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Wisconsin Class of 2021 Update: Final Look

August 5, 2021
Andy Sroka & Diego Solares
Wisconsin Scouting Staff

Today, as the summer heads toward its conclusion and the new school year nears, we’re finalizing the state’s Class of 2021 rankings. We’re commemorating these outgoing prep players as they welcome new chapters of their playing careers, either in a professional or collegiate setting.

We’ll break down the top-10, which looks a little more different than the final update typically reflects. An atypical 2020 created more volatility at the top of the board this past spring, which created some change inside the top-10, where three prospects used this final update to make their debuts within it. We detailed the takeaways at the top of the class rankings, and we shared some insight on the players who rose within the top-40 as well.

AT THE TOP OF THE CLASS

+ SS Noah Miller (Ozaukee) virtually ran the table as the state’s top prospect in its 2021 class ever since our initial release back in 2018. He really only used this year to increase the separation between himself and the rest his Wisconsin peers, and it resulted in a selection in the MLB Draft at No. 34 overall by the Minnesota Twins. Miller has since signed his first professional contract, and the savvy switch-hitting middle infielder should be making his pro debut soon.

Noah Miller (2/7/2021)

+ RHP Vincent Trapani (Eau Claire Memorial; Arkansas commit) spent his entire prep career as Wisconsin’s top pitching prospect and nothing’s changed now. The Arkansas recruit pushed the Old Abes to the WIAA state playoffs this past spring, putting the finishing touches on an historic and memorable high school. The power-armed Eau Claire product will be fun to keep tabs on as he represents the Badger State in the SEC as soon as this fall and beyond. 

+ C Joey Spence (West Bend East; Notre Dame) finishes his high school days as the No. 3-ranked prospect in Wisconsin’s 2021 class. Upon graduating, Spence fulfilled a lifelong dream of hearing his name called in the MLB Draft, after the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 17th round, though the backstop from West Bend has since declared his next stop to remain South Bend, Ind., where he’ll fulfill his commitment to Notre Dame. The left-handed-hitting catcher is a great get for the Fighting Irish, and he should have the chance to make an instant impact for Notre Dame offensively.

Joey Spence (2/7/2021)

+ Webster’s INF/RHP Owen Washburn ended his high school career as one of the most dominant baseball players in the WIAA’s recent history, and his incredible statistical performance in 2021 earned him our PBR Wisconsin Player of the Year honor. Washburn also recently announced a redirection in his next stop, as he’s now committed to Texas Tech. He’s a highly athletic two-way player and our staff is eager to see how his talents are best utilized in Lubbock as soon as this fall.

+ Rising seven huge spots from his previous slot is OF Luke Nowak (Menomonee Falls; East Carolina). Nowak starred for Menomonee Falls this spring, carrying a heavy all-around workload en route to a state playoffs appearance for the Phoenix. A 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete, Nowak is truly a game-changing type of runner that always puts pressure on the defense with his wheels and he covers plenty of space along the outfield grass, too. He’s a top-of-the-order type of bat that can serve as a true offensive spark plug for East Carolina, all while playing excellent defense at an up-the-middle position. He’ll join the Pirates this fall – a program with perennial success that finished a series short of heading to the College World Series this spring.

+ Staying home and joining Wisconsin’s lone Division-I program, RHP Logan Schulfer (Stevens Point; Wisconsin-Milwaukee) claims the No. 6 spot on our final update. The 6-foot, 185-pound thick-bodied right-hander was up to 94 mph at the PBR Midwest Fall Championships last September, sitting in the low-90s with late, hard sink. He kills spin on a firm mid-80s changeup and is still fully developing full feel of his breaking ball, yet still possesses impressive upside on the mound as a starter should he refine his arsenal. Schulfer is certainly a candidate to get early innings for the Panthers this upcoming season. 

+ Making a jump up our 2021 board after a pretty noteworthy velocity jump is RHP Jacob Hartlaub (Martin Luther; Ball State), who’s now ranked No. 7 overall in this final update. A lanky, yet highly athletic, 6-foot-4, 175-pound right-hander, Hartlaub was up to 94 mph this spring when we saw him in a Division-2 regional playoff game, sitting in the 91-93 range throughout. He’s athletic downhill and his loose, whippy arm acceleration that he has suggests there’s some serious velocity left to tease out in college. Though he’s still developing full control of the zone and feel to spin his slider, Hartlaub’s ceiling is undeniably high.

