Four of the top Division 3 teams in the Badger State make their way to Appleton, WI this week to play in the WIAA State Tournament, hosted at Fox Cities Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a high-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The field includes Aquinas, Kiel, Random Lake, and St. Croix Falls. St. Croix Falls, who finished as Division 3 Runners-Up in 2022, are back with an electric offense and a dominant pitching staff. Aquinas, the No. 1 seed, has defeated anything thrown their way in facing a tough slate of opponents. Finally, both Kiel and Random Lake, representatives from the east side of Wisconsin, look to earn a State Title after putting together quality seasons.

The Semifinals begin on Tuesday in the afternoon session, which looks to begin at approximately 2:30 PM. St. Croix Falls and Kiel will face-off in the first game, followed by Aquinas and Random Lake to cap off the evening. 

AQUINAS (23-2)

Aquinas was the lone Division 3 team in the state to make their way into the Wisconsin Power 25 throughout the course of the season, as the Blugolds won their first 13 games, many of which coming against Division 1 and 2 competition. A few star standouts have made this team great, as they enter the State Tournament as the top seed in Division 3. 

C Calvin Hargrove (2023) is the offensive leader of this group, as the senior backstop hit .500 on the season. He enters Appleton with a team-high 32 hits, and has a large presence in the middle of their order. Following his lead is INF/RHP Eddie Peters (2024; Xavier commit), as the former 2022 PBR Wisconsin Future Game representative had 13 extra base hits, including five home runs for Aquinas as of this week. These two bats have provided the spark to this lineup, which has started to pick it up after a slow offensive start. 

This has helped their pitching staff, who has consistenly performed for the Blugolds, as they held their opponents to three runs or less in 23 of their 25 games. RHP/UTIL Will Deets (2024) and RHP/INF Tanner Peterson (2024) have been the main catalysts to lead Aquinas to a 1.38 ERA. Deets is 6-1 on the mound with a 0.90 ERA in 39.1 innings of work. Peterson has followed that up with seven wins, showcasing a 1.46 ERA with 53 strikeouts. The righty has produced at the plate too, hitting .328 with 21 hits in 22 games for the Blugolds. 

Both arms have complemented each other throughout the entire season, and usually give way to Peters, who has emerged as the closer in 2023. Peters has eight saves in 10 appearances, racking up 22 strikeouts in 14.1 innings of work, ultimately winning tight contests for Aquinas. 

Role players such as OF Cullen Sackman (2025) and INF Kole Keppel (2024) will be important to the success of the Blugolds this week, as they look to complete this impressive season with two wins at the State Tournament. 

KIEL (24-2)

Kiel enters the State Tournament with the best record amongst its competitors, as they are 24-2 on the season with a current 12-game winning streak. A stingy pitching staff, which holds a 1.30 ERA, paired with powerful bats on the offensive end make the Raiders a dangerous No. 3 seed, as they look to continue their success in Appleton this week. 

RHP/INF Nathan Stephany (2023) and RHP/INF Eyan Dessellier (2023) have emerged as the top two-way prospects on this Kiel team. Each batter hit over .400 at the plate, including 31 hits from Stephany, along with a combined 12-2 record on the mound. Stephany was 8-1 with the most wins as a pitcher, garnering a 1.01 ERA in 48.2 innings. Dessellier struck out 55 batters in 33 innings to enter Appleton with a 0.85 ERA, the lowest on the team. 

In addition to those two arms, RHP Brett Hartlaub (2023; Lawrence University) has an unblemished 7-0 record, where he’s struck out 51 batters and saved two games as well. While hitting .352 at the plate, Hartlaub presents himself as another two-way athlete to watch out for. To round out the pitching staff, LHP Cade Voelker (2025) has proven to be able to get outs, owning a 3-0 record on the year. 

