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: Hortonville Polar Bears
Preseason Rank: 17
Head Coach: Greg Yeager
WIAA Division: 1
Conference:
Last Year’s Record: 14-11
2024 Season Highlights: With not a lot of varsity experience, we competed really well and got better as the season progressed.
Key Players Lost: Jack Coenen OF, Bo Anderson RHP (McHenry County)

 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

Team Strengths: Experience, Pitching Depth
No. of Returning Starters:
No. of Returning Pitchers: 6

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X-FACTOR

INF/RHP Kael Konrad (McHenry County CC) has the chance to be an impactful two-way contributor in his senior season. The compact athlete will be one of the team’s starting infielders while playing a key role on the mound when called upon.

At the plate, Konrad looks to impact the baseball and drive the ball in the air consistently leveraging the baseball in the air. As a junior led the team in slugging % while only batting .226 on the year. Increased consistency at the plate will add to an already strong lineup.

On the mound, Konrad has flashed feel for four different pitches, a mid-80s fastball with carry, two different breaking balls and a changeup that gives him an option against opposite handed hitters.

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

INF/RHP Elijah Yeager (Hortonville, 2027) is an athletic 6-foot 165 pound potential two-way player for the Polar Bears in the coming seasons, if not this year. At the plate, the right-handed swing stands out with athleticism and fluidity throughout while showing feel to barrel the baseball. Defensively Yeager has a chance to stick on the left-side of the infield, showing easy range and athleticism to both sides.

On the mound Yeager works from a clean and simple delivery with a fastball in the low-80s that he leverages downhill with feel to spin a breaking ball on the same plane.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

“Our goal is to improve every day and compete to the best of our ability. The FVA will prepare us for the post-season with all of the top arms in the league, and we will be battle tested. It will boil down to how well we do the little things. ” – Greg Yeager, head coach

RHP Taiven Gass (2025; McHenry County) will headline the Polar Bears pitching staff after a season of dominance in 2024, pitching to the tune of a 1.08 ERA in 45.1 innings. The senior primarily uses a three pitch mix while flashing a feel for the zone for all three. He will look to lead a talented and experienced Hortonville staff and build off his stellar 2024 season.

Returning to the staff with Gass is RHP Griffin Jens (2025). The righty is coming off a 2024 season in which he posted a 2.79 ERA with 42 strikeouts and led Hortonville in appearances with 11. Jens is a clean and athletic mover down the mound and looks to bring experience and consistency to the Polar Bears’ pitching staff.

Rounding off the guys at the top of the rotation for the Polar Bears, RHP Braylon Brantner (2026) who was a winner when we saw him this winter. Branter has advanced feel for his arsenal with a fastball that reaches 87 mph and two secondaries that compliment the entire arsenal. A competitor on the mound also attacks hitters in the zone, giving the Polar Bears multiple options atop their rotation.

Filling out the pitching staff is a mix of intriguing right-handers with multiple years of varsity experience. Starting with the aforementioned Konrad who has showcased a lively mix in the past, RHP Noah Jentz (2025), RHP Kaden Kreski (2025), and RHP Kam Chronis (2025) will all look to find some innings for the Polar Bear staff as well.

Hortonville has an experienced and talented pitching staff that features upside and success in the stat sheets to compete with the best teams in the state. The offense also features plenty of talent across the diamond, but could benefit from more consistency for a team looking to make another run in the WIAA playoffs.

Returning behind the plate for his senior season C Turner Kuhnke (2025; Wisconsin-Milwaukee). Kuhnke has long been one of the top catchers in the class while be a strong athlete to pair. The senior comes into the spring off a season in which he hit .364 for the Polar Bears, and will hope to repeat some more of that success in 2025.

Uncommitted senior OF Kam Chronis (2025) put up some impressive numbers last year in which he hit .354 with 2 HRs. The RHH featured some athletic upside last summer, running a 6.99 60-yard dash last July. Chronis could have a big impact for Hortonville’s lineup this spring.

1B/INF Rashaud Kastner (2025) enters the season after being one of the most impactful bats for the Polar Bears in 2024, hitting his way into the teams top three in average (.357), RBIs (13), and hits (19). The senior will likely be a middle of the order bat for Hortonville’s lineup, with OF Jack Tennie (2026), 1B Colton Schwobe (2025; Hamline) OF Kaden Kreski (2025) and INF Griffin Jens (2025) all likely to find a spot to round out the lineup along with the aforementioned Konrad.

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BOTTOM LINE

After appearing in the State Championship game in 2023, Hortonville’s run ended in the Sectional finals in 2024. There is reason to believe that in 2025, the experienced pitching staff with plenty of talent and depth can help pave a way for another deep playoff run that the Polar Bears have found themselves playing in lately. There is plenty of talent on the opposite side of the ball that can produce for the team. If the offense can improve and continue to find more consistency at the plate, Hortonville will be a tough matchup no matter the opponent.

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Find more information on the 2025 Hortonville program below:

• Follow the Polar Bears on X: @HVille_Baseball

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