Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 2 Arrowhead

KEY PLAYERS LOST

+ RHP Mason Buss (2022; Kansas State)
+ INF/RHP JJ Vargas (2022; Upper Iowa)
+ OF James Duncan (2022; Illinois State)
+ LHP/OF Michael Carpenter (2022; Madison JC)
+ 1B/RHP Michael Zordani (2022; Wisconsin-Parkside)
+ C/2B Mason McKellar (2022; Wisconsin-Superior)

X-FACTOR

Nolan Buss (9/24/22)

+ RHP Nolan Buss (2024; Kansas State commit) has a huge role to fill, but we’re optimistic about his ability to do so. Buss can become one of, if not the, go-to arm on this staff just as his older brother Mason (2022; Kansas State) was. Mason was one of the top arms in Wisconsin for the duration of his prep career, and he’s already performing well as a true freshman at Kansas State, and his younger brother has the chance to be one of Wisconsin’s best pitchers, too. The brothers have very different pitch profiles, and Nolan actually brings more velocity than Mason, regularly sitting in the upper-80s and he was frequently reaching for 90-91 mph late last summer. The younger Buss also delivers the ball from a deceptive, low slot and the firm fastball also features hard arm-side life that makes it that much tougher to barrel. Buss’ sweeping slider works off an identical plane and breaks sharply in the opposite direction, which helps him generate swings and misses at a high rate. His unorthodox delivery has led to inconsistencies from start to start, but we saw Buss throw strikes more often than not as 2022 rolled on, and we’re eager to see what this latest offseason did to ensure Arrowhead that it has another ace in line.

IMPACT UNDERCLASSMAN

Peter Kussow (2/18/23)

+ RHP Peter Kussow (2025; Louisville) is ranked No. 3 in the state’s class of 2025, and he very well could give this pitching staff arguably the most electric ceiling in Wisconsin. Listed at a long-levered 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, Kussow authored what was, maybe, the most impressive ‘pen along our Preseason ID circuit at the Feb. 18 showcase in Waukesha, the West Milwaukee Preseason ID, where we had this to report:

“... moves smoothly down the mound and, even with his long arm circle, he releases the ball consistently from a high ¾ window that makes for a steep entrance to and through the zone on a fastball that lived in the 88-89 mph range (89.5 max). He pairs the firm, heavy fastball with an out-pitch weapon, his slider. It’s an aggressive, go-to secondary that he showed excellent feel for, landing it in and beneath the zone regularly at 79-80 mph. It has sharp, late, downer action that spins right around the 2,700 rpm range on average, with a firm, fading changeup, 82-84 mph, as a fine third pitch in his mix.” 

OUTLOOK

Last season, Arrowhead won the loaded Classic Eight conference, won a Sectional title, and advanced to the state tournament where they ultimately fell to Milton, the team that went on to win the Division 1 state championship. Last year’s Warhawks squad was a special one, and their Class of 2022 did a lot of the heavy lifting that hoisted them to the state tourney, and they concluded their season earlier than they strived for.

That group has graduated and it’s left Arrowhead to plug gaps all over the diamond, but this is also consistently one of the most talented dugouts in the state, with gifted players rotating up and through the program annually.

Arrowhead will be led by a pair of SEC commits: SS Ethan Hindle (2023; Kentucky) and C Thomas Curry (2023; Missouri). And as many key players as Arrowhead graduated last year, it’s actually these two that accounted for a huge chunk of the team’s offense – seven of their 19 team homers, 22 of their 57 doubles, and 47 of their 188 RBIs.

Hindle has really morphed himself into one of the Midwest’s premier players. He was spectacular last spring, recording an OPS of 1.292 that came from his 20 extra-base hits, including a team-high six home runs. He’ll also re-assume his spot at shortstop, which is another area that he’s only continued to get better and better. Hindle’s athleticism allows him to cover a ton of ground up the middle of the infield, and he’s also strapped with plenty of arm strength for the left side as well. We named Hindle to our All-State Second Team roster last year, and he’s a solid pick to land a spot on the First Team roster in 2023.

Ethan Hindle (5/10/22)

Curry, who earned second team all-conference last season, is one of the strongest right-handed hitters in the entire class. He slugged over .600 and walked (18) plenty more times than he struck out (10) that demonstrates his sound approach, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see his natural hitting ability and patience combine to produce even bigger numbers in his senior spring. And all the while, he’ll remain a diligent defender capable of back-picking over-aggressive baserunners on opposing teams.

Thomas Curry (7/23/22)

After these two, Arrowhead will have a lot of offense to make up, but there are several seniors who are capable of making that possible, like MIF Connor Olson (2023; Wisconsin-Stevens Point) and 3B/RHP William Hess (2023; St. Cloud State). Last season Olson hit .302, and he has shown raw strength from the right side of the plate, measuring a max exit velocity of 98 mph and a max distance of 362 feet in a showcase setting, and it could materialize into more extra-base results as a senior now. Hess will be asked to take on more of a run-producing role from near the center of the lineup, but he’ll also be an important arm inside the pitching staff, too. On the mound, Hess has a fastball in the low-80s that runs and sinks effectively, and he also mixes in a curveball with 11/5 action, and a changeup that also runs and sinks.

Pitching depth looks to be one of Arrowhead’s strong points, even as they replace the three arms that started the most games for them in 2022. RHP/OF Arik Egerbrecht (2023; Lincoln Trail JC) enters the spring as the de facto No. 1, and he brings back the most innings pitched of the returnees with 29.1, and he punched out 40 over that span last year and also finished his junior year with a 1.67 ERA. His seniority should help stabilize this rotation that, while very talented, might need some time to acclimate to more regular action. Egerbrecht has mid-80s velocity and an intriguing spin profile that makes his arsenal that much more effective.

Arik Egerbrecht (7/12/22)

This year’s roster has a plethora of junior talent that is going to be the difference-maker in Arrowhead’s chances this season. 1B/C Joshua Gilroy (2024), who we recently saw stand out at an event this winter, has huge bat strength and he could reproduce the power they graduated from last year’s lineup. OF Sam Reichert (2024) is a quick and athletic outfielder who can swing it, as well, also new to the varsity scene. 3B/OF Sam Vargas (2024) is another premium athlete here with twitchy strength and barrel feel who could become a key contributor on offense as a junior.

Same goes for OF Issei Takahashi (2024), who looked stronger this past February in Waukesha where he took one of the day’s best rounds of BP, landing hard line-drives on the barrel consistently, at an average of 87.5 mph (93.8 max).

Issei Takahashi (2/18/23)

More juniors like INF Brady Beck (2024), OF Connor Foley (2024), UTL/RHP Wes Lindee (2024), and OF Jacob Lorbecki (2024) can each provide quality at-bats and innings in various spots across the diamond for the Warhawks this season.

BOTTOM LINE

Arrowhead’s expectations are always set to high, and they won’t be making excuses even after graduating a memorable ‘22 class. The Warhawks have the talent to partly replace the production lost while star seniors and juniors elevate their games to take them back to the top of the Classic Eight and beyond in 2023. They’re still one of the most dangerous opponents in the WIAA.

Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2023 season.

Find more information on the 2023 Warhawks below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN