Last month, thousands of high school baseball players across the country signed their National Letters of Intent to lock in their official commitments to their respective schools, with hundreds of these signings hailing from Wisconsin.

Over the next few weeks, we will spend some time highlighting the names from the Badger State that signed their NLI to play baseball at the Division I level. We’ll do so by breaking these names up by conference.

Today, we'll be looking at the players from Wisconsin that signed to play at schools in the Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC with videos, scouting reports and more, below. 

BIG 12

Two of the top-ranked arms in the state's senior class signed with Big 12 programs - RHP Nolan Buss (Arrowhead) with Kansas State and RHP Noah Wech (Manitowoc Lincoln) with Oklahoma State:

Nolan Buss

From 8/24/23: “[Buss] has long been a top arm inside of the state’s 2024 class and his ‘pen at the Eastern Wisconsin Open asserted the notion even more. On the mound, the 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander features a unique delivery in which he creates some cross-fire action and pairs it with a strong arm from a low 3/4 slot that surely makes it tough for opposing hitters to pick up. During his ‘pen, Buss ran his fastball up to 93 mph, while sitting in the 91-92 mph range throughout. Also, Buss created over 14” of induced vertical break on average; that paired with an average release height of 4.7 feet makes this play with even more carry than previously mentioned. As for his offspeeds, Buss featured a wipeout slider in the 79-80 mph range with late bite and averaged nearly 15” of horizontal movement, too. He also showed an improved feel for a deceptive changeup in the mid-to-high-80s with late fade and depth to put the finishing touches on his powerful three-pitch arsenal. The uniqueness mixed with the power stuff that Buss possesses makes him one of the most intriguing arms in the entire state, and he is surely someone we are eager to continue to follow as he enters his final prep season.”

Noah Wech

From 11/15/23: "[Wech] continued to show off some of the state’s loudest stuff over the course of the fall. Listed at a strong and athletic 6-foot, 187-pounds, Wech shined at the Fall Championships at The Rock where he ran his lively fastball up to 91 mph on a cold fall night. His two offspeed offerings also showed as out-pitches, the first being a sharp slider in the 78-81 mph range which averaged mid-to-high 2,000 spin. The second of the two was a change of pace changeup in the low-80s with fade and depth. While Wech has been dominant on the mound for some time now, his offensive abilities can’t be overlooked. At the plate, he swings an aggressive but controlled right-handed bat that is capable of ripping line drives to all parts of the field."

BIG TEN

A pair of Team Wisconsin representatives from the 2022 Future Games put pen to paper and will be staying in the midwest to compete in the Big Ten. RHP Kyle Alivo (St. Thomas More), who just debuted in our recent nationally rankings update, signed with Iowa. LHP Tannis Lange, the top-ranked southpaw in the state, will be taking his talents to Ohio State. 

Kyle Alivo

From 11/15/23: "[Alivo] finds himself rising once again in this update, jumping up one spot into our No. 8 spot. The highly athletic right-hander impressed once again, at the Fall Championships with one of his best performances we’ve seen, working his fastball up to 92 mph during his start and was holding his velocity throughout. Also showed feel for two offspeed pitches in this look, the slider being the better of the two-pitches that he throws with conviction with sharp 10/4 movement in the upper-70s. His changeup has developed into a weapon and he throws it with armspeed with heavy fading action. Alivo is the ultimate competitor and has been one of the top performers in the state over the past few years."

Tannis Lange 

From 11/15/23: "[Lange] has long been one of the state’s most competitive arms, and throughout the year, more and more velocity has been coming from this southpaw. Lange is an athletic and easy mover on the bump who has ran his fastball up to 89 mph in our looks. He has feel to spin a low-to-mid-70s breaking ball with sweep and also kills spin on a high-70s change with fade. With plenty of upside in his long 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame, the ceiling is enormous for this future Buckeye as he finishes up his prep career." 

ACC

A trio of Wisconsin prep products will be taking their talents to the ACC. Notre Dame signed two of the most physically imposing arms in the state with 6-foot-7 RHP Anderson Hayes (Oconomowoc) and 6-foot-5 LHP Brady Koester (Kimberly). Joining them in the conference is OF Cade Palkowski (Oak Creek), a 2022 Future Games alum and North Carolina recruit.

Anderson Hayes

From 11/22/23: "Hayes is a monster 6-foot-7, 215-pound right-hander who moves more fluidly than you might expect from a pitcher listed at that kind of stature. For much of his prep career, he was something like a low-80s righty with a feel for the zone that pitched off a heavy-type fastball, and while most of that profile remains accurate, the velocity made a massive jump in the spring. Hayes climbed into the upper-80s and without much effort, and that velo gain maintained itself throughout the summer and fall. He mixes in a firm, sharp low-80s slider too, and on top of his stuff and size, he's a high academic and he only just turned 17-years old. Hayes has a ton going for him headed into his final prep spring.”

Cade Palkowski

From 11/15/23: "One of the state’s top athletes, Palkowski stays inside of the top-15 in this update. Our most recent look at Palkowski came at the annual Fall Championships at The Rock where he continued to show off his quick left-handed swing and advanced athleticism. His 6.82 speed is apparent on the outfield, as he is able to easily track down fly balls, and pairs it with a strong arm that has been up to 91 mph on his throws home. Palkowski will certainly take full advantage of his final offseason before the spring and he will be one of the key pieces on an ultra-talented Oak Creek squad come that time."

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