Over the next few weeks we will close out 2017 by counting down the Top 10 stories and profiles of the calendar year. Our top ten stories will take a look at some of the highlights at Prep Baseball Report through the lens of the Badger State, including title runs, top prospects, newsworthy milestones and more.

The No. 7 story of 2017 is the Badger State Battle. The Badger State Battle game recaps and scout blog was one of the most clicked on stories in the state last year.

The 3rd Annual Badger State Battle moved in 2017 to the Woodside Sports Complex in Mauston, Wisconsin. The tournament featured 24 teams from around Wisconsin partaking in a true state tournament. The GRB Rays 17U Green took home the title with a 9-3 victory over the Silver Sluggers 17U Blue. The event again featured the top talent from the Badger State including 7 of the top 10 players in the 2018 Class.

Hot Takes From The Badger State (Battle)

The 2017 edition of the Badger State Battle at Woodside Sports Complex is in the books and the 17u GRB Rays Green took home the title with a 9-3 victory over 17u Silver Sluggers Blue. The final four also included 16u Wisconsin Vipers and 16u GRB Rays Fox Valley who both finished pool play games undefeated.

Champion GRB was led at the plate by Alan Roden and Jarrett Fueger. Roden posted a .500 (11-22) batting average in the tournament with 10 RBIs, five runs scored, and three triples. Fueger hit .526 (10-19) with four doubles, six RBIs, and four runs scored.

16u Panthers Black and 17u Hitters narrowly missed bracket play as each team suffered just one loss. The Panthers showcased dominant pitching on the weekend that only surrendered a tournament leading six runs in four games. Connor Langreder, Carter Robinson, Zach Boehnlein, Jordan Purdy and Peyton Mellenthin combined to throw 15 innings without allowing an earned run while striking out a combined 18.

The marquee game of the weekend came when Hitters 17u faced off with GRB Green 17u on Friday night under the lights, the atmosphere was intense and with more than 15 Division I commits on the field the game took a collegiate feel right from the first pitch. GRB won in a nail biter, 3-2. GAME RECAP.

The 16u Wisconsin Vipers were arguably the most impressive group of the tournament. With a roster comprised of mainly freshmen and sophomores, the Vipers played an appealing brand of baseball that enticed scouts more than just their physical talent.

The Badger State Battle showcased some of the top uncommitted 2018 prospects in the state. Names such as OF Calvin Nowak (Waukesha South), SS Josh Leslie (Westosha Central), SS Ryen Ryba (Homestead), C Matt Miller (Sussex Hamilton), RHP Trevor Tietz (Watertown), OF Carson Holin (Sun Prairie), C Jacob Kaiser (Catholic Memorial), RHP Taylor Jansen (Sun Prairie) and RHP Zach Gustafson (Eau Claire Memorial) all showed high level assets that play at the next level. Later this week we will go more in on the top uncommitted prospects from the weekend.

Recently RHP/SS Tanner Kohlhepp (Eau Claire Memorial, 2018) reopened his recruiting and has impressed for his two way ability over the last year. Kohlhepp profiles as a high end reliever that can be flat out filthy at times. His fastball worked 88-90 topping out at 91 mph from a deceptive low ¾ arm slot. His slider is the separator, a true swing and miss pitch that would play right now at the next level.

From an underclass perspective, one of the biggests standouts on the weekend came from the Lechnir twins (Kimberly, 2019) - OF Drew and SS Zach. Both have an advanced feel for the game that jumps out on the field. Their instincts and presence alone make them high follow prospects, add in the fact they profile as a deadly 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup with well above average speed, and premium defenders and it’s hard to say they weren’t two of the more intriguing prospects on the weekend.

Throughout the coming week we will bring you a more in depth look at some of the top prospects from the weekend, who stood out, and who to keep an eye on in the future. In the meantime, for more insider notes on prospects, check the Badger State Battle Scout Blog.

Badger State Battle News