The Wisconsin high school baseball season kicks off on March 31, opening day for regular season action under WIAA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we'll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2026 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball Wisconsin Preseason Power 25 Rankings. Perennially, we've submitted a preseason questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we're using the detailed insight they've provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2026 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Appleton North Lightning
Preseason Rank: No. 17
Head Coach: Gustave Maves
WIAA Division: 1
Conference: Fox Valley Association
2025 Record (Finish): 17-8 (regional champions)

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Players: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4

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DATA CENTER

TEAM RANKS:

This data is sourced from the 2026 Wisconsin winter showcase circuit and select 2025 events, compiled by Prep Baseball. We took the top-three metrics recorded by players from each high school in the following categories. Here is how Appleton North's top-three performers averaged across each category:

Category	Top-3 Avg.	State Rank	Out of
Avg. Exit Velocity	89.9 mph	No. 24	of 102
Max Exit Velocity	99.3 mph	T-No. 11	of 102
Max FB Velocity	89.3 mph	T-No. 2	of 70

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Aedan Waterstreet (6-foot-2, 188 pounds)
  
  • max EV: 103.0 mph (T-No. 20 overall in Wisconsin)
  • avg EV: 89.4 mph (85th state percentile)
  • bat speed: 70.9 mph (81st state percentile)
  • max fastball: 88.0 mph (90th state percentile)
  • FB spin: 2,201 rpm (86th state percentile)
  • SL spin: 2,323 rpm (No. 23 in state's 2027 class)
• Aidan Steffes (6-foot-1, 224 pounds)
  
  • max fastball: 86 mph (T-No. 21 in state's 2028 class)
  • FB spin: 2,224 rpm (87th state percentile)
• Colin Reddy (6-foot, 180 pounds)
  
  • max fastball: 86.5 mph (84th state percentile)
  • SL spin: 2,303 rpm (79th state percentile)
• Matthew Hietpas (5-foot-10, 181 pounds)
  
  • max fastball: 90 mph (T-No. 19 overall in Wisconsin)
• Jackson Skorr (6-foot-1, 171 pounds)
  
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.98s (85th state percentile)
• Owen Reuland (6-foot, 194 pounds)
  
  • max EV: 97.0 mph (84th state percentile)
  • avg EV: 89.4 mph (85th state percentile)
  • max fastball: 90 mph (T-No. 19 overall in Wisconsin)
  • vert. jump: 26.3 in (93rd state percentile)
• Teegan Karpinske (5-foot-11, 185 pounds)
  
  • vert. jump: 25.8 in (91st state percentile)

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X-FACTOR

RHP/INF Owen Reuland (2027; uncommitted) is a key returning two-way and an impact arm at the top of the rotation for the Lightning looking to build off of his past successes. Currently ranked No. 67 in the state, the uncommitted junior will be an important piece of the puzzle for this Lightning squad leading the pitching staff and as a middle of the order bat. Following an impressive performance as a participant at the Wisconsin State Games this past summer, also reaching a peak fastball velocity of 90 MPH with feel for a cutter and two off-speed pitches to pair during the winter showcase circuit, Reuland will be a big key to the Lightning’s success this upcoming season. 

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

RHP/1B Aedan Waterstreet (2027; Central Michigan commit) currently ranked No. 25 in the state, will look to be a key two-way performer for the Lightning this upcoming season. Following a sophomore campaign in which he didn’t see a lot of time on varsity, Waterstreet made a name for himself as a member of Team Wisconsin at the Future Games this past summer, and announced his commitment to Central Michigan shortly following the event. Up to 88.2 MPH on the mound, and acheiving a peak exit velocity of 103 MPH at the recent Green Bay Preseason ID, Waterstreet will look to provide quality innings on the mound to pair with middle of the lineup potential. 

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The senior class brings capable contributors on both sides of the ball. OF/1B Jackson Skorr (2026; Rock Valley JC) is the one of the faster players on the roster, posting a 6.98-second 60-yard dash and he routinely gets to that type of speed in game both defensively and on the bases as well as plays in any lineup. 3B/1B Teegan Karpinske (2026; North Iowa Area CC) brings physicality and explosiveness, ranking in the 91st state percentile in vertical jump and checking in at T-No. 18 in the 2026 class in that category. RHP/3B Colin Reddy (2026) has been a steady two-way presence for the lightning for sometime bringing a quality arsenal with feel on the mound as well as a well-rounded offensive and defensive skillset. C/3B Brennan Otto (2026) and OF/LHP Thomas Carew (2026) round out a senior group that will be counted on for leadership as much as production.

One of the most important pieces to this senior class has been MIF/RHP Matthew Hietpas (2026; Winona State) who has been a standout on both sides off the ball. An injury had seen him miss some time last spring, however the senior is a competitor that has pitched the majority of the big games throughtout his prep career while being a key cog inside the lineup. Looking to put a stamp on a successful prep career the right-handed two-way could be used in a number of roles this spring.

The underclass depth behind the senior group is where Appleton North's longer-term outlook becomes genuinely exciting, but that youth also represents the program's primary development challenge in 2026. RHP/3B Aidan Steffes (2028) is a physically imposing freshman at 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, and his showcase numbers back up the frame: a bat speed of 71.6 mph grades in the 85th state percentile and 87th percentile within the 2028 class, and his 86.0-mph fastball and 2224-rpm spin rate each crack the top 21 in Wisconsin's freshman class. SS/RHP Grayson Manteufel (2028) is another freshman learning the demands of varsity competition at 5-foot-9, 138 pounds, and he has already logged measurable slider spin of 2127 rpm on the showcase circuit. Translating those individual metrics into consistent team production will be the central task for Appleton North as the season unfolds, but the raw talent is evident across a roster that ranked T-No. 11 in the state in max exit velocity at 99.3 mph among 102 programs. Another potential impactful underclassman MIF/RHP Caleb Reuland (2029) is another up-and-coming prospect for the Lightning to watch, if not this year but in the coming years, the freshman has shown feel to pair with aan advanced set of tools for someone his age.

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BOTTOM LINE

Appleton North has the pitching infrastructure, headlined by Waterstreet and Reuland, to be genuinely dangerous in the Fox Valley and beyond. If the senior class delivers on its collective athletic profile and the underclassmen accelerate their development, the Lightning have the tools to make some noise in 2026.

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Find more information on the 2026 Appleton North program below:

+ Follow them on social media @ANorth_Baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Wisconsin Preseason Power 25 homepage

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POWER 25 COUNTDOWN