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Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 12 St. Thomas More

March 19, 2024
By: Maddox Durst
Staff Writer

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: St. Thomas More Cavaliers
Preseason Rank: 12
Head Coach: Tim Schultz
WIAA Division: 2
Conference: Metro Classic
2023 Record (Finish): 27-3 (Division 2 State Runners-Up)
Key Players Lost: Alex Alicea (Louisville) & Eli Niemiec (Wisconsin-Stevens Point)

ROSTER PREVIEW

Team Strengths: Starting pitching, team defense, experience and senior leadership
No. of Returning Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 7

NAME STATE CLASS POS COMMITMENT
Kyle Alivo WI 2024 RHP/INF Iowa
Oliver Gonzalez WI 2024 INF/RHP -
Brady Johnson WI 2024 C/INF -
Bennett Karolewicz WI 2024 OF/C St. Mary's-MN
Johnny Kendzierski WI 2024 RHP/INF -
Samuel Mommer WI 2024 RHP/INF/C Wisconsin-Parkside
Evan Rinzel WI 2024 OF/RHP -
Anthony Swenson WI 2024 UTIL -
Andrew Wielebski WI 2024 1B -
Andrew Dodge WI 2025 INF/OF -
Jack Hennessy WI 2025 OF -
Gabe Schmidt WI 2025 INF/OF/RHP -
Manuel Sostre WI 2025 RHP/OF -
Brayden Alivo WI 2026 INF/RHP -
Julian Stelloh WI 2026 INF -
Brody Alivo WI 2027 INF/RHP -
Jackson Rodriguez WI 2027 INF/OF -
Ethan Rudolph WI 2027 INF/RHP -

X-FACTOR

+ INF/RHP Samuel Mommer (2024; Wisconsin-Parkside commit) has seen his velocity increase over the offseason, and is primed to take on an even larger role on the mound for St. Thomas More this spring. With his fastball as his best pitch, Mommer uses three secondary weapons to navigate batters—showing a comfortable feel for two breaking balls. The right-hander is fresh off of a 4-1 record for the Cavaliers—finishing the season with a 1.66 ERA. His game doesn’t end there though, as he will assume the first base position for St. Thomas More in 2024. Mommer returns as the top hitter for the Cavaliers—batting .394 in 2023 in the middle of one of the strongest lineups in the Division 2 field. Standing at a mature 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame, Mommer presents some consistent pop from the right side of the plate, as he showcased at the Top Prospect Games back in July. Mommer’s production will be key for St. Thomas More throughout the season as he concludes his prep career before taking his talents to Wisconsin-Parkside.

Samuel Mommer (7/11/23)

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

+ Simply put, INF/RHP Brayden Alivo (2026) did not play like a freshman during the regular season or last year’s playoff run for St. Thomas More. Now in his sophomore campaign, Alivo is a prospect to follow closely as he takes on a bigger role within the Cavaliers’ program. As he continues to fill out in a 5-foot-10, 145-pound frame, Alivo’s game will further improve. The sophomore is steady at the plate—finding barrels consistently against quality pitching. The righty hit .308 for St. Thomas More in 2023—contributing from the bottom of the order in a stacked lineup. He presents a confidence and competitivness that plays well on the mound, too. Alivo’s four-pitch mix proved to get outs at the varsity level last year, as he will get a couple of spot starts and be put into relief roles when needed this season. The two-way prospect’s stock is rising at a quick rate, as he ranks at No. 21 in a quality Wisconsin 2026 class.

TEAM OUTLOOK

In addition to the two aforementioned prospects, St. Thomas More boasts another deep roster entering 2024.

RHP/INF Kyle Alivo (2024; Iowa), who’s just coming off of a state championship in basketball, had a season to remember in 2023 as a junior. Alivo was dominant on the mound in his start against Altoona—illustrating the work he had put in all season. The right-hander enters the 2024 season as one of the top pitchers in the conference—going 8-0 with a 1.69 ERA last year. His bat continues to develop as well—turning in a .371 average from 2023 and finding success during the summer circuit.

Kyle Alivo (6/26/23)

RHP/OF Manuel Sostre (2025) is an upside prospect who stands at a projectable 6-foot-3, 150-pound frame. On the bump, Sostre sits in the mid-80s (T86 mph) and has a comfortable feel for all three of his pitches. The right-hander spins at an efficient rate with his fastball and breaking balls—presenting an ease within his delivery. Sostre found a rhythm at the plate for St. Thomas More as well—hitting a respectable .333. He adds onto the depth of this group as an arm-to-know in the 2025 class, in addition to being a bat that opponents can’t look past in the Cavaliers’ lineup. Sostre ranks at No. 18 in Wisconsin’s 2025 class.

Manuel Sostre (3/18/23)

C Brady Johnson (2024) will be the athlete behind the dish for St. Thomas More once again in 2024 after hitting .309. Johnson is a savvy veteran backstop who has featured pop times between 2.00-2.15 seconds in front of our staff. Johnson has quick feet and a quality arm to work with—limiting opponents’ ability to swipe bags against the Cavaliers. At the plate, Johnson has a quiet, upright approach that allows him to get the barrel out front and drive the baseball. His experience at the top of the order will be important for St. Thomas More to set up a strong middle of the order that the Cavaliers bring to the table.

Brady Johnson (4/21/23)

In rounding out the infield, INF/RHP Oliver Gonzalez (2024) will assume a starting position on the left side of the diamond—emerging as one of St. Thomas More’s stronger returning hitters, statistically speaking. Gonzalez batted .367 last year in a 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame. The right-handed hitter garnered attention during the spring season for his performances, which eventually earned him an invite to the Top Prospect Games later that summer. Gonzalez is a steady defender on the infield with an accurate arm—bringing a reliable trait to the table, which is key to a lengthy WIAA season.

Oliver Gonzales (7/11/23)

As for the outfield, OF Bennett Karolewicz (2024; Saint Mary’s (MN)) and OF/RHP Evan Rinzel (2024) bring an unmatched energy to this experienced group. Karolewicz was a spark plug for St. Thomas More during their state tournament run last season—bringing speed and a consistent bat to their lineup. Karolewicz proved to be a tough out all season—hitting .352. He then emerged as a winner at the Milwaukee Open—getting his name on the radar as a senior to follow in 2024. Rinzel added onto the depth of this crew—contributing from the bottom of the order while being a steady glove in a corner outfield position.

Bennett Karolewicz (6/20/23)

Underclassmen—as mentioned previously—will play various roles within this unit, too. Head coach Tim Schultz will look to UTL Jackson Rodriguez (2027), RHP Ethan Rudolph (2027) and INF/RHP Brody Alivo (2027) to provide this Division 2 power with even more weapons to work with in their pitching rotation and lineup.

BOTTOM LINE

+ St. Thomas More went undefeated against non-Division 1 programs until their final matchup against the Division 2 State Champions in Denmark in 2023. While the Cavaliers will have to replace immense production from the aforementioned Alicea and Niemiec, they return many of those pieces which led them to a dominant 27-3 record last year. Their pitching remains their strength, as they will need their offense to remain consistent in order to be a contender for the crown in the Division 2 field. St. Thomas More gets their season started at Catholic Memorial on Mar. 28 before taking their talents south to LakePoint between Apr. 2-3 to face a team from Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Find more information on the 2024 St. Thomas More program below:

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