Prep Baseball Wisconsin @ The Rock Invitational: Scout Blog
April 25, 2024
On April 19th and 20th, our Prep Baseball Wisconsin staff hosted the fourth annual High School Invitational, where 19 teams from all across the state convened at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin. While the weather was less than ideal, the weekend was packed with a bunch of action, including a couple of walk-off winners, high-profile prospects and everything in between.
Today at the weekend’s conclusion, our staff will compile some of our takeaways from the invitational,, which features a number of the state’s top prospects, while also focusing on some uncommitted names-to-know in the state; find the weekend’s biggest winners below.
SCOUT BLOG
HARTFORD
+ RHP/UTL Carter Kutz, 2025
Nebraska commit. Built at a 6-foot-2, 179 pounds lean strength and plenty more room to add. The state’s top-ranked junior works with rhythm in the right-handed batter’s box, using a simple move back before delivering his heavy barrel. Kutz was a big reason for Hartford’s Power 25 upset over a talented Monona Grove team, as he tallied two hits one being an RBI single and the other a deep double to left field. One of the biggest takeaways from Kutz’s weekend was the improvements he has made at third base, moving around athletically and he has plenty of arm strength to stick at the hot corner in the long run. He also came in on relief to secure the final out of the game where he pounded the zone with mainly fastballs that sat in the mid-to-high-80s.
+ MIF Aidan Kolb, 2026
Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 15 in Wisconsin’s sophomore class. Kolb made for a number of tough at-bats in Hartford’s one game on Saturday, resulting in one hit in two at-bats. At the plate, he doesn’t try to do too much, he knows his game and he executes it, consistently shooting the ball to all fields atop of the Orioles lineup. He is also a steady and sure-handed defender up-the-middle, playing shortstop in this look and he has an accurate arm, too. Kolb is certainly an intriguing uncommitted sophomore in the state and should continue to garner attention throughout the spring and into the summer.
HUDSON
+ OF/C Logan Hagman, 2027
Uncommitted, one of the top freshmen in the state and is performing out of the leadoff spot for one of the better teams in the state. Hagman announced his presence with authority leading off the game with a home run on a 2-2 count off of a fastball. Hagman would hone down on his approach the rest of his at-bats being selective and working counts and notching two more hits in game one, also missing his second home run of the night by a couple feet. Hagman is one of the more advanced prospects with his ability and overall physicality in the state’s freshman class and is a name to watch as he starts his prep career.
+ INF Sam Abrahamson, 2026
Uncommitted. Built at an athletic 5-foot-11, 181 pounds with strength in his lower half. Currently ranked No. 22 in Wisconsin’s sophomore class. After being one of the top performers at this winter’s Green Bay Preseason ID we got our first live look at Abrahamson over the weekend and he continued to impress. He swings a compact bat from the right side with quick hands that delivers a heavy barrel with some sneaky pop in it. In Friday night’s extra-inning thriller, Abrahamson came up and shot a single the other way to bring home an important run for the Raiders. Then on Saturday morning, he tallied two more hits to cap off his successful weekend. He is also a sure-handed defender at third base and has plenty of arm strength to stick there in the long run.
+ RHP Nick Hirsch, 2025
Uncommitted. Listed at a strong and sturdy 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, currently ranked No. 44 in Wisconsin’s junior class. Got the start for the Raiders on Friday night and put together five quality innings to earn the no decision. He ran his fastball up to 88 mph early on into his start, while casually sitting in the 84-87 mph range for the duration of his outing. He spun in a mid-70s curveball that flashed sharp 11/5 break to earn some chases out of the zone. He finished with nine strikeouts while giving up two runs on five hits and limited the free bases, giving up just three walks.
