Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Wisconsin Class of 2022 Rankings: Winter Update

November 24, 2021
By Diego Solares & Andy Sroka
Wisconsin Scouting Staff

This week our national team tweaked the nation’s top-500 board, with minimal movement in our own backyard. Though our staff was able to collaborate and expand upon the state’s senior rankings, altering them a bit prior to these players’ final offseason of their prep careers. 

Below, we noted the minor movement from several of the players who made the most of the fall. We also shared some insight on the handful of players who made their rankings debut within this update.

ON THE RISE

+ After multiple strong showings throughout both the summer and fall, RHP/INF James Vargas (Arrowhead) has continued to rise up our board. A true two-way standout for the Warhawks, Vargas dominated this past fall at The Rock Complex, and on both sides of the ball. He recently committed to Upper Iowa, capping a successful 2021 on the diamond. Check out his scouting report from his performance in September:

“A strong 5-foot-10, 192-pound athlete with sturdy shoulders, Vargas continues to trend upward inside the Badger State’s senior rankings. Vargas produces some of the easiest high-80s velocity we saw all summer, bumping his fastball up to 90 mph a handful of times early on in his outings. The relative ease and polish that he works downhill with throughout his delivery suggests even more velocity is left in the tank, too. We’ve seen him throw a fading changeup with confidence in the past and his slider flashed late break off a 10/4 plane at 70-72 mph in this look. Vargas also enjoyed quite the power surge at the plate throughout the tourney, going 5-for-8 with two grand slams and a double.”

+ RHP Ryan Karst (Brookfield East; Illinois-Chicago commit) represented Team Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games back in 2020, long known as one of the state’s highest upside arms. Injury postponed Karst from making his on-mound debut in 2021 until the fall, but he reminded us why he’d been ranked among the top athletes and pitchers in the state. His scouting report from a recent edition of The Hotlist:

“One of Wisconsin's top athletes returned to the mound this fall and impressed right away, ultimately landing a commitment to Illinois-Chicago. Since, he's returned to captaining the Spartans in soccer at center back, where he's also one of the best in the state. As you can imagine, at a muscular 6-foot-3, 220 pounds with freakish athleticism, Karst's exceptional strength and speed combination make him one of the top defenders in the state. When he hops on the mound, the athlete in Karst allows him to reach upper-80s velocity with ease, projecting for even more, naturally, as he directs his focus onto baseball full-time upon his arrival to UIC this time next year.”

+ LHP Vincent Gohlke (New Berlin West) is actually another member of the state who committed to Illinois-Chicago later in the year, like the aforementioned Karst. Gohlke was among the state’s most productive prospects across the last calendar year, turning heads during the WIAA season with the Vikings, which translated into the summer. A 6-foot-1, 190-pound southpaw, Gohlke really turned the corner on the mound, pumping his fastball up to 89 mph, sitting in the mid-to-upper-80s, with real feel for a sweeping slider. He impressed our LakePoint staff at the 17U National Championships and struck out eight straight batters at The Rock this summer, too. His continued upward projection culminated in a commitment to UIC and a rightful rise up our rankings.

+ An ultra-physical 6-foot-5, 225-pound presence when he toes the rubber, RHP Nolan Klug (Menomonee Falls; Parkland JC) jumps up a few spots as he continues to show impressive, advanced arm strength for his age. Though still developing a complete feel for himself downhill, Klug does own a relatively high future ceiling as an arm.

+ We’ve watched OF Max Semancik (Franklin; Rock Valley JC) jumpstart the lineup behind him often throughout the year, and he’s very deserving of a push up the board in this update. Semancik is a compact athlete, built at a muscular 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, and he long showed an innate ability to track down fly balls in center field. His defense raises his prospect floor, and he’s now making more regular contact from the left side. A more well-rounded profile has Semancik moving up the ‘22 board in this update, now committed to the northern Illinois JUCO, Rock Valley.

+ RHP Nolan Kahle (Brookfield Academy; St. Cloud State) was a useful arm for his club team this year, and he looked particularly effective in the fall at the PBR at The Rock Fall Championships. There, he K’d seven in six shutout innings while spotting an 81-84 mph fastball well, owning the game tempo, mixing in a change-of-pace curveball that flashed sharp, landing for strikes when he needed to. That performance boosted him a tick up the board in our latest update.

+ One of the most clutch performers from this past fall had to be OF Tristan Ott (Oconomowoc; Wisconsin-Oshkosh), who we witnessed connect for a couple opportune run-scoring hits. Namely, Ott launched a timely go-ahead homer for his club team at the PBR at The Rock Fall Championships that pushed his team into the playoffs. Ott’s right-handed bat that is short and direct to the zone, long through it, and it allows him to find the barrel often. He capped the year by committing to the WIAC’s UW-Oshkosh.

WELCOME...

+ We became introduced to RHP Dominic LaDuke (New Richmond) at a PBR Wisconsin tournament this year and the 6-foot-2, 215-pound northern Wisconsin native jumps into the top-100 in this recent update. LaDuke possesses advanced innate arm strength, bumping his fastball up to 87 mph with more in the tank at a PBR Minnesota scout day event this past August. He owns the feel to spin a tight knuckle-curve as well, complementing his fastball with another above-average offering. LaDuke committed to USC Lancaster this September and is an arm to watch from the upper part of the state.

