The 2024 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 2024 preseason coverage continues today.  

High School: Bay Port Pirates
Preseason Rank: 11
Head Coach: Harvey Knutson
WIAA Division: 1
Conference: Fox River Classic
2023 Record (Finish): 18-7 (Lost in Regional Finals)
Key Players Lost: Connor LaBar (St. Norbert College), Cole Bensen, Grant Gill (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Charlie Zimmer (Marian University, WI), Jacob Martell.

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ROSTER PREVIEW

Team Strengths: Pitching, Experience, Leadership
No. of Returning Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5

NAME	STATE	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
Ethan Plog	WI	2024	LHP/OF	Iowa Western
Craig Kabat	WI	2024	RHP/OF	Gonzaga
Sawyer Larson	WI	2024	RHP/OF	Kishwaukee
Cal Casper	WI	2024	C/INF	Winona State
Carter Kallies	WI	2024	INF	Wisconsin-La Crosse
Charles Lawson	WI	2024	1B	-
Caleb Schierl	WI	2024	INF	-
Austin Van De Yacht	WI	2025	RHP	-
Keagan Wheeler	WI	2025	RHP/INF	-
Evan Cichanofsky	WI	2025	LHP	-
Carson Hawley	WI	2026	RHP/OF	-
Parker Lawson	WI	2026	RHP/OF	-

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X-FACTOR

+ Last year LHP/OF Ethan Plog (2024; Iowa Western CC commit) was without a doubt one of, if not the most dominant pitcher in the WIAA during the spring. He allowed just one earned run all season long, good for an ERA of .10 while striking out 84 and maintaining a perfect 7-0 record which earned him a spot on on our All-State First Team list as a result. It is easy to see why Plog was so dominant last season as he possesses a lively fastball that we have seen up to 89 mph, which earns plenty of whiffs just by itself. Off that he spins in a sharp upper-70s curveball that also has showed swing-and-miss potential and also possesses a fading changeup that rounds out his dominant three-pitch mix. He was also one of the top performers at this past summers PBT The Rock Open, where he twirled a complete game gem and struck out 17 batters along the way. Heading into this spring, Plog is coming in with a full head of steam, and he is expected to be a part of a deadly one-two punch at the top of Bay Port’s rotation. While it is tough to expect Plog to repeat as dominant of a year as he did in 2023, he certainly has the talent to give the Pirates a chance to win each and every time he takes the bump.

Ethan Plog (6/30/23)

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

+ RHP Parker Lawson (2026) is a physical underclassmen that is set to contribute this season for Bay Port. Standing at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Lawson has been one of the more intriguing arms inside of the state 2026 class for some time now. Most recently, he made it out to the Milwaukee Preseason ID, where he sat in the low-80s with his fastball. He also showed feel for a sweeping breaking ball in the low-70s and a changeup with some heavy arm side fade in the mid-70s. His abilities on the mound certainly add a lot to the overall depth of this already deep pitching rotation, and he could ultimately make a large impact for the Pirates this season.

Parker Lawson (9/16/23)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Year after year, Bay Port is one of the top teams inside of the always competitive Fox River Classic Conference and heading into 2024 it seems no different. They are backed by a strong and deep pitching staff, while also maintaining some impactful bats that have already proved themselves at the varsity level.

Along with the aforementioned Plog, RHP/OF Craig Kabat (2024; Gonzaga commit) is another high-end arm that will see the bulk of the innings for Bay Port this year. Kabat, the current No. 21 ranked player in the state’s senior class, features a hard-running fastball that we have seen up to 91 mph with feel for a sharp curveball and a deadly splitter, too. Last season he battled through a number of injuries but still recorded a 3.60 ERA and a 2-3 record. Kabat is as experienced as they come, as he has been a key piece for multiple years now, including in Bay Port’s State Runner Up group back in 2022. Heading into his senior season, himself and Plog combine to be one of the top pitching duos in the state.

Craig Kabat (6/23/23)

RHP/INF Keagan Wheeler (2025) is another upper-80s arm Bay Port will roll out there on a consistent basis. We also saw him spin in an aggressive upper-70s curveball and a fading changeup at our annual Green Bay Preseason ID roughly a month ago. Last season, he earned some valuable varsity experience as he totaled a 2.88 ERA in a handful of appearances, but expect his workload to increase this year.

Keagan Wheeler (2/24/24)

Out of the ‘pen, RHP Austin Van De Yacht (2024) returns a 1-1 record and a 2.83 ERA from last season. RHP/OF Sawyer Larson (2024; Kishwaukee JC commit), RHP Dylan Heier (2024), and LHP Evan Cichanofsky (2025) will add even more depth to the Pirates pitching efforts this season, too.

A number of the names listed above will also be relied on to contribute offensively including Plog, Kabat, Larson, and Heier. Outside of them, INF Carter Kallies (2024; Wisconsin-La Crosse commit) will play a huge role for the Pirates this season. This past summer, he created some buzz for himself after stringing together a couple of standout performances, highlighted by a strong showing at our Top Prospect Games.

Carter Kallies (7/11/23)

Another experienced bat for Bay Port this season will be C/INF Cal Casper (2024; Winona State commit), who is coming off a junior campaign that saw him to a tune of .286. 1B Charles Lawson and INF Caleb Schierl are two other senior bats that are expected to see roles in the starting lineup this season, too.

Cal Casper (7/11/23)

One more underclassmen to know on this team is OF/RHP Carson Hawley (2026) who recently just put together a strong two-way performance at our Green Bay Preseason ID. There the No. 19-ranked sophomore in the state took one of the cleaner rounds of BP from a whippy right-handed swing and also ran his fastball up to 86 mph with feel for a pair of offspeed offerings.

Carson Hawley (2/24/24)

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BOTTOM LINE

+ Bay Port may not have played up to their high expectations last season, as they have reached the Div. 1 State Championship game in both of the previous two seasons, but they still broke out for 18 wins and a share of the FRCC title. Despite losing some key pieces from last year’s squad, they seemingly have reloaded. They kick off their 2024 campaign with a trip to Florida where they will take on a number of Tampa-area schools.

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Find more information on the 2024 Bay Port program below:

• Follow the Pirates on X: @bayportbaseball

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