Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 14 Eau Claire North



By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Wisconsin/Illinois

The Wisconsin high school season kicks off on March 31, the first day for regular season games. Most teams will begin practicing on March 23, getting their rosters set and finalizing their lineups.

Throughout the month of March we will be counting down our Preseason Power 25 Team Rankings leading up to the No. 1 team right before opening day.

CLICK HERE for complete Preseason Power 25.

No. 14 Eau Claire North

2014 Record: 19-4
WIAA Classification: 1
Conference:
Big Rivers
Head Coach:
Bob Johnson
2014 Playoff Run:
Lost Regional Finals

TOP PLAYERS

Caleb Hurt, C, 2015 (Madison College)
Isaac Gibson, 1B, 2015
Nate Sorenson, OF, 2015
Ryan Dickerson, OF/RHP, 2015
Adam LaRock, SS/RHP, 2016 (Iowa)

UP AND COMING

The Huskies have a solid core of returners but one freshman we’ve seen that is close to being varsity ready is Ryan Venne. Venne is an athletic two-way player who swings a left-handed bat, has good footspeed, and shows a mid 70’s arm already on the mound.

STAT RAT

Talk about filling up the stat sheet, two-way player and Iowa commit Adam LaRock will most like lead several categories for the Huskies in 2015. Last year LaRock went 8-1 on the mound with a 2.65 ERA striking out 45. At the dish he hit .319 and drove in 14. LaRock is currently one of Wisconsin’s top ranked players in the 2016 class.

OUTLOOK

Eau Claire North went undefeated in the Big Rivers last year to take the conference title, only to lose their opening playoff game to cross town rival Memorial, who should be close on their heels this year. North should be the favorite again in 2015 with four returning all-conference selections, Isaac Gibson, Caleb Hurt, Nate Sorenson and Adam LaRock. LaRock will be the key to the Huskies success, being a two-way threat Larock should be the ace of the staff as well as hitting in the middle of the lineup. Seniors Hurt, Gibson and Soreson will also provide thump to the middle of the order. Pitching will be a question mark for North, as LaRock is the only returner with significant wins under his belt. North looks to be on the upswing and I would put the Huskies in my favorite sleepers category to make a big run down the stretch.

If you are a high school coach and have yet to send in your Preseason Questionnaire please fill one out HERE.

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By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Wisconsin/Illinois

The Wisconsin high school season kicks off on March 31, the first day for regular season games. Most teams will begin practicing on March 23, getting their rosters set and finalizing their lineups.

Throughout the month of March we will be counting down our Preseason Power 25 Team Rankings leading up to the No. 1 team right before opening day.

CLICK HERE for complete Preseason Power 25.

No. 14 Eau Claire North

2014 Record: 20-4
WIAA Classification: 1
Conference:
Big Rivers
Head Coach:
Bob Johnson
2014 Playoff Run:
Lost Regional Finals

TOP PLAYERS

Caleb Hurt, C, 2015 (Madison College)
Isaac Gibson, 1B, 2015
Nate Sorenson, OF, 2015
Ryan Dickerson, OF/RHP, 2015
Adam LaRock, SS/RHP, 2016 (Iowa)

UP AND COMING

The Huskies have a solid core of returners but one freshman we’ve seen that is close to being varsity ready is Ryan Venne. Venne is an athletic two-way player who swings a left-handed bat, has good footspeed, and shows a mid 70’s arm already on the mound.

STAT RAT

Talk about filling up the stat sheet, two-way player and Iowa commit Adam LaRock will most like lead several categories for the Huskies in 2015. Last year LaRock went 8-1 on the mound with a 2.65 ERA striking out 45. At the dish he hit .319 and drove in 14. LaRock is currently one of Wisconsin’s top ranked players in the 2016 class.

OUTLOOK

Eau Claire North went undefeated in the Big Rivers last year to take the conference title, only to lose their opening playoff game to cross town rival Memorial, who should be close on their heels this year. North should be the favorite again in 2015 with four returning all-conference selections, Isaac Gibson, Caleb Hurt, Nate Sorenson and Adam LaRock. LaRock will be the key to the Huskies success, being a two-way threat Larock should be the ace of the staff as well as hitting in the middle of the lineup. Seniors Hurt, Gibson and Soreson will also provide thump to the middle of the order. Pitching will be a question mark for North, as LaRock is the only returner with significant wins under his belt. North looks to be on the upswing and I would put the Huskies in my favorite sleepers category to make a big run down the stretch.

If you are a high school coach and have yet to send in your Preseason Questionnaire please fill one out HERE.