Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 23 Markesan


By Andy Sroka
Illinois and Wisconsin Assistant Director

The Wisconsin high school baseball season kicks off on April 27, opening day for regular season action under WIAA regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2021 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Wisconsin Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

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 team-by-team preseason analysis. These preseason previews are also assembled with the help of Joe Waite and his comprehensive Baseball Wisconsin Yearbook, and the 2021 edition will soon be available for purchase here.

Our 2021 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Markesan
Preseason Rank: No. 23
2019 Record: 22-6
Conference: Trailways North
WIAA Division: 3
Head Coach: Dean Slark

TOP PLAYERS

NAME POS CLASS COMMITMENT
Gavin Gilbertson LHP/1B 2021 -
Bryce Leedle RHP/INF 2021 St. Thomas (MN)
Sage Stellmacher C 2021 Upper Iowa
Hayden Quade INF/RHP 2022 -
Aiden Schmick INF 2022 -
Brock Starks UTL 2022 -
Ryan Mast UTL 2023  
Chayce Osterhaus INF/RHP 2023 -
Caleb Stoll OF 2023 -

OUTLOOK

In his first year at the helm, head coach Dean Slark helped mold Markesan into a state title contender. In fact, several of the members of that 2019 state squad return as seniors in 2021, including their top talent: RHP/INF Bryce Leedle, who’s committed to help the University of St. Thomas embark on the program’s first season at the Division-I level in 2022. 

Until then, he’ll help guide the Hornets back to state from the mound, batter’s box, and at shortstop, as the squad’s best player. Known best for his aptitude on the bump, Leedle’s athleticism and well-rounded skill set will make him among the best players at the D3 level this spring. He K’d 73 batters in 45-plus innings headed into the 2019 state tournament as a sophomore, and he also hit .492, so expect Leedle to be in the running as one of the state’s most statistically impressive players by the end of the season.

Bryce Leedle (3/15/20)

Joining Leedle at the top of the rotation will be senior LHP/1B Gavin Gilbertson, who also played a small role in Markesan’s march to state when we were last playing WIAA ball. He hit .250 in 28 sophomore at-bats, and pitched 14-plus innings, grooming an ERA of 1.91.

C Sage Stellmacher, an Upper Iowa commit, swings a loose right-handed bat that achieved a ton of run production as a sophomore in 2019. He’s appeared in the PBR showcase setting before, too, where he’s demonstrated natural catcher actions that should further guide this staff. Stellmacher hit .410 in 2019 with six doubles and he led the team with 23 RBIs.

Juniors UTL Brock Straks, INF/RHP Hayden Quade, INF Aiden Shmick will help fill out the rest of this daily lineup, as will INF/RHP Chayce Osterhaus, a sophomore. He has long levers and upside athleticism attached to his left-handed swing and arm on the mound, and he could be the boost that helps push Markesan to state, much like the sophomore group in 2019 did. We’re looking forward to checking in on a pair of other sophomores: Caleb Stoll and Ryan Mast. Mast was a productive sophomore quarterback for the Hornets in the fall, so we’re eager to see how it translates to the diamond in 2021.

Consider this group the D3 state favorites, to us, ahead of WIAA Opening Day.

Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2021 season.

Find more information on the 2021 Hornets below:

+ Team Website

+ Team Schedule

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN