After a couple weeks of poor weather in the state of Wisconsin, WIAA Baseball enjoyed nearly a full slate of action in Week 3—leading the Prep Baseball Wisconsin staff to create our first update to the Power 25 rankings in 2024. There proved to be many upsets and other teams finding their rhythm early on throughout the many games—resulting in multiple changes to rankings in a large update this week. 

We’ll be breaking down a majority of the Power 25 today, including numerous risers and newcomers to the first update as we enter Week 4 of the season. 

AT THE TOP

+ No. 1 Oak Creek (4-0): The Knights were nearly flawless in their first four games of the 2024 season, as they finished 4-0 this week with three wins over Kenosha Bradford (21-1, 14-0, 11-1) and a non-conference victory against Sussex Hamilton (10-2). Oak Creek has received production in all facets of the game, starting with their production on offense. The No. 1 team in the land took advantage of the long ball this past week, as OF Cade Palkowski (2024; uncommitted), RHP/INF Payten Jibben (2024; Illinois-Chicago commit) and CIF Reece Doyle (2024) all homered in their win on Wednesday. Jibben struck out six batters in two frames in his first outing of 2024—following up that performance with 5.1 innings of work on Saturday where he punched out seven batters against the Chargers. INF CJ Trask (2024; Bradley), among others, got off on the right foot this past week for the Knights, as they now look to battle against Racine Horlick three times this week to continue Southeast Conference play.

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RISING IN THE TOP-10

+ No. 2 Monona Grove (4-1): The Silver Eagles jumped three spots to take over at No. 2 after sweeping Oregon (12-1, 5-1), coming off of a successful road trip to Tennessee in the week prior. INF/RHP Calvin Moreau (2026) has been the catalyst for Monona Grove, as he earned Prep Baseball Wisconsin’s Player of the Week honors for his work in the Volunteer State—batting .714 in 11 at bats while launching a game-winning home run in that time. Moreau also notched a win on the mound against the Panthers this past week—twirling five innings of one-run ball while striking out eight. INF/RHP Noah Schaller (2025) and INF Dom Najacht (2025) have helped out on the offensive end as well. RHP/INF Kaden Connor (2025; Xavier) has got the job done on both ends of the ball for Monona Grove—including a six-strikeout performance in their run-rule win over Oregon. The Silver Eagles take on Waunakee twice this week.

+ No. 3 Kimberly (4-0): The Papermakers got some major production out of their star players to finish 4-0 this past week—taking down Appleton East (5-0), Appleton North (9-2) and Burlington twice (9-2, 6-2). RHP/INF Sawyer Deering (2025; Tennessee) has been electric to start for Kimberly, but it’s been at the plate where he has made the most noise. The right-handed batter has been known for his power in the past, but Deering has hit three home runs already this season to help guide this team to victories. Deering got up on the mound against Appleton East and struck out 11 batters in five innings. C Brady Coons (2024; Concordia (WI)) has also been productive at the plate—joining Deering in the home run club with one of his own against the Demons in a Saturday doubleheader. LHP Brady Koester (2024; Notre Dame) and RHP Connor Olson (2025) combined to shut down the Lightning as well. The pitching staff for the Papermakers has only allowed six runs in four games to a couple of quality opponents, as they rise three spots to slot in at No. 3 in our first update. 

+ No. 4 Arrowhead (4-0): The Warhawks received a no-hitter from RHP Brayden Ramus (2024; Wisconsin-River Falls) to cap off a solid week for a team that struggled to just get games played early on this season. Arrowhead defeated Wisconsin Lutheran 5-3 over the week, as RHP Nolan Buss (2024; Kansas State) was effective as a starter before handing the ball off to RHP/INF Cameron Carter (2026), who is off to a quality start this season. Carter notched the save and drove in three of his teammates at the plate to secure a big win for the Warhawks early on this season. OF Yamato Takahashi (2025) and INF/RHP Graiden Liethen (2025) are both out to quick starts at the plate for Arrowhead in 2024—flexing their offensive prowess in a game against Milwaukee King where they combined for seven hits. The pitching staff has put the Warhawks in a solid position for success in 2024, as the offense continues to manufacture and produce runs at a consistent rate.  

