The final four remaining teams in Division 4 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.

Upsets were the main headlines in this field, as Edgar and No. 4 seeded Ithaca, along with a No. 6 seed in McDonell Central Catholic, all took down the top seeds in their Regional and Sectional to make it to the State Tournament. Pecatonica, the lone No. 1 seed, enters the week as the favorite to win it, as they’ve only dropped one game all season. 

The first game kicks off on Tuesday morning, beginning with a battle between Ithaca and Edgar at 9:00 AM, followed up by Pecatonica and McDonell Central Catholic.

EDGAR (13-7)

Edgar finished the season on a struggling note, as the Wildcats had dropped four out of their last six games. They were able to right the ship though, rattling off five straight wins, including an extra-inning victory over Pacelli to punch their ticket to Appleton.

INF/RHP Jase Apfelbeck (2025) has been the top two-way prospect for Edgar, winning five games on the mound, while also hitting .381 at the plate. Apfelbeck has 56 strikeouts in 44.1 innings of work, entering Fox Cities Stadium with a 2.06 ERA. INF/RHP Leyton Schuett (2025) and INF/RHP Lucas Stahnke (2026) recently combined to no-hit Three Lakes/Phelps in the Regional Final, proving to be quality arms behind Apfelbeck.

Offensively, Stahnke hit .390 with a team-high 23 hits, leading the way for the Wildcats. OF Dakota Ellenbecker (2025) and OF Keghan Hartway (2023; St. Norbert College commit (football)) round out a lineup that has struggled at times, but similar to many of the other teams here, have picked it up as of late. 

Edgar will take on Ithaca in the first game of the day on Tuesday, and if they win, they will come back on Thursday and play right away in the morning for a Division 4 championship. 

ITHACA (19-7)

After upsetting No. 1 seeded Eleva-Strum in the Sectional Final, Ithaca finds themselves at the State Tournament with an overall record of 19-7. A couple of star players have pushed this group to Appleton, making a big difference in large games. 

INF/RHP Micah Salisbury (2024) and INF/RHP Sammy Clary (2025) are the two key players for the Bulldogs. They’re a combined 13-4 on the mound, as each pitcher has struck out over 70 batters. The two prospects get the job done at the plate as well, both hitting above .400 on the season. Salisbury had a team-high five home runs and 30 RBIs, while Clary had 35 hits. 

In addition to those two, OF Matthew Kepler (2024) and INF Lincoln Manning (2026) have consistently performed well for Ithaca this year too. Manning finished with a team-high 38 hits in 24 games, and Kepler was a .349 hitter with 15 RBIs. Manning, the freshman, has seen some time on the mound too, and will be a possible reliever during this week’s slate of games. 

Ithaca has its stars, and they will be needed if the Bulldogs look to raise gold at the State Tournament this week.  

MCDONELL CENTRAL CATHOLIC (9-10)

McDonell Central Catholic are the only school with a record below .500 that has made it to the State Tournament, as an abysmal regular season was erased when they won five straight games in the playoffs, including the defeat of No. 1 seeded Regis, who was the reigning Division 4 champion. 

RHP Aidan Misfeldt (2023) has been a large part of the recent success for the Macks, accounting for over half of his team’s wins on the season. He has a 2.72 ERA, and has thrown six complete games for McDonell Central Catholic, as the right-hander has emerged as the workhorse on the mound. 

At the plate, INF Cael Holm (2026), INF Eddie Mittermeyer (2023), and INF/RHP Carter Stelter (2023) have led the way offensively, picking up momentum after struggling for most of the regular season. Holm has the most hits at 22, and leads the team in batting average, hitting .389 on the year. Stelter, while producing offensively, is the closer for the Macks. The senior has accumulated five saves in total, shutting down ball games in over half of McDonell Central Catholic’s wins. 

With these four players, among other contributors, the Macks will look to continue this Cinderella run in the playoffs, encapsulating the craziness and unpredictable nature of the WIAA, as we’ve witnessed all season. 

PECATONICA (23-1) 

Shaping up to be the favorites during the week, Pecatonica was one of the top Division 4 teams in the state for a majority of the season, and are the lone No. 1 seed in Division 4 to survive their playoff games and make it to the State Tournament. Under head coach Jim Strommen, who’s coached the Vikings for 43 years, Pecatonica won their first 13 games before dropping their first. Since then, they’ve continued to win and dominate their opposition, priming them for a State Title. 

On paper, the Vikings look the part as a quality ballclub, starting with the pitching staff. While most of these prospects are two-way players, their numbers on the mound are eye-popping. Boasting a 0.52 ERA, Pecatonica’s top four pitchers have ERA’s below one. It starts with their ace, RHP/INF Coy Ruegsegger (2023), who’s 11-0 with a 0.15 ERA. The lone senior on the team has only given up one earned run in 47 innings entering the State Tournament. RHP/INF Jameson Johnson (2024), an athlete we saw at the Madison Preseason ID in the winter, is the No. 2 starter for Pecatonica. Johnson features a 0.71 ERA with a team-high 69 strikeouts on the bump. Backing up these two arms are relievers RHP/INF Tyler McKeon (2024) and RHP/OF Lukas Rue (2024), who may be asked to close games out in Appleton. 

The offense has produced all year as well, as McKeon leads the way with a .513 batting average, including 39 hits. Johnson leads the team in home runs with six, and Ruegsegger has the most RBIs of the group with 26. OF Carson Kurschner (2024) and INF Max Steele (2024) are two role players that add depth to the lineup. 

Hitting in the middle of the order has been C Elijah Knutson (2024), a .456 batter who we saw range in the upper-80s in exit velocities at the Madison Preseason ID in March. From the right side, Knutson is one of the more dangerous bats that led Pecatonica to scoring 10 or more runs in 12 games. 

The Vikings, with an electric offense and pitching staff, have two more games to win before they’re crowned Division 4 champions. They’ve continually won close games down the stretch, as they were victorious by a margin of one in their first three playoff matchups.  

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