(8/13/2021)

+ Recently committed to Minnesota State Mankato, RHP Mack Crowley (Ashwaubenon) made himself known to our staff this fall at the PBR at The Rock Fall Championships, turning in a quality performance on the mound over at Franklin Field. The lanky 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-hander parlayed his late bloom into an upside arm to a commitment to a Division II program, and he’s firmly entrenched inside the state’s top-115. A quick nugget from Crowley’s start that day, found here:

“The 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-hander nearly went the distance, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking just one while striking out eight. His arsenal primarily consisted of a fastball/changeup mix and he’d turn to a curveball sparingly in order to mix in a different look. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-hander bumped his fastball up into the 84-85 mph range early, holding 80-83 mph as his outing went on. He threw his changeup at 75-78 mph and it flashed slight arm-side action, working from a similar slot to his fastball. That aforementioned third pitch, his curveball, played in the low-70s with slurve-type action off an 11/5 plane.”

+ Two Hudson teammates, LHP/1B Owen Weadge (St. Cloud State) and C Kyler Hove (uncommitted), both showed well at the Western Wisconsin Open this July. Weadge, who’s listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, impressed from the left-handed batter’s box where he leveraged some hard-hit lofted contact; his best batted-ball travelled 358 feet and left the bat at over 92 mph. Also, showed as one of the most reliable arms for his travel club; a strike-thrower up to 81 mph who delivers the ball with some funk, and has shown the ability to utilize a dependable three-pitch mix. As for Hove, the backstop was consistently on the bag during his round of catcher defense at the Western Wisconsin Open, showcasing a pop time ranging between 2.02-2.08 with above-average arm strength measured at 75 mph. Offensively, he demonstrated some right-handed pop, launching one home run in BP, measured at 340 feet that left the bat at 91.3 mph.

(7/5/2021)
+ OF Calvin Keesler (Xavier) stands out physically, and immediately, with an athletic and strong 6-foot-3, 180-pound build. He’s in our rankings for the first time in his prep career after putting up impressive measurables, with upside, across four different looks this summer and fall. His 6.75 time in the 60-yard dash is obviously a noteworthy measurement of his athleticism and it underscores the upside he brings to the ballpark. A right-handed hitter, Keesler’s loose levers combine to create bat and hand speed, translating into a quality batted-ball profile that peppered the middle of the field consistently. He reached a max exit speed over 94 mph, averaging upper-80s exits, and crushed one ball an estimated 346 feet. The Xavier senior has coveted traits that are hard to find this late in the recruiting game, which should earn him attention headed into the offseason.

(10/23/21)

+ C Robert Erickson (Middleton; MSOE) stands at a lean, athletic 5-foot-10, 150-pounds with some wiry strength. He boasts well above average catch-and-throw actions from the chute, popping a 2.04 in gameplay at our Top Prospect - Milwaukee event this July. Erickson’s clean, accurate arm showed well during his defensive workout, too. 

+ From Oconomowoc, OF Logan Des Lauries is a lean 6-foot, 175-pound athlete with excellent foot speed and athleticism that is, simply, his best skill on the diamond. Des Lauries provided us with an up-close look of his skill-set at our Unsigned Senior Showcase this October, sticking out as one of the day’s standouts. He bursted out to a 6.60 time in the 60-yard dash, looking like he needed only half the strides it took his peers from beginning to end. Offensively, Des Lauries has a direct, flat right-handed swing that showed effective barrel accuracy on Saturday that looked like it could produce the kind of spray contact that will make use of his excellent speed, speed that allowed him to roam around the outfield smoothly, too.

(10/23/21)

+ C Ian Merry (Sheboygan North) is a strong right-handed hitter with above-average actions behind the plate, which is a noteworthy combination that should garner more next-level attention as he heads into his senior spring. He has a simple swing with natural pull-side lift that should make it easier for him to get to in-game. Merry’s strongest traits show best from the crouch, where he demonstrates a quick release out of the chute with carry to the second base bag. He popped a 2.20 to nab a baserunner attempting to steal second in-game.

+ RHP/3B Christian Lindow came away after a few looks at him this year, including during the state playoffs for Rice Lake and at our Top Prospect - Milwaukee event. A proportionally strong 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete, Lindow recorded the second-hardest max infield velocity at The Rock in July, maxing out at 84 mph across the diamond. He translated that arm strength to the mound, topping at 85 mph with his fastball. Lindow’s hardest hit ball left his barrel at 94 mph during his BP round, too.

+ LHP Hunter Enloe (Pecatonica) popped as a follow uncommitted name in the state’s senior class after a strong, polished showing at the MOSH this October. A highly projectable 6-foot-2, 170-pound southpaw, Enloe peppered the strike zone with a high-70s fastball, topping at 81 mph from a loose, clean arm slot while averaging nearly eight feet of extension, per TrackMan. As he continues to physically mature and add weight to his frame, Enloe’s velocity should certainly tick upward as there certainly appears to be more left in the tank. He landed both a curveball and changeup for strikes, completing a quality three-pitch mix and projecting as a starter at the next level.

(10/23/2021)

+ For both his high school and club teams, we watched 1B Keegan Norton (Greendale) connect for loud left-handed contact on the regular, and his most recent performance at our Unsigned Senior Showcase in October helped him earn a place on the state’s 2022 rankings for the first time. There, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound left-handed hitter put together one of the day’s best BP rounds, showcasing easy hand and bat speed while attacking the pull-side gap with elevated contact throughout. (Edit, 11/24: Norton has since committed to St. Mary's (MN).)

For a complete look at our updated 2022 rankings, click HERE. 

RELATED CONTENT