Top 10 Stories of 2017: No. 4 Influx Of WIAA Schools Moving From Summer To Spring Baseball

This was a theme back in 2015 when Arrowhead and Catholic Memorial were two of the first programs to make the switch from summer to spring baseball. Both did so in dominating fashion adding players to their roster that normally would not have played with their respective schools in the summer season.

In 2018 we may be starting to see the final shoe fall on the WIAA summer season. To date, Oak Creek, Greendale, Sussex Hamilton, Muskego, Homestead and West Allis Central have all made official plans to make the switch from summer to spring baseball in 2019, marking the summer of 2018 their final summer season.

Even more recently the entire Greater Metro Conference athletic directors voted to offer baseball as a spring sport in 2019. To date only Sussex Hamilton and Oak Creek have made it official that they will make the leap to spring baseball. Programs will have until June 1 to file the necessary paperwork, so expect more GMC teams to join the list.

Outside of the Greater Metro Conference, the Classic 8 is also considering the option of spring baseball. Muskego has already announced they will make the switch.

Homestead has been the lone wolf defector in the North Shore Conference, which is arguably one of the toughest conferences in the summer season, although Port Washington and Nicolet have been rumored to possibly make the switch as well.

West Allis Central joined Greendale from the Woodland conference making the switch to spring baseball official in 2019.

With all the changes already being made for the 2019 season and more undoubtedly to come, this is one of the biggest changes to the landscape of WIAA baseball we may ever see. There is a potential for possibly upwards of 20 teams to make jump for 2019.  

An instant influx of talent and competition will be an adrenaline shot into the WIAA spring season, opening the potential for more competitive games, rivalries and standout performances and prospects being brought to light. In our current rankings, 18 of the top 80 2019 graduates attend current summer season high schools while nearly half, 12 of the top 35 2020 graduates, do the same.  

All these changes may raise the play of WIAA baseball in the Badger State, unfortunately this big wave of changes may fall one year too late as three of the top five 2018 prospects in the state attend summer season high schools and all three are potential MLB draft picks. Including, potentially the highest high school draft pick to ever come out of the state, who will ultimately never play a WIAA contest.