+ Sun Prairie C Josh Caron (Nebraska) secures the No. 8 spot on this list, rising up seven spots from where he previously was. Listed a muscular, physical 6-foot, 200 pounds, Caron had a monstrous spring for the Cardinals, leading them to yet another state title as an all-around force in the batter’s box. He wields a powerful right-handed stroke and the ball screams off his bat when he finds the barrel, launching eight home runs this WIAA season. Caron showed well behind the plate in our most recent looks, presenting the baseball well at gather and an adept ability to block, too. It’s an all-around physical profile that’ll be joining the reigning Big Ten champs in a few weeks for the fall season.

+ INF Liam Moreno (Sun Prairie; Missouri State) has one of the more unique, yet impressive, skill sets in the state and that’s largely why he concludes his prep career as the No. 9-ranked name on this list. A trimmed up, muscular 5-foot-9, 195-pound athlete, Moreno ran a 6.49 in the 60-yard dash this past February and he runs well in game, clocking a 4.05 run time to first base in our previous looks. Moreno’s feel for hitting is fairly advanced for a prep kid, as his bat-to-ball skills and aptitude to barrel up the baseball are evident when you watch him play. He’s set to join Missouri State this fall – a team that regularly competes for the Missouri Valley Conference title.

Liam Moreno (2/24/2021)

+ LHP Jared Lessman (Iowa Western CC) snared the final spot on our top-10 after an incredible senior season with St. Croix Falls. A former PBR Future Games participant, Lessman paced the WIAA in Ks, striking out 158 batters and pitching to a perfect 11-0 record with a 0.96 ERA. Committed to Iowa Western, Lessman’s final campaign with the Saints is one of the more dominant ones we’ve seen. It’ll be really interesting to watch Lessman continue to develop post-grad, because he’s been an under-the-radar name to know while representing northwestern Wisconsin.

RISERS

+ C Trett Joles (Indiana State) is jumping into the top-20 after an extremely impressive spring that played a huge role in Boyceville’s first-ever WIAA state title. Joles slots in at No. 17 overall on our final list. He’s a muscle-bound 5-foot-11, 185-pound prospect with noticeable athleticism and flexibility on the field, Joles looks every bit the part of an impact player at the collegiate level. There’s plenty of raw pop inside his right-handed stroke, he boasts above-average arm strength from the chute, and he can even be an asset on the basepaths when he gets on. 

+ Up 19 spots from our last update, RHP Bryce Leedle (Markesan; St. Thomas) finishes his prep career as one of the top arms on our board. Committed to new Division-I program St. Thomas, Leedle struck out 107 batters for Markesan this spring and nearly led the Hornets to another state playoffs appearance. We last saw Leedle this spring in Viroqua, where he ultimately helped Markesan defeat a tough Mineral Point squad in a sectional playoff game. He touched 90 mph with his fastball that day and showed feel for two off-speed pitches, including a curveball with depth and natural downer action that can certainly play at the next level. 

+ RHP Noah France (Union Grove; Madison JC) is now up to No. 27 overall on our list, 20 spots higher than he ranked previously. He’s a compact 5-foot-10, 165-pound athlete with plenty of whippy rotational athleticism, France has demonstrated a harness over one of the state’s most potent arsenals, featuring a fastball that’s been up to 90 mph in previous looks as well as a true swing-and-miss slider to pair – one of the WIAA’s best secondaries this spring. He’ll join the Wolfpack in Madison this fall and we’re looking forward to witnessing his growth from there.

+ A strong 5-foot-9, 180-pound left-handed-hitting backstop, C Brigs Richartz (Menomonie; St. Thomas) climbs up 14 spots, finishing at No. 34 overall. There’s plenty of upside inside Richartz’s smooth left-handed stroke and we saw him display loose gap-to-gap power at The Rock Complex last summer. He looked the part behind the plate as well with smooth, easy actions that work quick from the crouch. He’s also relatively young for the class, so there’s even more upside attached to this already enticing profile. 

+ INF Nicklas Williams (Union Grove; Wabash Valley JC) helped lead Union Grove to state and was easily amongst the top performers we saw throughout the WIAA season. A proportionally strong 6-foot, 180-pound athlete, Williams showed true barrel impact in the batter’s box in our looks, consistently pounding both gaps with hard hit balls. He looked the part in the field as well, handling himself adequately at shortstop and third base. He’ll be headed to one of Illinois’ JUCO powerhouses, Wabash Valley, in the near future.

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