KETTLE MORAINE
+ OF Chace Staude, 2027
Uncommitted. Listed at a lean and projectable 5-foot-11, 152 pounds, Staude is an athletic freshman to know in the state. From the left side, he swings a loose and simple bat that has the ability to shoot line drives from gap-to-gap. Worked deep into the count consistently throughout the weekend, earning a number of walks in the process. His biggest hit of the weekend came in Kettle Moraine’s close matchup with a highly-talented Monona Grove squad. In the final inning, Staude delivered an RBI double to the opposite-field gap that brought home the game-tying run. In the outfield, he is an athletic mover that can cover ground and pairs it with a strong that was up to 88 mph at this winter’s West Milwaukee Preseason ID. He also offered some considerable upside on the mound in a brief look this weekend where he was up to 81 mph from a repeatable delivery.
+ MIF JJ Wolbert, 2024
Madison JC commit. Wolbert has been off to a hot start for the Lasers this season, hitting to a .394 average and an on-base percentage of .432, respectively. He continued his strong season while at The Rock, helping Kettle Moraine to a 2-0 weekend. His best performance from the weekend came in game two, where he went 2-for-3 at the plate, while also driving in a team high three runs. Wolbert has a level swing that works to the whole field, with quick hands that allow him to stay on time consistently. He is a high-motor athlete that is quick out of the box and he isn’t afraid to swipe some bases either. Defensively, he has steady, sure-handed, athletic actions, with quick feet and a strong arm across, too.
+ UTL/RHP Jonah Roloff, 2024
Madison JC commit. Lean and athletic 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame. Throughout the weekend Roloff came up clutch for the Lasers, en route to a 2-0 record on the weekend. In his first game, Roloff tallied two hits, one of them being an RBI single back up-the-middle off of a upper-80s arm in a come from behind win for Kettle Moraine. His second was arguably more productive, as he tallied two more hits highlighted by a double to right-center field that brought home a run. He stays short to the ball in the left-handed box and it is a fluid, loose swing that has continued to impress in our looks. He is also a gifted pitcher on the mound that we have seen up to 87 mph out of an ultra-athletic delivery.
+ C Lincoln Ascher, 2024
Central Missouri commit. Sturdy 6-foot-1, 210 pounds. Ascher clutched up for Kettle Moraine in their nailbiter of a matchup with then ranked No. 2 Monona Grove. In extra innings, Ascher came up with a runner on third and after working into full count, he took a low fastball to shallow left field that brought home the game winning run for Kettle Moraine. Also, behind the plate Ascher smothered balls in the dirt and was a vocal leader from behind the plate throughout the entirety of the weekend.
MONONA GROVE
+ INF/RHP Cal Moreau, 2026
Uncommitted. Arguably one of the biggest winners of the weekend was Moreau, who shined on both sides of the ball for Monona Grove. Starting on the mound, Moreau is a simple and athletic mover, pairing it with a short, compact, quick arm that produced fastballs up to 90 mph on a cold and windy night at The Rock, while showing the ability to maintain that velocity late in his start. Off that he spun in an aggressive curveball with late bite in the mid-to-high-70s that routinely earned awkward whiffs to both right and left-handed hitters, while also being able to flip it in for called strikes early into the count. With the bat, it is an ultra-simple swing from the right side, not wasting much movement at all and he flashed some power when he ripped a deep double to the opposite field on Friday night. Our staff has heard some rumblings of Moreau taking his game to the next level, and those proved to be true as he asserted himself as one of the state’s top prospects regardless of class - if he wasn’t already one before.
+ INF Dom Najacht, 2025
Uncommitted. Built at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds with some strength in his lower half and more room to add. Najacht was a productive bat for the Silver Eagles over the weekend. In game one, he went 2-for-5 at the plate, one of those hits being a no-doubt home run over the center-field fence to bring home two runs and he finished the game with a team high three RBIs. He followed it up with a 1-for-3 performance in Monona Grove’s final game of the weekend, too.
+ C Terek Verhage, 2025
St. Thomas commit, the catcher had two hits in their Saturday matchup against the ninth-ranked Hartford Orioles, including a single that ignited a late rally that fell just short. The left-handed hitting Verhage has a smooth left-handed swing that will play at the next level. Though he reached base just once in their extra-inning affair with No. 15 Kettle Moraine on Friday night, the junior carried a strong presence behind the plate while catching Calvin Moreau’s five-inning, 11-strikeout performance. He’s a sound blocker with soft hands and an excellent arm behind the dish.
