Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 10 De Pere

March 27, 2025
By: Josh Fields
Wisconsin Staff

The 2025 Wisconsin high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across the Badger State.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in their respective WIAA Division State Championship, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams with this initial Preseason Power 25 release which will take us right up to first pitch.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across Wisconsin. Each week we will be releasing our Power 25, Players of the Week, Diamond Notes, Scout Blog and much more.

Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: De Pere Redbirds
Preseason Rank: 10
Head Coach: Bob Van Rens
WIAA Division: 1
Conference: Fox River Classic
Last Year’s Record: 27-3
2024 Season Highlights: Division 1 State Champions.
Key Players Lost: Easton Arendt, Axel Donaldson, Javin Gauthier, Landon Raygo, Milo Upton, Jack Nikolay

ROSTER PREVIEW

NAME	STATE	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
Mason Sequin	WI	2025	OF	Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lucas Koskey	WI	2025	RHP/INF
Isaac Poehlman	WI	2025	RHP/INF
Trenton Kriewaldt	WI	2025	C
Ryan Weettstein	WI	2025	OF
Max Cavanaugh	WI	2025	INF/C
Carson Damsheuser	WI	2025	P
Evan Burmeister	WI	2025	INF/P
Caden Krutz	WI	2025	RHP
Cullen Pennings	WI	2025	RHP
Colton Setzer	WI	2026	OF
Will Nikolay	WI	2027	INF

X-FACTOR

OF Mason Sequin (2025, Wisconsin-Whitewater) returns after playing a key piece on last year's State Championship team. Batting near the top of the order while playing standout defense in the outfield. Returning with the most at-bats from last years senior heavy squad, the three year starter will lead a hungry lineup while patrolling centerfield, solidifying the defense in the outfield.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

INF Will Nikolay (2027) is a rising sophomore in the state that’s shown repeated feel to hit in front of our staff. The 5-foot-9 infielder looks like a natural hitter in the batters box while showing quality actions in the infield that could work at multiple positions defensively. An overall advanced skillset with feel for the game, Nikolay could play himself into a significant role early on this spring.

TEAM OUTLOOK

“I am really excited for this group of players that have waited patiently to get on the field after many players sat behind many quality seniors that graduated last season. This team will be hungry that they belong as one of the top teams in the state again in 2025.” – Bob Van Rens, head coach

The Red Birds graduate a large senior class, returning some talented and impact players despite the turnover.

The staff will be led by RHP Lucas Koskey (2025) who will be counted on to lead the staff, the strike-throwing right-hander has shown feel for three pitches in the past, looking to attack hitters once they step in the box. An injury kept Koskey off the mound for the majority of his junior year, when healthy Koskey was a consistent presence on the mound, going 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA.

RHP Isaac Poehlman (2025, Dakota County Tech JC) is a capable arm that could see an extended role on the mound. The physical 6-foot-2 right-hander fills up and attacks the zone with mostly two pitches, a mid-80s fastball with a tight breaking ball to pair.

Rounding off the rotation RHP Cullen Pennings (2025) and RHP Caden Krutz (2025) round off the rotation.

Other arms the Red Birds could go to P Ryan Wettstein (2025), RHP Carson Damsheuser (2025) and P Evan Burmeister (2025).

The lineup will feature the aforementioned Sequin and Koskey, but the Red Birds also have a large group of seniors behind them.

C Trenton Kriewaldt (2025), OF Ryan Wettstein (2025), INF Max Cavanaugh (2025) and the aforementioned Poehlman will join them.

Kriewaldt can supply this lineup is run producing capablility swinging a strong RH bat geared for driving the ball in the air. More than capable of handling with varisty pitching, the backstop hit .300 last season.

Poehlman offers more of the same run-producing potential from the left-side, easy pop off the bat with the capability of driving the ball to all fields.

Rounding off the lineup the Red Birds will turn to OF Colten Setzer (2026), and the aforementioned Pennings and Nikolay

BOTTOM LINE

Despite the turnover from last spring’s large senior class, the Red Birds have a group of hungry upperclassmen that can make some noise this upcoming season.

Find more information on the 2025 De Pere program below:

Follow the Redbirds on X: @BaseballDPHS