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. 12 Kimberly

2014 Record: 21-8
WIAA Classification: 1
Conference: Fox Valley Association
Head Coach: Ryan McGinnis
2014 Playoff Run: State Runner-Up

TOP PLAYERS

Griffin Hawley, OF, 2015
Brice Swick, RHP/INF, 2015
Ethan Taggart, RHP, 2015
Ben Carew, INF, 2016
Danny VandenBoom, SS, 2017

KEY LOSSES

The Papermakers will have to replace Mr. All-Everything in Scott Schreiber who is already started 12 games at first base as a freshman for Nebraska.

UP AND COMING

Danny VandenBoom got some valuable varsity experience as a freshman for Kimberly last year and should expect to hold down the shortstop position for the next three years.

OUTLOOK

Kimberly has always been a staple of fundamental baseball under the tutelage of Head Coach Ryan McGinnis. Expect the same out of the Papermakers in 2015 coming off of a State Runner-Up finish. Kimberly will have to replace Scott Schreiber both on the mound and with his big bat. Junior infielder Ben Carew should be a guy to step up and fill a lot of that production in the lineup. Griffin Hawley is a speedy outfielder who is a difference maker in the outfield as well as the top of the lineup. Hawley should be a spark plug at the top and a nuisance on the base paths. Losing Schreiber is a big loss but Schreiber didn’t log a ton of innings for Kimberly in 2014 so some of their younger arms were able to gain a ton of experience. Coach McGinnis will actually have 15 of their 21 wins returning on the mound in Swick, Hawley and Taggart.  

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

Related Content

 

• WI Q&A With Indiana Commit Jeff Holtz3.17.15
  Arrowhead freshman is the third 2018 to make commitment in Wisconsin... >>
• PBRPlus Rode Show: Big Day For Jonathan India (FL)3.17.15
  Shortstop homers, collects four RBIs... >>
• WI Madison Preseason I.D. Superlatives3.16.15
  A quick look at some highlights from our final leg of the preseason identification showcases... >>
• WI Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 13 Hortonville3.16.15
  Hall of Famer Don Williams retires after 35 years, Polars Bears looking ahead at several changes in 2015... >>
• PBRPlus Rode Show: Team Canada Unfazed By Loss To Blue Jays3.16.15
  Canadian National Team takes on big leaguers in Florida... >>
• PBRPlus 2015 Draft Blog3.16.15
  Compiling draft news in one location... >>
• WI Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 14 Eau Claire North3.14.15
  Huskies returning four all-conference selections... >>