Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 15 Mosinee

March 18, 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: Mosinee Indians
Preseason Rank: 15
Head Coach: Adam Olson
WIAA Division: 2
Conference: Great Northern
2023 Record (Finish): 22-3 (Sectional Semifinalists)
Key Players Lost: Davin Stoffel (South Dakota State, football)

ROSTER PREVIEW

Team Strengths: Depth, pitching, hitting, defense.
No. of Returning Starters: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5

NAME	STATE	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
Keagen Jirschele	WI	2024	RHP/INF	South Dakota State
Garrett Shupe	WI	2024	RHP	North Dakota State
Taylor Lemanski	WI	2024	OF/RHP	Wisconsin-La Crosse
Grant Kuklinski	WI	2024	MIF	-
Gavin Obremski	WI	2024	C/RHP	Rock Valley JC
Benjamin Schlei	WI	2024	1B	-
Kolton Cherek	WI	2024	OF	-
Cameron Ziebell	WI	2024	C/INF	Wisconsin-Stout
Ethan Oatman	WI	2025	RHP/1B	-
Brady Lokken	WI	2025	3B	-
Elliot Yirkovsky	WI	2025	OF	-
Carter Fandrey	WI	2026	C/INF	-

X-FACTOR

+ INF/RHP Keagen Jirschele (2024; South Dakota State commit) is entering his third season as a member of the varsity team at Mosinee and is one of the most productive players in the WIAA. Ranked at No. 25 in Wisconsin’s 2024 class, Jirschele’s importance extends from the mound to the plate, as the 5-foot-10, 180-pound two-way prospect has been elite for the Indians in the past. The right-hander on the bump—known to sit in the upper-80s to low-90s, went a flawless 9-0 last season—boasting an impressive 0.89 ERA. Jirschele spins an effective curveball and throws off timing with a changeup. His athleticism as a 6.79-second 60-yard dash runner plays well not only on the mound, but at the plate as well. Jirschele has manned the leadoff spot for the Indians for three years now—providing quality power and contact in the batters box. The righty hit .381 in his junior season—garnering Prep Baseball Wisconsin’s Third Team All-State awards as a dynamic two-way prospect. The accolades continue to roll in for Jirschele in his storied career at Mosinee, as he will be the driving force to lead this group to another successful season.

Keagen Jirschele (7/11/23)

STAT RAT

+ 270: The number of runs that Mosinee has scored in Great Northern Conference play since the 2022 season. The Indians put up 135 in 12 conference games in 2023—returning 75% of their production on the offensive end. That was good for an average of just over 11 runs per game with this prolific unit—leading them to an 11-1 conference record and share of the Great Northern Conference championship with their rival in Medford. Mosinee will continue to use their bats to excel in this conference and once again emerge as a dangerous contender in the Division 2 field.

TEAM OUTLOOK

Mosinee is a veteran team who has gone 48-7 in the past two seasons—including an appearance at the 2022 State Tournament. After running into a hot West Salem team in the Sectional semifinal, the Indians look to bounce back and make a push for the state tournament in 2024.

While the offense receives a ton of attention with this group, it starts with their dominant work on the mound. In addition to Jirschele’s prowess as an arm, there are two more names to know in Mosinee’s rotation that will take on starting roles.

RHP Garrett Shupe (2024; North Dakota State) is one of those pitchers, as the senior presents an upside arsenal in a mature 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame. Shupe was one of the biggest winners from the Eastern Wisconsin Open back in August—twirling a fastball in the upper-80s (T89.2 mph) with life. Shupe worked to a 4-1 record in his junior campaign in 2023 with a 1.91 ERA, and will look to improve those numbers further as he performs in his senior season.

Garrett Shupe (8/21/23)

The other name-to-know in this rotation is RHP Ethan Oatman (2025), who ranks at No. 41 in the Badger State’s 2025 class. Oatman drives down the mound with his strong 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame, and took advantage of the showcase circuit over the winter to raise his stock. Oatman posted quality numbers at both the Northern Wisconsin Open and Green Bay Preseason ID—illustrating his three-pitch mix to our scouting staff. Oatman spins a slider at above average rates in the 2,400 RPM area, in addition to a mid-to-upper-80s fastball that continues to develop. He adds on to this group’s depth—giving Mosinee an option for a reliable starter or reliever.

Ethan Oatman (2/10/24)

The backstops within the program are strong as well—creating some of the top batteries in northern Wisconsin. C/RHP Gavin Obremski (2024; Rock Valley JC), who could also see some time on the mound, is a switch-hitting catcher who returns to the middle of Mosinee’s lineup after hitting .393 last season. Obremski provides pop from both sides of the plate and featured pop times as low as 1.95 seconds at prior showcases.

Gavin Obremski (7/11/23)

When he’s on the mound, that’s where C/INF Cameron Ziebell (2024; Wisconsin-Stout) enters—playing into the depth of the Indians. Ziebell is fresh off of a quality summer at the plate, and is a scrappy defender with quick feet in a 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame.

While all of the aforementioned players will make up a part of Mosinee’s lineup, there are other important contributors who provided numerous sparks for the Indians. OF Taylor Lemanski (2024; Wisconsin-La Crosse) will assume the second spot in the batting order right behind Jirschele for the second straight year. Lemanski has a knack for finding barrels—posting exit velocities in the low-90s at the Eastern Wisconsin Open after hitting .363 in the spring. The right-hander is fundamentally sound in the outfield, and features a strong arm.

Taylor Lemanski (8/21/23)

INF Brady Lokken (2025) is another bat who is coming off of a quality 2023, where the sophomore hit .338 while manning the third base position. Lokken recently showcased his growth at the Green Bay Preseason ID after exiting the Western Wisconsin Open as a winner of the event. Lokken has quiet hands and a flat bat path—giving him the ability to spray line drives to all fields. The righty used his strong 6-foot-1, 216-pound frame to provide exit velocities in the upper-90s during his batting practice session back in February. He ranks at No. 99 in Wisconsin’s 2025 class and is one of top uncommitted juniors in the area.

Brady Lokken (2/24/24)

Providing more depth for this crew is INF Grant Kuklinski (2024) and OF Carter Frandrey (2026). Kuklinski hit .369 last season and was a key contributor both offensively and defensively as an under-the-radar prospect in this lineup. Fandrey is one of the lone underclassmen who will get some time on the varsity stage this spring—looking to fill in at the bottom of the order and in the outfield for the Indians.

BOTTOM LINE

+ Mosinee has an abundance of talent to work with in the 2024 season, as this senior class is one of the most successful and experienced groups in the WIAA this spring. There doesn’t seem to be too many weaknesses for head coach Adam Olson and this group, as they will look to put the pieces together to push toward the state tournament by the time June rolls around. Before that though, the Indians will begin their regular season campaign on Apr. 1 as they host Stratford in a non-conference battle.

Find more information on the 2024 Mosinee program below:

Follow the Indians on X: @MosineeBaseball