Offensively, along with the aforementioned two-way players, INF Tate Hartlaub (2023; Wisconsin-Oshkosh) shapes up to be the best hitter in Kiel’s lineup this week. Hartlaub is currently slashing .459/.622/.564, as he leads the team in hits (34), doubles (9), and walks (19). The righty comes into Appleton as one of the most potent hitters in the field of prospects in the Division 3 realm. OF Jackson Neese (2024) and C Colin Gosse (2023) join Hartlaub as some of the other top hitters Kiel will run out onto the field at Fox Cities Stadium, when they face No. 2 seeded St. Croix Falls in the Semifinal.

RANDOM LAKE (18-9) 

Out of all of these teams in the Division 3 field, Random Lake is the lone squad to have not been a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in their respective Sectional, as the Rams made an improbable run to the State Tournament as a No. 5 seed with the help of a couple of standout performers, who have consistently shown out in 2023. 

RHP/INF Matty Merlo (2023; Concordia (WI) (basketball)), a multi-sport star at Random Lake, has once again put up electric numbers as a two-way player for the Rams. Merlo finished 2022 as a PBR Wisconsin First Team All-State award winner, and followed it up with a quality senior season. The right-hander has struck out 93 batters in 54.2 innings, holding an unblemished 6-0 record with a low 0.77 ERA. He also leads the team in batting average, hitting .338 before entering Appleton. 

He is joined by RHP Bryan Mitchell (2023; Lakeland College), another senior arm that has shown well for Random Lake. Mitchell is 6-1 on the mound with a 1.11 ERA, as both him and Merlo have pitched a majority of the innings for their team this year. The righty sits at .301 with his batting average as well, entering Appleton as one of the top hitters for the Rams. 

The lineup is strengthened with the presence of UTIL Mitchell Hiller (2023), OF Toren Vandenbush, and 1B/DH Payton Donahue (2026), who have each continued to produce as Random Lake has advanced during this playoff run. They will be needed as they face-off against Aquinas, who hasn’t dropped a game to Division 3 competition this season. 

SAINT CROIX FALLS (25-3)

After finishing as Division 3 Runners-Up in 2022, St. Croix Falls is back in Appleton in 2023, with a majority of their same team returning from last year. The Saints won their first 16 games of the year, and emerged as a team to watch. After hitting a rough patch, including a loss to Aquinas, the group bounced back and now represent the Heart O’ North Conference, as they try to bring home a State Title. 

The pitching staff has only allowed two runs in four playoff games for St. Croix Falls, reflecting their dominance from the entire season. The offense has also put up a combined 21 runs during that stretch, as the two-way players have stepped up. That begins with RHP/INF Brayden Olson (2023; Purdue), one of the most talented and storied prospects to come out of the area, and the Division 3 POTY in 2022. On the mound, the right-hander struck out 107 batters in 49.2 innings, earning a 9-0 record with a 0.96 ERA. On the offensive end, Olson hit .422 with 10 home runs and had a 1.024 slugging percentage. His performances will be key to the success of the Saints, as he’s powered them to wins on both sides of the field in 2023. 

It’s not just Olson who produces on this team though, as INF Brady Belisle (2023) and C Nolan Imhoff (2023) have each hit above .400 on the season. Belisle led the team in hits with 38, while Imhoff had the highest OBP of .506. INF Michael Shannon (2023), OF Miles Wilson (2023), and INF/RHP Tyler Olson (2023) round out the lineup for St. Croix Falls as quality bats.

Olson proved that he can get some outs on the mound as an arm too, going 5-0 on the season. His work will likely come out of the bullpen, as RHP Dylan Smith (2023) has emerged as one of the better arms in the rotation. Smith is 7-1 with a 1.73 ERA in 52.2 innings, as he shapes up to be the No. 2 starter over the week.

Overall, the Saints have the pitching and offense to complete their run, as they feature one of the heaviest senior classes of all of the teams competing at Fox Cities Stadium, holding a multitude of experience at the varsity level.

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