Prep Baseball Report

Wisconsin 2025 Rankings: Risers


Wisconsin Staff

The Prep Baseball Wisconsin staff is continuing its release of the newest update to the 2025 rankings with our risers from the top-100, below—taking in scouting notes, highlights and videos from the past couple of months at both showcases and tournaments.

Check out our story from yesterday, featuring the top of the 2025 unit in the Badger State. Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the week.

+ VIEW PREP BASEBALL WISCONSIN’S 2025 RANKING LIST HERE


RISERS IN THE TOP-100

+ LHP Aaron Ploszay (Holmen, 2025; uncommitted) slots in at No. 26 after putting together another strong spring and summer on the circuit, presenting himself in an athletic, projectable 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. At the end of the winter, the left-hander rushed his FB up to 88 mph at the Prep Baseball Minnesota Twin Cities Preseason ID—going on to earn MVC Pitcher of the Year in the spring. Ploszay fills the strike zone at an efficient rate—keeping hitters off balance with the help of a true three-pitch mix. The to-be senior lands an upper-60s CB for strikes, in addition to mixing in a mid-70s CH in the process. Ploszay provided numerous upside looks throughout the past couple of months—emerging as one of the top risers in our newest update.

+ RHP Charlie Slawinski (Brookfield East, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/30/24]: “...was one of the more impressive arms, working 84-86 mph with heavy run and some sink while working consistently to both sides of the plate. It’s a smooth arm path into a ¾ slot, landing slightly closed toward home plate. The Brookfield East-product also showed a slider at 72-75 mph and changeup at 80 mph. Slawinski is a quality arm who’s quite effective when working down in the zone.”

+ OF Jackson Neilitz (Plymouth, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/30/24]: “...features one of the top skill sets in Wisconsin’s 2025 class, and was more of the same throughout this event, especially at the plate in a mature 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame. The uncommitted prospect first ran a 6.77-second 60-yard dash, showcasing his athleticism and speed. Neilitz was up to 85 mph from the outfield in a clean arm motion, with more room to add. The right-handed hitter maxed out at 97 mph in EV, continuing to produce in live action in front of our staff. Neilitz provided a strong barrel in gameplay—demonstrating his steady consistency at the plate throughout 2024. Features quick hands and a whippy barrel—driving baseballs to the gaps. Continues to establish himself as a top uncommitted prospect in the Badger State’s to-be senior class.”

+ C Connor Harvie (Waterford Union, 2025; Wisconsin-Milwaukee commit) moves up to No. 37 in our newest update after enjoying a strong summer in multiple tournament appearances, showcasing easy power at the plate in a 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame. Harvie has a clean, flat swing with the ability to elevate the baseball. The right-handed hitter launched multiple home runs at The Rock this past summer, demonstrating his strength and power to the pull-side. Behind the dish, Harvie is an athletic mover who flashed a couple of pop times below the 2-second mark back in the winter. Harvie has a strong arm that was up to 76 mph in March—continuing to improve as he enjoyed a strong spring and summer. Recently, Harvie locked in his commitment to Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the fall of next year.

+ RHP Owen Dobberstein (Pewaukee, 2025; uncommitted) provided an intriguing look at The Rock over the summer, coming off of a strong spring as one of the top pitchers in Pewaukee’s rotation. The right-hander presents himself in a 6-foot-2, 191-pound frame, and is a quick mover on the mound. Dobberstein fills the strike zone consistently, staying ahead of batters in our staff’s looks. The to-be senior spins his FB and a pair of BBs at a high clip, garnering swings and misses, in addition to weak contact throughout. Dobberstein maxed out at 88 mph this summer, spinning between 2,500-2,600 RPM with his primary pitch. He followed it up with his offspeed arsenal, flipping each pitch between 2,800-2,900 RPM in live action. Each pitch is thrown for strikes in his consistent delivery, priming him for a strong senior season. Dobberstein rises to No. 43 in this update, emerging as one of the top uncommitted right-handed arms in the state’s 2025 class.

+ 1B/RHP Rocco Conrad (New Berlin West, 2025; Quincy University): Here’s a report from the Prep Baseball at The Rock 17U Summer Championships [7/1/24]: “...built, 6-foot-3, 239-pound frame, Conrad is one of the top uncommitted arms in Wisconsin and showed well Thursday morning. The right-hander was fastball-heavy sitting 86-89 mph, topping out at 90 mph. He also flashed a splitter around 78-79 mph. Conrad’s delivery is simple and repeatable, followed by quick arm action from the ¾ slot. Throughout his outing, he relied heavily on his fastball, able to pound the zone and generate whiffs and soft contact. As the summer turns over Conrad is an uncommitted name to be known in Wisconsin.”

