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: Old Abes
Preseason Rank: 19
Head Coach: Kyle Kaufman
WIAA Division: 1
Conference: Big Rivers
Last Year’s Record: 16-9

 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

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X-FACTOR

RHP/OF Cooper Jesperson (2025) enters the spring with helium after breaking out last fall. Returning to the mound for the Old Abes this spring, after not pitching last spring due to injury, and immediately becomes one of the top talents in the state.

Jesperson is sure to draw a crowd every time he toes the rubber. Sporting a pro-like arsenal, the fastball reaches the mid-90s with all sorts of life to pair with a slider and changeup, either secondary plays on its own and one could argue their quality surpasses the fastball.

Jesperson is no slouch with the bat either, returning as one of the top bats from last season batting .361 on the year, proving to be an asset no matter what is asked of him.

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

INF/RHP Alex Johsnon (2027) is an athletic sophomore with upside that has a chance to impact the varsity roster at some point this season. Johnson was a winner over the winter, showing a budding two-way skillset.

At the plate, the right-handed hitter is a handsy hitter with advanced bat-to-ball traits with some feel for the barrel, while showing to be a steady defender in the infield.

On the mound, Johnson is an easy and fluid mover with arm speed. Johnson’s fastball has reached 84 mph in our recent looks playing with life out of the hand, while showing feel for two secondary pitches. A tight and late breaking slider that he lands in the zone, and a heavy fading changeup that he throws out of the same window.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Returning the majority of the lineup and performers on the mound, while inserting Jesperson at the top of the rotation the Old Abes are poised for another strong season and should make a push to the top of the conference.

On the mound, RHP Brady Johnson (2025, Wisconsin-Eau Claire) returns as the top arm from last season. The athletic 6-foot-1 right-hander has shown steady improvements across each look while flashing feel for three pitches.

Behind the two at the top of the rotation, INF/RHP Logan Zinsmaster (2025, Wisconsin-Superior) and OF/RHP Grant Lokken (2025, Southeastern CC) provide experience on the mound paired with the aforementioned Johnson if he earns his way onto the roster this spring.

The lineup returns 75% of their at-bats from last season and have a strong core of seniors with multiple years of varsity experience leading the way. Lokken returns as the top bat, hitting .386 last year while being named to First Team All-Conference as a junior.

Behind Lokken are seniors C Jack Harris (2025), INF Blake Bugher (2025, Milwaukee Area Tech JC) and OF David Ankeny (2025) to pair with both Lokken and Jesperson in the lineup.

The Old Abes have a number of juniors that could also step up this season after performing well as sophomores including, OF Ian Bauer (2026) and OF Ben Strayer (2026) each earning valuable experience last season with Bauer performing well as a left handed hitter in the lineup batting .309 last season.

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BOTTOM LINE

After winning 16-games last season without their most talented arm available for them on the mound is an impressive feat for what was a young team. Heading into this spring The Old Abes are healthy and more experienced from last season with a true ace on the roster.

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Find more information on the 2025 Eau Claire Memorial program below:

• Follow the Old Abes on X: @oldabebaseball

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