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Wisconsin Power 25 Update: Week 7

May 15, 2023
Andy Sroka & Josh Fields
Wisconsin Staff

For the fifth time this season, the PBR Wisconsin staff is updating its Power 25 rankings following the latest week of the WIAA season, as it's already nearing the postseason after a week of May baseball. It was a busy week of action that featured many key conference matchups across the state, spanning divisions, which played critical roles in the most movement on the Power 25. With that said, the teams ranked on the Power 25 performed very well, for the most part, which made for a steady update without much substantial movement.

Janesville Craig remains at the top of the board, but we shook up the top-10 and two squads bounced off the board entirely, making way for two Division 1 programs deserving of their season debuts on the Power 25 itself.

THE TOP THREE

+ No. 1 Janesville Craig (16-0): For the first time since our April 24 update, the top-ranked team in the state held onto its position at No. 1. It was another standard week for the undefeated Cougars – and by that we mean – they outscored Madison Memorial 21-3 in their only two games of the week. Craig has clobbered its opponents in 2023, owning a lopsided run differential despite playing a sound schedule. They’ve allowed just 17 runs in their 16 games, meanwhile they’ve scored at least five runs in every game they’ve played, and they’ve scored double-digit runs 10 times. Last week, senior OF Devin Gudenschwager (2023; Lake County JC commit) was 5-for-5 in the two games against Madison Memorial combined, and he nearly single-handedly paced Craig’s offense in the first game of the series by homering twice and adding two doubles that plated six runs. Fellow seniors SS Jake Schaffner (North Dakota State) and OF/1B/LHP Aiden Schenk (North Dakota State) were typically productive as well, helping this squad to continue to look like the state’s most dominant and complete roster.

+ No. 2 Menomonee Falls (19-1): Since entering the top-three of the Power 25 in our first in-season update back in mid-April, the Phoenix have been swaying between the Nos. 2 and 3 spots on the board, now back up to the No. 2 spot following a 3-0 week inside of conference action. They capped their week off with a 6-0 win at Germantown which clinched them the Greater Metro in the process. Menomonee Falls has been much like Craig, as in, they’re defeating their opponents convincingly on both sides of the ball in 2023. They outscored Hamilton, Brookfield Central, and Germantown by a combined 19-1 last week, rebounding from their first and only loss of the season on May 5. They’ve only allowed more than four runs in a ballgame just one time this season, and it was in a 8-6 victory while hosting Homestead.

+ No.3 Union Grove (16-2-1): The Broncos have been a steady, gifted group in 2023, and they’ve been rewarded inside this update by moving up to the No. 3 spot, the highest place they’ve been this spring. They’ve not lost since April 15 and that was a narrow 3-2 defeat to a solid Illinois program, Antioch, just over the border. Inside Wisconsin, Union Grove has just one loss and that was all the way back on April 6, 5-4, to Waterford. Since, they’ve won 11 consecutive games and they haven’t allowed more than a single run in a game in three weeks. They’re pitching it as well as any program in the state, namely LHP Jack Wolf (2024), RHP Landon Dessart (2024), and OF/LHP Owen Nowak (2023; McHenry County JC).

RISING

+ No. 4 Kimberly (17-3): Our preseason No. 1 squad is starting to hit its stride at the right time. The Papermakers are undefeated in May and they’re fresh off a week in which they collected five wins in five games, capped by an impressive 8-2 win against ranked De Pere. Seniors Max Kalk (2023; Ball State), Ryan Csida (2023; St. Mary’s, MN), and Evan Olson (Wisconsin-Whitewater) churned the offense all week – much like this whole season. Olson, namely, walked off Neenah with an RBI single near the start of the week, and he finished it by going 4-for-4 with two home runs in the De Pere victory. Kimberly’s stocked with big arms as well, so as the staff starts to get into its rhythm, it’s encouraging to see that they’ll be backed by an ascending offense too. Thursday’s contest at Hortonville will go a long way in determining the Fox Valley Association title as well, and both teams are riding lengthy win streaks headed into the week.

+ No. 6 Hortonville (15-3): The Polar Bears have just one loss inside of WIAA play this season, and that was to conference rivals Kimberly, 4-3, back on April 25. They haven’t lost since, though they did have a couple close calls with Oshkosh West, 8-7, and Kaukauna, 10-9, recently. Still, Hortonville has been impressive in their consistency on both sides of the ball. And outside of those two narrow wins, they have been reliable on the mound and defensively. Senior starters RHP Thomas Burns (2023; Arizona State) and RHP Nate Vela (2023; Winona State) were particularly good last week, and with SS/RHP Camden Kuhnke (2023; Wisconsin-Milwaukee) covering the high-leverage relief work, the Polar Bears project to be tough outs come playoff time, and before then, they have a chance to swipe the conference title from rivals Kimberly with a win this Thursday.

+ No. 7 Sun Prairie East (16-2): Though the offense has been somewhat inconsistent this spring, the Cardinals have won 16 of their 18 games this season, and that covers a tough stretch of games over the last couple of weeks or so. East split its most recent Big Eight series with Sun Prairie West and Verona Area, and they got their boost into the top-10 of the Power 25 with noteworthy wins against a competitive Watertown squad, followed by a 9-3 win against No. 13 Kettle Moraine on Saturday. The Cardinals remain a well-coached, polished program, even if it’s head coach Jack Marchese’s first year at the helm. He’s been establishing the program’s winning culture, and Sun Prairie East continues to perform like one of the state’s toughest teams, despite all of the change that’s taken place over the last year.

