Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 8 Kenosha Indian Trail



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. 8 Kenosha Indian Trail

2014 Record: 24-5
WIAA Classification: 1
Conference:
Southeastern Conference
Head Coach:
Michael Schmidt
2014 Playoff Run:
Sectional Finals

TOP PLAYERS

Evan Myers, RHP, 2015
Jared Hoerter, OF, 2015
Steven Lindsey, 3B, 2015 (Marian)
Lane Ochs, OF, 2015
Ryan Sack, 2B/RHP, 2015
Gavin Lux, SS, 2016
Jeremy Stouffer, RHP, 2016
Kyle Antos, C, 2017

KEY LOSSES

Indian Trail will have to replace staff ace Manny Santana in 2015. Santana was a first team all-district selection last year and took the mound in many of the Hawks big matchups.

UP AND COMING

The state’s newest school is clearly on the rise in the baseball landscape of Wisconsin. Indian Trail lost some key contributors to graduation but will be replacing them with even more talented underclassmen. C Kyle Antos is one of the 2017 class’s strongest offensive threats at the catching position. He carries a big bat and big time catch and throw skills. Also look for senior Jared Hoerter’s younger brother sophomore Ryan Hoerter to log some big innings on the mound. One thing the Hawks lost was pitching and Hoerter’s low 80’s fastball could find itself in the mix very quickly and be the staple of the Hawk staff for years to come. Watch out for two other sophomores Griffin Klein and Jacob Flannery coming up the ranks as well.

X-FACTOR

Gavin Lux’s return to the infield. Some might forget that one of the best shortstops in all of the Midwest was relegated to DH for most of 2014 due to some arm soreness, and the Hawks still went 24-5 on the year losing a wet Sectional Final matchup to Wilmot. Putting Lux back in the middle of the field will not only bolster the shortstop position but the entire infield as a whole due the leadership qualities he possesses. In fact I would argue that position for position Indian Trail will have the best defensive team in the state.

OUTLOOK

In just the schools third year of existence Coach Schmidt has turned Indian Trail into one of the state’s top programs. Indian Trail just missed a trip to Appleton last year losing the sectional finals to Wilmot with its first team that consisted of seniors. Last year the Hawks won their first conference crown and 2015 could be their first trip to Appleton. The Southeastern Conference is loaded this year with three of the six teams in our top 25. It will definitely be a tight race along the way but my bet is on Indian Trail to repeat as champs.

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

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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. 8 Kenosha Indian Trail

2014 Record: 24-5
WIAA Classification: 1
Conference:
Southeastern Conference
Head Coach:
Michael Schmidt
2014 Playoff Run:
Sectional Finals

TOP PLAYERS

Evan Myers, RHP, 2015
Jared Hoerter, OF, 2015
Steven Lindsey, 3B, 2015 (Marian)
Lane Ochs, OF, 2015
Ryan Sack, 2B/RHP, 2015
Gavin Lux, SS, 2016
Jeremy Stouffer, RHP, 2016
Kyle Antos, C, 2017

KEY LOSSES

Indian Trail will have to replace staff ace Manny Santana in 2015. Santana was a first team all-district selection last year and took the mound in many of the Hawks big matchups.

UP AND COMING

The state’s newest school is clearly on the rise in the baseball landscape of Wisconsin. Indian Trail lost some key contributors to graduation but will be replacing them with even more talented underclassmen. C Kyle Antos is one of the 2017 class’s strongest offensive threats at the catching position. He carries a big bat and big time catch and throw skills. Also look for senior Jared Hoerter’s younger brother sophomore Ryan Hoerter to log some big innings on the mound. One thing the Hawks lost was pitching and Hoerter’s low 80’s fastball could find itself in the mix very quickly and be the staple of the Hawk staff for years to come. Watch out for two other sophomores Griffin Klein and Jacob Flannery coming up the ranks as well.

X-FACTOR

Gavin Lux’s return to the infield. Some might forget that one of the best shortstops in all of the Midwest was relegated to DH for most of 2014 due to some arm soreness, and the Hawks still went 24-5 on the year losing a wet Sectional Final matchup to Wilmot. Putting Lux back in the middle of the field will not only bolster the shortstop position but the entire infield as a whole due the leadership qualities he possesses. In fact I would argue that position for position Indian Trail will have the best defensive team in the state.

OUTLOOK

In just the schools third year of existence Coach Schmidt has turned Indian Trail into one of the state’s top programs. Indian Trail just missed a trip to Appleton last year losing the sectional finals to Wilmot with its first team that consisted of seniors. Last year the Hawks won their first conference crown and 2015 could be their first trip to Appleton. The Southeastern Conference is loaded this year with three of the six teams in our top 25. It will definitely be a tight race along the way but my bet is on Indian Trail to repeat as champs.

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