+ OF Christian Collins (Notre Dame Academy, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Prep Baseball at The Rock 17U Summer Championships [7/1/24]: “...a name we saw earlier in the summer, and he continued to show quality actions throughout the weekend with a LHH/CF profile. At the plate, the left-handed hitter presents an athletic setup with twitchy movements throughout, utilizing a leg kick to get into a position to hit. Compact 5-foot-9, 196-pound frame with strength throughout.”

+ RHP William Baumhardt (Slinger, 2025; McHenry County JC): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...provided a solid look on the mound, finding control of the strike zone after running into trouble early on—presenting himself in a 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame. Baumhardt mixed a FB and CUT consistently throughout his outing, landing each pitch in the strike zone, as both jumped on hitters. The FB played in the mid-to-upper-80s throughout, touching 88 mph in multiple appearances after a strong summer on the tournament circuit. Baumhardt continues to show well in front of our staff with increased velocity, using a three-pitch mix to navigate opposing lineups.”

+ OF Matthew Gruber (Union Grove, 2025; uncommitted) was a recent winner from the Wisconsin State Games a couple of weeks ago, standing at a 6-foot, 173-pound frame. Gruber showcased his athleticism and power from the left side of the plate, using a simple approach with quiet hands. Gruber sprayed line drives to the gaps throughout the BP session, maxing out at an EV of 91 mph. The outfielder’s strength translated on the defensive end as well, where the left-hander threw a ball at 85 mph during the showcase session. Gruber is steady in all facets of the game, providing quality looks in the spring and summer to earn his spot at No. 51.

+ RHP Luke Hurlebaus (Waunakee, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...stands in a strong 6-foot, 186-pound frame. He showed upside on the mound with a simple, easy delivery with minimal effort down the mound. His arm path is long, loose and easy, working out of a ¾ slot, producing velocities up to 87.6 mph, but sitting mostly 83-85 mph with quality spin (avg. 2423 rpm). He mixed a hard-throwing slider at 77-82 mph with short, horizontal actions and quality spin (avg. 2340 rpm), and a change-up at 75-78 mph with mostly straight actions.”

+ INF Cole Perlberg (Chippewa Falls, 2025; Wisconsin-Whitewater): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...impressed with his overall approach at the plate during the State Games. The athletic right-handed hitter stands at 6-foot-1, 160-pounds with room to fill out the frame. What stood out with his approach was the ability to not expand the zone on tough pitches and stay committed to being patient and swinging at pitches in the zone. After running a 6.70 60 in the workout portion of the event, Perlberg’s speed translated in-game when he ran a 4.50 home to first.

+ RHP Eliot Roethle (Watertown, 2025; Bryant & Stratton CC): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: ...long, loose 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete who showed well throughout his outing at The Rock, impressing in live looks throughout the spring and summer prior to his showcase appearance. Roethle’s FB touched 87 mph with life through the zone, spinning around the 2,400-2,500 RPM range. It was more of the same with two different types of BBs, each thrown for strikes. Roethle extends and drives down the mound, using his lower half in an effective fashion to maintain his velocity. The right-hander recently committed to Bryant & Stratton CC (WI) to continue his baseball career in the fall of 2025.”

+ OF Levi Watts (Appleton North, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: ...emerged as one of the biggest winners from the two-day event, showcasing his intriguing skill set in an athletic 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame with room to add. Watts is an advanced defender in the outfield, running down multiple fly balls while reaching 87 mph with a clean arm action during the showcase portion of the event. At the plate, Watts maxed out at 335 feet for batted ball distance—flashing easy pop to the pull-side throughout BP. In gameplay, Watts was on the barrel in multiple looks, featuring quick hands and the ability to elevate the baseball. He capped off his showing with an impressive 6.74-second 60-yard dash—summarizing his athleticism and speed as a true centerfielder. Watts remains one of the top uncommitted 2025s in the state.”

