Updated Wisconsin Power 25 Team Rankings

Today, Tuesday, May 29, the Division-1 play-in games for the Regional finals begin, meaning this edition of our updated Power 25 is the last of the regular season. And there was plenty of movement up and down the board, too. We have a new No. 1, Hortonville makes its return, and Stevens Point makes its unlikely climb all the way into the top 10. After today’s Regional semifinals, the championship games will be played on Thursday.

With the postseason on deck, check out how the final regular season edition of the Power 25 looks headed into the playoffs.

SUN PRAIRIE, ARROWHEAD TRADE PLACES

Despite reigning over the Power 25 over the last month, Arrowhead will enter postseason play as the No. 2 seed, while Sun Prairie gets its No. 1 title back. The Cardinals opened the spring as the preseason No. 1 and held onto that ranking for just the first two weeks of play and are finally back to the top spot.

They’re our new No. 1 because of their latest victory over Janesville Craig – Sun Prairie now owns the season sweep over the Cougars. And their undefeated week also benefits from Arrowhead’s 1-0 loss to Kenosha Tremper, one that snapped a 14-game Warhawk win streak.

Arrowhead got right back to winning after Wednesday’s Tremper loss, however, winning Friday’s doubleheader against Verona.

POLAR BEARS RETURN AS FVA CHAMPS

Hortonville had been absent from the Power 25 ever since early April but they make their triumphant return to the No. 14 spot on this week’s top-25 board. They went 4-0 last week and have won seven straight.

They had a little help winning their conference crown though. Conference rivals Kimberly stumbled this past week after losing to Neenah and to Hortonville, resulting in a Fox Valley Association Conference title for the Polar Bears. The tough week pushes Kimberly down 10 spots, to No. 16 on the board. Kimberly could have a chance to avenge their late season loss to Hortonville in the postseason. If both teams are able to win their first playoff games in the Regional finals on Thursday, they’d be on track to meet in their Sectional’s semis in a week.

TREMPER RIDES ROLLER COASTER

Kenosha Tremper finishes the regular season 18-4, but not before a week filled with plenty of peaks and valleys. They began the week by dropping a game to a seven-win Racine Case team but they followed that up with a 1-0 win over former No. 1 Arrowhead, thanks to the stellar pitching of Kyle Humphres. Then, they capped the week by visiting the Fox Cities where they split a doubleheader with a win over Appleton North and a loss to Kimberly.

The up-and-down week is a tough one to score on the Power 25, but ultimately that win over Arrowhead, breaking their lengthy win streak, weighs heavily, nudging them up a couple spots to No. 9 on the board.

LIMPING INTO THE PLAYOFFS

Oshkosh West and Appleton North are two teams that’ll be entering the postseason on subpar notes. West finishes the regular season with a 13-7 record and endured a 2-3 mark during this past week of action, landing in the final spot on the Power 25. Appleton North came into the week ranked No. 20, so a 1-3 week from them – with losses to Tremper, Hortonville, and Appleton West – has them off the Power 25 entirely.

North is the No. 5-ranked team in Sectional No. 4, so they’re in action today against Oshkosh North for a spot in their Regional final. Coincidentally, if they’re able to win this afternoon’s game, they’ll set up a meeting with Oshkosh West on Thursday for their Regional title game.

KEY NOTES

• Janesville Craig didn’t just suffer a loss to Sun Prairie, they also fell to Verona, forcing the Cougars down to No. 5 in the rankings entering the playoffs.

• Eau Claire North is now 18-5 and has consistently improved their ranking week after week, up to No. 4 now.

• Like the Huskies, West De Pere has regularly been able to climb up the rankings this spring. They’re the No. 3-ranked team in the state now after another undefeated week, lifting them to a 22-4 record.

• Add Green Bay Preble to the list of teams streaking prior to the playoffs. They went 4-0 last week and improved to a 17-3 mark this spring.

• Watertown makes the Power 25 for the first time all season. Their 16-5 record has them ranked No. 24 on the board and No. 3 in their Sectional.

• Stevens Point only just debuted on the Power 25 a month ago and they’re all the way up to No. 7 now. At 19-2 this spring, they beat Wausau East twice last week by a combined score of 24-6.