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: Menasha Bluejays
Preseason Rank: 22
Head Coach: Nick Carlson
WIAA Division: 1
Conference: Bay
2023 Record (Finish): 17-7 (Lost in Regional Final)
Key Players Lost: AJ Korth (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), and Lane Boucher (Wisconsin-Stevens Point).

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ROSTER PREVIEW

Team Strengths: Experience, depth, pitching and core group of seniors have been playing together in school and travel ball since 12 years old.
No. of Returning Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5

NAME	STATE	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
Quinn Ludvigsen	WI	2024	LHP/1B	Minnesota State
Ty Carlson	WI	2024	SS	Madison JC
Ian Dohms	WI	2024	RHP	Coastal Alabama-South CC
Bryce Duszak	WI	2024	C	Tallahassee CC
Nathan Kurland	WI	2024	DH	-
Jake Osentoski	WI	2025	OF	-
Owen Aykens	WI	2025	UTL	-
Jacob Coopman	WI	2026	LHP/OF	-
Paul Schmolinske	WI	2027	RHP	-

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X-FACTOR

+ LHP/1B Quinn Ludvigsen (2024; Minnesota State commit) is a two-way prospect who has thrived on the varsity stage for Menasha, and is looking to do the same in 2024. Standing at an athletic 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, Ludvigsen is a smooth-mover on the infield and showed some pop at the plate over the summer. The left-handed hitter uses his long limbs to extend at the plate—allowing him to spray line drives to all parts of the field. Ludvigsen has also put up quality work on the mound as well. While he isn’t quite overpowering with velocity, Ludvigsen uses deception and his ability to consistently throw strikes to navigate opposing lineups. The Bluejays will need Ludvigsen to continue to elevate his two-way play in order to take the next step in the playoffs and beyond in 2024.

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

+ LHP/OF Jacob Coopman (2026) is listed at No. 26 in Wisconsin’s 2026 rankings entering the spring season, and has shown well in prior looks over the summer and most recent winter. Coopman is a projectable athlete standing at 6-foot-1, 164-pounds, and got up to 83 mph at the Green Bay Preseason ID less than a month ago. With a four-pitch mix, Coopman presented a varsity level arsenal in front of our staff, and took advantage of his time down at The Rock—commanding the strike zone while leading his travel team to victory. The left-hander is a mature competitor and continues to trend up as a prospect. He can also handle the bat and defend as well, and will look to get some time for Menasha in the outfield after posting an 87 mph velocity from the position in Green Bay this past winter. With average exit velocities ranging in the mid-80s, Coopman is primed for a strong sophomore campaign for the Bluejays.

Jacob Coopman (10/21/23)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Menasha enters 2024 with one of the strongest top of the orders the state of Wisconsin has to offer. In addition to the production of Ludvigsen, SS Ty Carlson (2024; Madison JC) will continue to take on the leadoff spot for the Bluejays after hitting .300 last year. Carlson is an athletic mover both at the plate and on defense, listed at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds. With quality speed and mature fundamentals, Carlson will emerge as one of the top players in the conference after earning First Team All-Bay last season.

The ace of the pitching staff is RHP Ian Dohms (2024; Coastal Alabama-South CC), who is coming off of a 5-1 season for the Bluejays in 2023. After that strong spring campaign, Dohms earned an invite to the Top Prospect Games in Milwaukee. It was there where Dohms reached 85 mph with the fastball—showcasing a strong four-pitch arsenal at the event. The right-hander will also be a key piece in the lineup for the Bluejays, too.

Ian Dohms (7/11/23)

Dohms, Ludvigsen and Coopman will be caught by C Bryce Duszak (2024; Tallahassee CC), a seasoned veteran who will man the plate for one last season as a part of Menasha’s program. Duszak is a strong right-handed bat with a powerful swing—posting exit velocities in the upper-80s to low-90s in the fall of 2022 at the Southern Wisconsin Open. Duszak returns in 2024 as one of the top catchers in the conference, as the senior hit .390 in his junior season—the highest average amongst returning players.

DH Nathan Kurland (2024) was a positive contributor for Menasha last year—hitting .310. He will assume a spot in the middle of the order as a big bat for the Bluejays—contributing to their team depth. OF Jake Osentoski (2025) and UTL Owen Aykens (2025) are a pair of juniors who will take on bigger roles in 2024, and round out this lineup. Osentoski just made an appearance at the Madison Preseason ID—putting together a solid round of BP at the event.

Finally, RHP/OF Paul Schmolinske (2027) is an intriguing prospect to follow in his freshman season, as the right-hander may see some innings on the mound for the Bluejays, gaining valuable experience on the varsity stage early on in his prep career. Most recently, Schmolinske was up to 81 mph at the Madison Preseason ID with a true three-pitch mix. 

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BOTTOM LINE

+ Veteran teams have found success in the WIAA in years prior, especially leading up to the state tournament in June. Menasha has the experience and skill set to match some of the success Whitefish Bay, Hortonville, Denmark and others enjoyed this past season. With a strong pitching staff and a multitude of depth both defensively and offensively, head coach Nick Carlson and the Bluejays have the formula to make a run in 2024. They will be challenged by the likes of Xavier, West De Pere and others in the Bay Conference, but have the personnel to take the next step and become a force in northeast Wisconsin. The Bluejays kick off their season Apr. 2 against conference foe Green Bay East/West.

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Find more information on the 2024 Menasha program below:

• Follow the Bluejays on X: @MenashaBase

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