+ RHP Brody Schulte (Westosha Central, 2025; uncommitted) was one of the top standouts on the mound during the spring season, carrying on that momentum throughout the summer circuit. Schulte stands at a long 6-foot-5, 176-pound frame with more room to fill as he develops. The right-hander showcased the ability to compete and get outs at a high rate, using a mid-80s (T86 mph) FB to jump on hitters. Schulte has a mature feel for a SL that he goes to consistently, garnering weak contact throughout. The uncommitted senior completes his arsenal with a deceptive CH, thrown in the upper-70s-to-low-80s. Schulte provided many upside looks in the spring and summer—landing at No. 61 in our newest update to the Badger State’s 2025 rankings.

+ RHP Sam Hoeft (Port Washington, 2025; Mount St. Mary’s) took on a heavy workload on the mound throughout the spring and summer, showcasing quality arm speed and a competitive arsenal to move him up to No. 67 in our newest update. Hoeft stands at a mature 6-foot-2, 178-pound frame, and recently earned him commitment to Mount St. Mary’s. The right-hander’s FB has played in the mid-to-upper-80s throughout, as Hoeft has shown the ability to get outs consistently with the pitch. His three-pitch mix caught eyes during the winter, all while performing well for the rest of 2024. Hoeft will be an intriguing follow into his senior year and beyond on the bump.

+ C Calvin Hurtgen (Watertown, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...really impressed with the bat at the Wisconsin State Games. The athletic 5-foot-10, 163-pound backstop was on the barrel from the right side of the plate. He has a level swing paired with easy foot speed out of the box posting a 4.60 home to first time. Hurtgen also showed a high motor out of the crouch, paired with a strong arm that topped out at 83 mph during the workout portion of the event.”

+ RHP/INF Nolan Meis (Lakeside Lutheran, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...provided an intriguing two-way look throughout the weekend, first posting a max EV of 95 mph during the BP portion of the event. On the mound, the right-hander continued to fill the strike zone after a complete game showing earlier in the summer. Meis drives down the mound and has a mature feel for a BB, used often in plus counts. The FB played in the mid-80s throughout, maxing out at 87 mph during live action. Meis is a competitor and strike-thrower, emerging as a rising uncommitted two-way prospect in Wisconsin’s 2025 class.”

+ OF Jacob Hurtgen (Watertown, 2025; uncommitted) presents himself at an athletic 5-foot-10, 166-pound frame, showing well in tournament appearances and at the Wisconsin State Games to rise up to No. 79 in Wisconsin’s 2025 rankings. Hurtgen showcased his speed in the showcase setting, running a 6.85-second 60-yard dash. It translates to his work in CF, as the defender has a strong, accurate arm that’s paired with range and the ability to track down fly balls. Hurtgen is confident at the plate, spraying line drives to the opposite field—splitting the gaps in numerous looks. The left-handed hitter has a mature feel for the barrel, consistently putting together competitive at bats at the top of the lineup.

+ OF Bennett Cagle (Edgewood, 2025; Missouri-St. Louis): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...stands in a hard-to-miss 6-foot-3, 186-pound frame with strength still to come. From the right-side of the plate, Cagle displayed a relaxed look in the box, barreling multiple balls in-game, and he recorded a 4.44 run time down the line. He posted some big metrics during the showcase, including a 97.1 mph max exit velocity, 87.1 mph average exit velocity and a max batted distance of 349 feet. His BLAST metrics were intriguing, too, as his average bat speed was 73.9 mph (T77.9 mph).”

+ INF Gavin Wesling (Clinton, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...put together one of the most electric rounds of BP to kick off the showcase day of the event, presenting himself in an athletic 6-foot-2, 193-pound frame. The right-handed hitter posted a max 104 mph EV, launching multiple home runs during the BP session. He finished with a max batted ball distance of 368 feet—showcasing easy power to the pull-side. Wesling showed well on the mound, too, in live action, producing fastballs in the 81-83 mph range. He also mixed in a slider that had short bite, sitting mostly 74-76 mph. It’s a low-effort delivery with a clean and quick arm out of a ¾ slot.”

+ LHP Trevor Brouette (Portage, 2025; uncommitted): Here’s a report from the Wisconsin State Games [7/31/24]: “...strong 6-foot, 220-pound left-handed pitcher that has feel for the zone. Two-pitch mix, ran his fastball up to 86 mph clean out of the hand with spin up to 2,325 RPMs on average. Brouette went to his mid-to-upper-70s curveball often that he throws out of the same window as the fastball with 2,303 RPMs on average. Brouette routinely competes in the zone with both pitches.”

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