Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 2 Janesville Craig

Janesville Craig seemed like it was going to be a shoo-in for its third straight trip to state last year. The Cougars earned their third straight title in the merciless Big Eight Conference and they had a staggering number of next-level talent that was fueling them through a regional championship and a 25-win season. Their hopes of winning then-seniors Jack Blomgren (Michigan), Evan Spry (Creighton), and Austin Kraus (Edgewood College) the ultimate going away present, a Division-1 state trophy (what would have been their second in three years), collapsed. The Cougars were stunted by intra-conference rivals Beloit Memorial, 3-2, in the first round of sectionals to be denied their third straight sectional finals appearance.

But, while that exceedingly talented group of seniors is graduated, a new one enters the picture and it has plenty of firepower to blast the Cougars back into the state title scene.

This class of 2018, as it always has been, will be led from behind the plate by C Jacob Campbell (Illinois). Campbell is coming off a spectacular season when he accrued a ton of individual accolades, including a first team all-state honor. He’s affirmed himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the Midwest, too, which makes him a bully to baserunners within his own cutthroat conference. Campbell is also the best slugger on his team and hit .463 last year, reached base at a .535 clip, and drove in 37 runs for Craig. He’s committed to the University of Illinois, but his draft stock has also been on the rise and is bound to see several scouts evaluating his skill set for this June’s MLB draft as well. .

Jacob Campbell (7.11.17)

Campbell joins a significant number of Craig returnees which is what enhances their chances at winning a fourth straight BEC crown and getting back to state. The aforementioned Berghammer is back and so is his double play partner, junior INF Dan Blomgren (Michigan). Dan will succeed his graduated brother Jack in the infield. Dan hit .351 last season for Craig and is set to become its next-best run producer after Campbell in 2018. Senior 1B Luke Malmanger should move up to the top half of the order, too. He hit .333 last year for the Cougars and will be a key role player for this offense. Fellow seniors Ross March and J.J. Brennan (Judson) should both help boost this offense to familiar heights this spring.

On the mound, junior RHP Mitchell Woelfle (Air Force) is back as staff ace. He was phenomenal as a sophomore as Craig’s go-to arm and won seven games and maintained a lowly 1.43 ERA, earning him a first team all-conference selection. He’s cemented himself as one of the best righties in his state’s class, No. 4 on our board, and will bring some much needed stability to a rotation with some question marks at the back. Again, Berghammer as the staff’s No. 2 is a luxury most teams don’t have, and senior RHP Jacob Faust should be all set to be this team’s sturdy No. 3. Faust was 3-0 with a 2.58 ERA last year and the Cougars would be happy to see similar production out of the back-end of their rotation again this spring.