MOSINEE
+ RHP Garrett Shupe, Mosinee, 2024
North Dakota State commit, the 6-foot-3 right-hander tossed 6.2 innings against a quality Wisconsin Lutheran team in a losing effort. Despite the loss, Shupe showed feel for his delivery and his arsenal, mostly two pitches in this look, Shupe ran his fastball up to 90 mph early while sitting 85-88 throughout. Shupe went to his breaking ball as his go-to offspeed pitch, a hard sweeping pitch that was able to generate swings-and-misses and was thrown out of the same window as the fastball. Later on in the outing Shupe showed a different and slower breaking ball that he did not go to very often but has the potential to be a quality third pitch moving forward.
+ INF/RHP Keagan Jirschele, Mosinee, 2024
South Dakota State commit, the 5-foot-10 athlete made his presence known on the field playing short across two games on Saturday. Jirschele was able to make a number of notable plays using his range to both sides, making a rangy play going to his left, tracking down a pop-up behind third-base, and making a number of plays up the middle. At the plate, the right-handed-hitter has some real pop and flashed barrel skills across both games, collecting a base-hit on a breaking ball in game.
MUSKEGO
+ RHP/UTL Ben Kuglitsch, 2026
Florida State commit, the second-ranked sophomore in Wisconsin barreled an opposite-field double off the wall to drive in a big run in Muskego’s one-run loss to St. Thomas More on Friday. The 6-foot-2, 173-pound Kuglitsch played left field in the contest, but also profiles well at shortstop at the next level. The two-way talent was also up to 91 mph on the mound this winter. It’s a balanced swing with easy power and long levers that create leverage presently, while also showing room to add.
+ C Maddux Lessard, 2027
Uncommitted. Built at a physical 6-foot, 187 pounds with strength throughout his frame. The top-ranked player in the state’s 2027 class showed a balanced swing and the ability to hit the opposite way, also. The freshman recorded two hits along with a run and RBI in the loss against the Cavaliers on Friday. The Warrior showed strong abilities behind the plate, with athletic actions and a strong arm that is advanced well above his years. Lessard has been off to a roaring start this spring, despite this being his first at the prep level and he continues to impress with each and every look we get.
+ LHP Joey Shaw, 2027
Uncommitted. Athletic 6-foot, 170-frame with room to add. Shaw impressed in his start for Muskego in their close matchup with St. Thomas More. Working out of a clean and athletic delivery Shaw ran his fastball up to 86 mph early on, settling in at the low-80s on a cold, windy day at The Rock. He was able to consistently spin in a sharp, swing-and-miss breaking ball in the mid-70s. Shaw held a talented STM squad to just two earned runs on three hits across his 4.2 innings of work while also punching out six.
MORE WINNERS
+ RHP/UTL Samuel Mommer, St. Thomas More, 2024
Wisconsin-Parkside commit. Mommer has been a huge piece to the early success of STM, a team who has continued to rise up our Power 25 rankings and is currently at No. 7. In their matchup with a talented Muskego squad, Mommer got the start and continued to dominate on the mound, utilizing an upper-80s fastball that topped at 90 mph in his outing. He also went to a big 12/6 breaking ball and a tighter slider with late lateral sweep that he consistently earned whiffs on. Rounding out his mix was a fading changeup that he used mostly to left-handed hitters in the mid-70s. Also, he smacked a home run way over the left-center field fence on Friday afternoon, showing his upside as a legitimate two-way prospect in the state.