+ No. 5 Sun Prairie East (5-0): The Cardinals are off to another hot start in 2024, taking down Janesville Craig (5-4, 11-2) and Janesville Parker (13-3, 15-2) twice over the past two weeks, all while earning a dramatic win over their crosstown rival in Sun Prairie West (1-0) to cap off an impressive stretch. RHP Drew Kavanaugh (2024) has been a workhorse for Sun Prairie East early on this season, as he tossed a complete game shutout against the pesky Wolves—striking out six batters while only allowing two hits. He also drove in the lone run of the game—illustrating the production he has put forth early on in 2024. RHP Brady Stelzer (2025) has been a nice complement on the pitching staff as well—earning the 11-2 win over the Cougars in five innings of work. Offensively, contributions seem to be coming from everywhere for the Cardinals. INF Max Glusick (2025), OF John Hadley (2024; Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and INF Isaac Wendler (2024) have all gotten out to nice starts to kick off the season. Sun Prairie East will look to maintain this momentum against Madison West and Sun Prairie West again this week.

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QUICK STARTS

+ No. 12 Mosinee (6-1): The Indians defeated their rivals in Medford (11-3, 11-1) twice this past week before taking down Kaukauna (5-0) in a non-conference matchup on Saturday. With only one loss on their resume coming from an out-of-state opponent, Mosinee rose to No. 12 in our newest update before traveling south to be a part of the Prep Baseball Wisconsin Invitational at The Rock this upcoming weekend. INF/RHP Keagen Jirschele (2024; South Dakota State) has done it all for the Indians early on. The senior hit a home run on the first pitch of Tuesday’s game against the Raiders to set the tone, as Mosinee never trailed in that one. INF Brady Lokken (2025) and C Gavin Obremski (2024; Rock Valley JC) each contributed to the offensive output as well—including a home run from Obremski in their game on Monday. Surrounding pieces and role players in the Mosinee program have continued to step up—adding on to the depth of this unit.

+ No. 13 Pewaukee (8-0): The Pirates enter Week 4 with the most wins in the state by a large margin—finishing up three weeks of play with a flawless 8-0 record. The offense for Pewaukee has been quite noteworthy—garnering a jump to No. 13 in our newest update. INF/RHP Greyson Zach (2025; Minnesota) has been leading the way in that department, as he has consistently produced extra base hits from the leadoff spot for the Pirates—including a home run against Cudahy in their most recent win. RHP Owen Dobberstein (2025) continues to elevate his work on the mound after a strong 2023—tying the school record for strikeouts in a game with 16 against West Allis Central. RHP/1B Ryan Sopha (2024) has already tallied multiple home runs this season—launching a ball out of the University of Iowa’s stadium against Altoona in a big matchup. OF Drew Dobberstein (2025), C Jackson Servais (2025) and others continue to produce in this lineup for Pewaukee, as they enter more conference play this upcoming week.

+ No. 14 Stevens Point Area (6-0): The Panthers have received major production from their arms on the mound—most of which coming from LHP Noah Marschke (2024; Madison JC) and RHP Ty Rechner (2024; Wisconsin-Stevens Point). Marschke was dominant in two starts against D.C. Everest and Watertown over the course of this past week—striking out a combined 18 batters in 12 innings while scattering five hits and allowing zero runs. Rechner is more of the same from the right side—tossing a complete game against the Evergreens in their second matchup of the season. Throughout the six games played, Stevens Point is out-scoring their opponents 48-2, all of which are members of the Division 1 field of competition. OF Braylen Nystrom (2024; Wisconsin-Stevens Point) has led the way on the offensive end—emerging as a force in the middle of their lineup. Results seem to be trending in a positive direction for the Panthers, as they jump 11 spots to No. 14 after coming off of an elite 2023 season. 

NEWCOMERS

+ No. 10 Menomonee Falls (4-2): The Phoenix are off to a similar start as the one they got to last season—remaining undefeated in WIAA play early on this year. Menomonee Falls took down ranked opponents in Homestead (2-1) and Germantown (5-0) with the help of two of their arms who have emerged as follows for the spring: RHP’s Jayden Forbes (2025) and Cail Geiger (2026). Forbes shut down a strong Highlanders’ lineup to just one run—earning multiple swings and misses with his arsenal. Geiger was more of the same, as the sophomore has developed into a competitive pitcher who has proven to get outs on the varsity level in his first year on the big stage. OF Jordan Hedrick (2024) and C Wilson Kershner (2024) are a pair of seniors who have sparked the lineup toward the top half of the order. INF Henry Lynde (2025) has continued to find his rhythm as their new leadoff hitter, as this unit most recently defeated Nicolet 13-3 to improve to 4-0 in Wisconsin. The challenges don’t end for the Phoenix, as they take on Wauwatosa East, Sussex Hamilton and No. 16 ranked Brookfield Central for conference play this week.