+ No. 10 Denmark (19-2): Head coach Bill Miller has lost just six games since the start of the 2021 season, and he’s guided the Vikings to two straight Division 2 state titles along the way, and they’re similarly positioned to win a third straight. Last week, Coach Miller won his 500th career game as Denmark wrapped up the North Eastern Conference once again. C Rheis Johnson (2023; St. Mary’s, MN) was essential to the team’s big comeback win against a strong D3 Kewaunee group, a game in which they allowed four runs for the first time since April 27, and just the second time all season.

+ No. 11 Stevens Point Area (15-1): Stevens Point have just one loss this season back in April and have been winners of 12 straight. Over the past week Stevens Point have gone 4-0 with two conference wins over Marshfield. Strong pitching has the Panthers to a 4-0 week, particularly from Josh Opiola (2023) through two starts this past week and earned two wins striking out 13 batters in 13.1 innings. Ty Rechner (2024) had a standout performance against Marshfield where he tossed a complete game shutout allowing three hits across six innings.

+ No. 12 Waterford Union (14-2): Waterford Union finds themselves moving up for the third week in a row making their way all the way up to the No. 12 spot. This past week the Wolverines outscored their opponents 28 to 5 in a 3-0 week going 2-0 against conference opponents. Seniors Garrett Kay (2023; Illinois-Chicago) and Dylan Questad (2023; Arkansas) have been leading the way for the Wolverines on both sides of the ball this season and have had key performances this past week. Kay led the way for the Wolverines on offense collecting 10 hits in three games as well as earning a win on the mound against Delavan-Darien where he tossed five innings. Questad lead the Wolverines to a win on the mound against Indian Trail, tossing four innings and striking out nine batters.

+ No. 13 Kettle Moraine (15-5): Kettle Moraine jumps up to 13 after a 4-1 week which includes a Power 25 upset win over then No. 5 Hudson. The Lasers outscored their opponents 27 to 17 throughout the week with key performances from Scott Brown (2024) and JJ Wolbert (2024) throughout the week with Brown being a steady performer across multiple games. Wolbert reached base four times against Catholic Memorial to help lead them to a win.

+ No. 15 Marquette University (13-5): Marquette University climbs up the rankings after a 3-0 week with a win over then No. 10 Arrowhead. Marquette University also secured conference wins over Wauwatosa East and West Allis Hale with key performances by Luke Agnew (2023; Wichita State) and Parker Wyatt (2023; Dayton). Agnew tossed a seven innings against Wauwatosa East striking out 10 batters earning the win on the mound. Wyatt was a catalyst in the Hilltoppers lineup going 4-for-5 with two triples and three RBIs against West Allis Hale.

WELCOME...

+ No. 20 Manitowoc Lincoln (15-2): The Manitowoc Lincoln Ships are making their Power 25 debut this season after going 7-0 over the last two weeks including a 4-0 stretch last week. The past week the Ships defeated conference opponents Sheboygan South, Sheboygan North, Green Bay Preble and Ashwaubenon, putting up 35 runs over the four games. Carrying the load offensively was Brayden Steinbecker (2025), Bryce Erdmann (2023) and Noah Wech (2024; Oklahoma State) who were all steady performers throughout the week, including a 2-for-3 day by Steinbecker, who recorded a double and a home run against Sheboygan North.

+ No. 24 Burlington (15-6): The Demons are making their Power 25 debut this week and are winners of nine straight. The Demons boast a strong resume with three wins over other fellow Power 25 teams including No. 4 Kimberly, No. 12 Waterford Union, and No. 13 Kettle Moraine, as well as other key wins over strong programs like Kenosha St. Joseph, Jefferson, Appleton North, and a two-game sweep of Badger last week. Leading this Burlington squad is the Week 5 PBR Wisconsin POTW recipient Kaleb Zabielski (2023), who is leading this team both on the mound and at the plate, hitting a team leading .477 along with 34 dependable innings pitched.

DROPPED OUT

In a week where we saw a lot of movement inside the Power 25, Altoona and La Crosse Aquinas both made their exits. Altoona (15-3) recently made their way back on to the Power 25 but after a lackluster 2-2 week they unfortunately dropped out, though remain one of the more talented D2 squads in the state. La Crosse Aquinas (13-2) made their debut in Week 5 and now find themselves on the outside looking in, again, after a 1-2 week.

ON THE BUBBLE

Keep an eye out for D2 Chilton, which is now 18-1 overall this season, coming off a season sweep of conference rivals Kiel. Chilton hasn’t lost since splitting a doubleheader with Pewaukee on March 31, either. Back at the D1 level, Milwaukee King (16-3) commands respect as the only team to have defeated No. 2 Menomonee Falls this season, and they're in the midst of a 10-game win streak as well

+ Baldwin-Woodville (13-1)
+ Chilton (18-1)
+ Chippewa Falls (14-5)
+ Coleman (17-0)
+ Cuba City (14-3)
+ Dodgeville (15-2)
+ Eau Claire Regis (13-1)
+ Kenosha St. Joseph (12-5)
+ Kettle Moraine Lutheran (18-3)
+ Kewaunee (15-3)
+ Medford Area (14-3)
+ Menasha (13-3)
+ Middleton (14-4)
+ Milwaukee King (16-3)
+ Oakfield (13-1)
+ Pecatonica (15-1)
+ Reedsburg (12-3)
+ Saint Croix Falls (18-1)
+ Southern Door (14-1)

FOLLOW THE 2023 WIAA SEASON

+ Complete Power 25 Rankings
+ Daily Roundup
+ Player of the Week

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