+ RHP Jake Ross, Wisconsin Lutheran, 2024
Bryant & Stratton WI CC commit, the athletic 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander has some of the more intriguing arm talent in the state. A near effortless operator on the mound with a loose and whippy arm action that has seen a jump in velocity since our last look at him, now reaching the upper-80s with his fastball sitting in the mid-to-upper-80s throughout. Ross constantly attacks hitters in the zone with his two-pitch mix, the aforementioned fastball with late life through the zone and a low-70s breaking ball that he has feel to throw for strikes. Against a talented Mosinee lineup Ross was able keep them in check across seven complete innings where he struck out seven batters and only allowed six batters to reach base. Ross still has some clear upside on the mound as a fairly raw prospect on the mound even though his performances across the season say otherwise.
+ INF Jack Zeller, Indian Trail, 2025
Uncommitted. 6-foot-1, 179 pounds with lean strength throughout and more room to add. Zeller has been an arrow-up prospect for some time now, after earning a spot on Team Wisconsin at the Prep Baseball Future Games and his success has continued during his junior campaign. At The Rock, Zeller tallied a pair of extra-base hits in the heart of the Hawks’ order, both of them being hard hit ground balls down the first-base line. He features an ultra-simple left-handed swing, taking easy hacks to the ball, and he has continued to add more pop to his bat. His bat-to-ball skills are also amongst the state’s best with an advanced approach which allows him to rarely get beat at the plate.
+ MIF Nolan Sandee, Nicolet, 2024
Northern Illinois commit. Sandee is another prospect who has seen his stock rise over the course of the last year or so, and our look at The Rock was one of his best yet. Sandee is an explosive bat atop Nicolet’s order and he didn’t waste any time in Saturday’s matchup with Saint Mary Catholic as he led off with a double to center field on the first strike he saw. He continued to be aggressive at the plate, taking a first pitch to his pull side for a single later on in the game. At shortstop, Sandee is an athletic mover that can cover ground, pairing it with sure-handed actions and a strong arm that is capable of sticking at the left side of the infield at the next level.
+ LHP Ben Verges, Franklin, 2025
Uncommitted, Verges toed the rubber Saturday morning for the Sabers against Hudson. Physically built at 6-foot-3, 225-pounds and a capable athlete on the mound showing the ability to extend down the mound and some repeatability. Verges battled through a tough lineup across the entire game holding them to four hits across six innings, striking out three. Verges ran his fastball up to 86 mph and held mid-80s throughout his outing with the fastball, also threw a low-70s breaking ball that he was able to consistently throw for strikes in any count.
+ LHP Bron Schaefer, Kaukauna, 2026
Uncommitted. Listed at a lean 5-foot-11, 169 pounds with long levers and upside. After popping at this winter’s Madison Preseason ID, we got our first live look at him over the weekend. In his brief outing, Schaefer ran his fastball up to 83 mph on a bitter and windy night in Franklin, playing with some heavy running action to his arm side. He also spun in a couple of effective breaking balls that earned swings-and-misses, showing the ability to throw it in the zone and out of it. Still, there is a ton of projection within making him an intriguing sophomore to follow in the state.
+ OF Ezra Liggon, Madison Memorial, 2026
Uncommitted. The athletic left/left outfielder stands at a lean 6-foot-4, 190-pounds and offers some of the state’s highest upside. With the bat, Liggon took controlled hacks to ball all night long for Madison Memorial from a simple left-handed swing. He came up big for the Spartans late in their game on Friday night, as he shot a two-strike single to the opposite field to bring in a pair to put the game out of reach for the opposition. His premium athleticism is very apparent in the outfield, as he covers ground effortlessly and he pairs it with a strong arm that topped at 87 mph at this winter’s Milwaukee Preseason ID.
+ INF Nathan Glapa, Sussex Hamilton, 2025
Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 48 in Wisconsin’s junior class, Glapa was a spark plug atop of the Chargers order to kick off the weekend. Glapa swung an aggressive bat from the right side and attacked early in the count, producing a number of line drive contact. In his first at-bat, Glapa ripped a single back up the middle but it was just the start for the uncommitted prospect. In the fourth, he connected on a two-strike pitch and sent it to the left-center gap for a RBI double. His final hit of the game came in the fifth as he sent the first-pitch of his at-bat to deep center field for a triple.
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