bat for this unit in his final season of his prep career. Peterson hit a home run at Fox Cities Stadium last season, and now holds a .422 BA as one of Aquinas’ top hitters. The right-hander’s work on the mound has been slightly limited in 2024, but he notched a win against New Glarus in the Sectional Final—striking out five batters in five innings while allowing two unearned runs. Peterson’s two-way presence could be the difference-maker for the Blugolds—starting on Tuesday.

From there, underclassmen have made their impact known on this team. It starts with their ace in RHP Aedan David (2026), a sophomore who has tallied seven complete games, a couple of no-hitters and held a flawless 8-0 record through Regional action. David was more of himself against Viroqua in a run-rule win, throwing five innings while navigating through a tough lineup. He will likely see time on the mound right away for the Blugolds, as he has been their top performing arm all season.

OF Waylon Hargrove (2026) and INF Jonny Deets (2027) are two more underclassmen who have been a positive attribute to this unit. Hargrove was a member of the varsity team last season, as he provided a couple of timely hits in their push to the championship game. It’s been more of the same in 2024, as Hargrove is batting .367 with four extra base hits. Deets excelled over the summer of 2023—emerging as one of the top defenders in the Badger State’s 2027 class, which he has proven on the diamond this season. As the bat continues to develop, the slick-fielding defender will continue to produce on the varsity stage.

A plethora of role players make up this quality lineup, as they have stepped up their game against competition this year. Aquinas, in a similar fashion to Kenosha St. Joseph, has not dropped a match to a Division 3 opponent to date. The No. 24 team in the state will look to continue that streak through the entire 2024 campaign in the nightcap on Tuesday.

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