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: Hudson Raiders
Preseason Rank: No. 2
Head Coach: Brent Blegen
WIAA Division: 1
Conference: Big Rivers
2025 Record (Finish): 22-7 (conference co-champions; sectional champions)
Key Players Lost: Bennett Brathol, Mitchell Anderson, Nick Hirsch, Silas Heisler

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Players: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Team Strengths: Returning experience, up-the-middle athletes, starting pitching, game power.

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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 Hudson's top-three performers averaged across each category:

Category	Top-3 Avg.	State Rank	Out of
Avg. Exit Velocity	95.7 mph	No. 1	of 102
Max Exit Velocity	103.3 mph	No. 1	of 102
Bat Speed	73.3 mph	No. 9	of 102
Top 60-Yard	6.83 s	No. 3	of 102

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Jace Mataczynski (6-foot-4, 194 pounds)
  
  • max EV: 105.0 mph (T-No. 7 overall in Wisconsin)
  • avg EV: 95.3 mph (No. 22 overall in Wisconsin)
  • bat speed: 70.8 mph (81st state percentile)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.69s (T-No. 23 overall in Wisconsin)
• Logan Hagman (6-foot, 192 pounds)
  
  • max EV: 105.0 mph (T-No. 11 overall in Wisconsin)
  • avg EV: 99.7 mph (No. 3 overall in Wisconsin)
  • bat speed: 74.8 mph (96th state percentile)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.79s (95th state percentile)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.57s (No. 5 overall in Wisconsin)
  • vert. jump: 30.6 in (No. 4 overall in Wisconsin)
• Mark Susa (6-foot-3, 191 pounds)
  
  • max fastball: 89.0 mph (93rd state percentile)
  • avg EV: 89.3 mph (85th state percentile)
  • bat speed: 72.0 mph (87th state percentile)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.64s (90th state percentile)
• Sam Manchester (5-foot-11, 164 pounds)
  
  • max EV: 100.0 mph (93rd state percentile)
  • avg EV: 92.1 mph (93rd state percentile)
  • bat speed: 73.1 mph (91st state percentile)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.68s (No. 22 overall in Wisconsin)

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X-FACTOR

SS/RHP Jace Mataczynski (2026, Auburn signee) is entering the spring looking to put a stamp on his varsity career. Capable of providing true difference-making plays in the infield as a defender while also returning as one of the top-performing players at the plate last spring. The middle-infielder built off his spring into a strong summer/fall circuit that put him on the MLB Draft radar and will anchor down this deep and impactful Hudson lineup.

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

OF Tyler Beaulieu (2028), while the role remains unclear, is an athletic outfielder with twitchy actions both defensively and at the plate that look to only improve as he matures into his frame. Capable of providing quality or better defense in the outfield and potentially even center field if needed.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Hudson carried itself into the 2025 postseason on the strength of a 22-7 record and made a state tournament run before falling in the quarterfinals, a finish that left a clear motivational imprint on a program now returning the bulk of its core. Five position players and four pitchers are back from that squad, and head coach Brent Blegen is not shy about his expectations.

"We're really excited about this year," Blegen said. "We are fortunate to have a bunch of talent returning from last year and have the experience to make another run in 2026."

That combination of production, experience, and unfinished business gives the Raiders a genuine foundation to build on as opening day approaches.

The offensive engine runs through the middle of the diamond, and SS Jace Mataczynski (2026; Auburn) is the headliner. The Auburn signee slashed .432/.500/.800 with 30 RBI, four home runs, and seven triples in 2025, operating as one of the most complete hitters in the state and a genuine Player of the Year front-runner. Flanking him up the middle, C/OF Logan Hagman (2027; Minnesota) has been one of the best hitters in the state as both a freshman and a sophomore, hitting .376 with three home runs, 15 doubles, and 21 RBI while posting a perfect stolen base mark in 29 games last year. The Minnesota commit is expected to anchor the lineup and the defensive core behind the plate well into his junior season. OF Sam Manchester (2026; Bryant & Stratton JC) rounds out that up-the-middle athletic core, contributing .299 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in 2025. His fast and strong left-handed swing gives Hudson three of the loudest bats in the middle of any lineup in Wisconsin. The Raiders were a team that scored 196 runs last spring, and the primary engines of that production are back.

On the mound, Hudson returns a four-man rotation that gives Blegen real flexibility. LHP/1B Mark Susa (2027) is the projected go-to starter after posting a 3.06 ERA across 52.2 innings pitched last season, striking out 62 batters and walking 34, looking like a new and improved version of himself this winter. INF/RHP Sam Abrahamson (2026; St. Thomas) slots in as another rotation piece who also brings a .381 average and 18 RBIs at the plate, making him one of the more versatile pieces on the roster. He didn't pitch in 2025, but he's healthy enough to project inside the rotation this season, and that's a huge boost to Hudson's chance. RHP Myles Howe (2026) and LHP/OF Bergen Aune (2026) round out the staff as more than just depth pieces. Howe showed well in 23.2 innings in 2025, finishing with a 0.89 ERA, while Aune gained valuable varsity experience that should translate into a larger role this spring, looking like a high-follow senior at last summer's Wisconsin State Games. The depth here is substantial, and Blegen identifies starting pitching as one of the team's clearest strengths entering the season. Not to mention, star senior Mataczynski has one of the most electric arms in the state that can be weaponized from the bullpen at times, too – it's low-90s with a biting, hard-breaking ball to pair.

The primary production to replace comes from four departed seniors. Bennett Brathol, who hit .322 with 25 RBI and logged innings across the infield and pitching staff, is gone, as is Silas Heisler, who contributed .302 with 22 RBI and made appearances on the mound. Mitchell Anderson went 7-2 with a 1.75 ERA in 52 innings, and his departure, as well as Nick Hirsch's, amount to significant pitching losses the program must absorb. Blegen acknowledges that corner infield and corner outfield defense will require some navigation, with newcomers potentially filling those spots. But the Raiders return enough proven production in the lineup and rotation that the transition figures to be manageable, and a group of promising underclassmen, including sophomores Tyler Beaulieu, Kameron Gruening and Calvin Johnson, add further depth to what is already a talented group.

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BOTTOM LINE

Hudson has the returning talent, the pitching depth, and the postseason experience to be one of the top Division 1 programs in Wisconsin this spring. If the corner positions develop as the coaching staff expects, this could be the storybook season we've been waiting for out of this Raiders program.

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Find more information on the 2026 Hudson program below:

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

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POWER 25 COUNTDOWN