+ No. 19 Hartford Union (5-0): The Orioles have put together one of the more intriguing resumes in the state—defeating then No. 2 ranked Kettle Moraine (4-2), Kettle Moraine Lutheran (4-3) and three conference opponents to kick off their 2024 campaign. The pitching staff has performed as advertised—allowing their program to debut at No. 19 in the updated Power 25 rankings. RHP Braycen Burg (2024; Madison JC) has been solid for Hartford Union, as they have used him and RHP Brandon Pohl (2024) to defeat the Lasers a couple of weeks ago. Pohl struck out eight batters in a complete game effort against Nicolet, as the Orioles secured a 1-0 victory. RHP/INF Carter Kutz (2025; Nebraska) notched a win over Whitefish Bay, where he punched out nine batters in 6.1 innings to hadn the Blue Dukes their first loss of 2024. His bat, along with the production from OF RJ Thomae (2024; Valparaiso) and INF Aidan Kolb (2026), has allowed this offense to give their arms just enough support to win close ballgames. They take on No. 15 Homestead later on tonight, and continue conference play throughout the rest of the week.  

+ No. 23 Westosha Central (7-0): The Falcons have gotten off to a blazing start in 2024—including big wins against previously No. 3 ranked Union Grove (7-1, 8-1) throughout the course of this past week. They earned a spot at No. 23 for their debut behind the performances of RHP Brody Schulte (2025) and LHP Joseph Suokko (2025). Each arm tallied a victory over the Broncos, as our staff was able to catch them early on in the season in their 2-1 win against Racine Case. OF Carson Sieler (2025) was a force at the plate for Westosha Central—including a 3-for-3 performance against Union Grove in their 8-1 win, finishing with four RBIs. Team efforts seem to be the formula for the Falcons though, demonstrated in live action when they finished their week with a 15-5 victory against Kenosha St. Joseph—accumulating 13 hits as a program. Westosha Central takes on Wilmot twice this week, with a non-conference battle with Racine St. Catherine’s on Wednesday. 

+ No. 24 Madison Memorial (5-0): The Spartans have put some quality performances together to earn a spot at No. 24 in our newest update, defeating two Madison area teams, Beaver Dam (11-5) and Sun Prairie West twice (5-0, 5-4). RHP/INF Caleb Liggon (2026) has made a large impact for the Spartans both at the plate and on the mound in his first season at Madison Memorial. The sophomore earned a win on the mound in their 5-4 victory over the Wolves, and finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. OF Brayden Banyai (2026) has found a home toward the top of the order for the Spartans—producing at a consistent rate. RHP Cashton Jones (2024; Edgewood College) has been huge for this group, as he is already 2-0 on the season with two complete games after struggling a bit against the Golden Beavers. Jones tossed a no-hitter against Sun Prairie West and maintained that momentum to dominate a Middleton team that defeated Bay Port earlier this season and is coming off of a state appearance in 2023. 

FALLING

+ No. 21 Kettle Moraine (3-3)
+ No. 25 Union Grove (3-4)

DROPPING OUT

+ Menasha (2-1)
+ Franklin (3-1)
+ Mukwonago (2-2)
+ Denmark (3-2)

BUBBLE TEAMS

+ Altoona (5-1)
+ Badger (5-0)
+ Beaver Dam (3-2)
+ Denmark (3-2)
+ Elkhorn Area (3-1)
+ Franklin (3-1)
+ Indian Trail (5-1)
+ Manitowoc Lincoln (6-0)
+ Menasha (2-1)
+ Mukwonago (2-2)
+ Slinger (4-0)
+ Tremper (4-0)
+ Verona Area (4-0)
+ West Bend East (6-2)
+ Wrightstown (5-0)

PREP BASEBALL WISCONSIN PODCAST

Check out the weekly breakdown of all the action from this past week in the WIAA, including an appearance from head coach of Medford High School, Justin Hraby, and his son, RHP/INF Tanner Hraby (2024; Wisconsin-River Falls), in an interview. 

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