Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 20 Marquette University

March 20, 2019
By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor - Wisconsin/Illinois

The WIAA high school baseball season opens on March 26, the opening day for prep baseball in Wisconsin.

Leading up to the opening week of action, we’ll be rolling out team-by-team previews, counting down to our state’s preseason No. 1-ranked program for the 2019 season. We’re combing over all classifications and corners of the state to determine our top-25 ranked teams ahead of what’s sure to be an historic campaign, with the merging of the spring and summer divisions into one single WIAA season.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our analysis.

Our 2019 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Marquette University
Preseason Rank: 20
2018 Record: 20-10
Conference: Greater Metro
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Sal Bando Jr.
Playoff Run: Regionals Finals
2018 Final Rank: NA
Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 7

TOP PLAYERS

Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
Riley Garczynski	WI	Marquette University	2019	SS	Indiana-Kokomo
Joey Pettit	WI	Marquette University	2020	RHP/INF
Ryan Hubley	WI	Marquette University	2019	OF/LHP	Madison JC
Tim Gueldner	WI	Marquette University	2019	1B/OF
Mike McDevitt	WI	Marquette University	2019	RHP
Alex Redman	WI	Marquette University	2019	LHP	Madison JC
Luke Skudlarczyk	WI	Marquette University	2020	RHP
Jonah Wronski	WI	Marquette University	2020	C
Jake Orthober	WI	Marquette University	2020	RHP

KEY PLAYERS LOST

Sean O’Brien, RHP (Saint Louis)

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

The biggest hole to fill from the 2018 Hilltoppers will be at the front end of the rotation. Losing their former ace is a tough blow for any team to cope with, but Marquette might be able to plug the hole. They’re set to gain the likes of Madison College commit Alex Redman, a talented left-hander. Redman joins the team from the club ball circuit as the Hilltoppers move to spring and could easily slide right in as the team’s go-to guy on the mound. Redman is a mid-80s southpaw with a tight, slurve-y breaking ball who we’ve seen pound the zone with a fastball that plays much harder than the velo suggests.

STAT RAT

As a junior, Indiana-Kokomo commit Riley Garczynski led the Hilltoppers in nearly every main offensive category: batting average (.382), hits (39), runs (30), RBIs (18), and stolen bases (19). Hitting out of the lead-off spot, Garczynski is a table-setter with the bat who can also wreak havoc on the basepaths. Outside of his offensive presence, he’s a slick defender at shortstop who’s going to stabilize this Hiltoppers infield, as he hopes to put together another first-team all-conference season.

Riley Garczynski (7/24/18)

X-FACTOR

Left/left two-way talent Ryan Hubley didn’t see much action on the mound early in 2018, but down the stretch, he showed particularly well, earning two postseason starts. Head coach Sal Bando Jr. would love to see that carry over into 2019, letting Hubley take over the No. 1 spot in the rotation. In addition to his on-mound abilities, Hubley is bringing back one of the team’s best OPS marks. A left-handed hitter, he has dynamic bat speed, and above-average athleticism, which should make his services valuable both in the box and on the mound in 2019.

Ryan Hubley (9/23/18)

OUTLOOK

The Hilltoppers ended the summer baseball run with a regional final loss to Brookfield Central, 3-2, in eight innings. What made the loss hurt that much more was knowing that righty Sean O’Brien, the starter responsible for pitching all eight innings in that regional final, would be graduating at the end of the season.

The hole left in this rotation since his graduation is obvious, but the likes of Hubley and right-hander Joey Petit can help fill it. The two operated as the back-up arms to O’Brien on staff and they’re talented enough to operate as this team’s frontline. Either has the pedigree to take on the role of ace, but the wildcard to take that spot could be the aforementioned Redman. He, along with Hubley, are Madison College recruits. The Wolfpack have consistently churned out high-level arms over the years, and the pair of southpaws both fit that mold.

Hubley came on strong for the Hilltoppers last year, and slid into a No. 2-type role, so he is the likely candidate to lead the staff. He, too, features an 83-84 mph fastball out of a long, lean and projectable frame, featuring a ton of upside.

From the right side, the junior Petit has shown consistent control of three pitches and logged nearly 30 innings as a sophomore. Classmate Luke Skudlarczyk showed us a spike in velocity since last summer, topping out at 86 mph, and should fight for innings along with fellow right-handers Jake Orthober, a junior, and senior Mike McDevitt.

Offensively, Garczynski leads the way as the starting shortstop, and he’ll probably be flanked in some form or fashion by the likes of Pettit, Orthober and Charlie Brockman. Senior Tim Gueldner brings back the second highest batting average (.340) from last year’s team and will likely find his way on the field at first base, if he’s not DH-ing.

Another big pickup from the summer club circuit is backstop Jonah Wronski. Wronski, a junior, is a strong receiver with a big arm (79 mph out of the crouch) who should limit the opposition’s run game. He brings a strong, compact swing to the dish as well, and is one of the top ranked catchers in Wisconsin’s 2020 class.

BOTTOM LINE

The Hilltoppers and Coach Bando did not lose much from last season’s 20-win team, and will bring their high-level summer season pedigree to the spring, where they pick up even more help from the move by adding another two starting-caliber arms and a top flight catcher. The Greater Metro Conference will have a different feel with Oak Creek and Franklin moving out of the conference, giving way to the Hilltoppers to become one of the clearcut favorites. While the GMC is two teams slimmer, that’s not going to make it any easier to capture the top spot.

The key for the Hilltoppers should be on the mound. They’ll likely will have one of the deeper staffs in the state, on paper at least. The luxury of going at least five deep of 80-plus mph arms, two of whom come from the left side, and all of whom have shown the ability to pitch at the next level.

Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.