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: Franklin Sabers
Preseason Rank: No. 21
Head Coach: Steve Drobot
WIAA Division: 1
2025 Record (Finish): 21-6
Key Players Lost: Ben Hefter, Onyu Lee, Cameron Lund, Colin O'Brien

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. Returning Players: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Speed, offense, and defense; returning experience.

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

Category	Top-3 Avg.	State Rank	Out of
Top 60-Yard	6.87 s	T-No. 11	102 schools
10-Yard Sprint	1.64 s	No. 11	102 schools

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Colby Kamlay (5-foot-10, 165 pounds)
  
  • max EV: 97.0 mph (84th state percentile, 77th pctile. in state's 2027 class)
  • avg EV: 88.8 mph (83rd state percentile, 78th pctile. in state's 2027 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.69s (97th state percentile, T-No. 15 in state's 2027 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.59s (T-No. 11 in state's 2027 class)
• Dillon Herling (5-foot-6, 161 pounds)
  
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.60s (No. 6 in state's 2027 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.63s (93rd state percentile)
• Dominic Bombien (5-foot-10, 169 pounds)
  
  • SL spin: 2,417 rpm (No. 6 in state's 2028 class)
• Prescott Sanford (5-foot-9, 175 pounds)
  
  • max fastball: 86.0 mph (81st state percentile)
  • IVB (rise): 18.6 in (94th state percentile, T-No. 9 in state's 2027 class)
  • vert. jump: 25.5 in (89th state percentile, 86th pctile. in state's 2027 class)
• Samuel Ortiz (6-foot-2, 178 pounds)
  
  • IVB (rise): 17.6 in (86th state percentile, No. 13 in state's 2026 class)
  • CB spin: 2,295 rpm (82nd state percentile)
  • 60-yd. dash: 7.01s (83rd state percentile)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.67s (81st state percentile)
• Tavin Nass (5-foot-10, 203 pounds)
  
  • bat speed: 71.7 mph (86th state percentile)
  • vert. jump: 27.1 in (95th state percentile, T-No. 11 in state's 2028 class)

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X-FACTOR

OF/LHP Prescott Sanford (2027; uncommitted) is set to see valuable at-bats and time on the mound this spring. Working off a sophomore year where he slashed .333/.404/.381 with one triple and eight RBIs. While on the mound tossing 13 innings, striking out five, and walking two, with a 3.23 ERA. Looking towards the spring, Sanford looks primed to take over the corner outfield, while also being a front-line rotation arm. On the mound, Sanford has only continued to develop, showing a mid-80s arsenal, with the secondaries all sharpening up, setting up for an exciting year on the mound.

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

C Tavin Nass (2028) is coming off an impressive first year as the everyday man behind the plate. This offseason, Nass has only continued to grow and improve, setting up for an exciting freshman year. Looking to improve on his first-year numbers after slashing .302/.421/.333, with 19 hits, two doubles, and 16 RBIs. The most exciting development in Nass’s game is in the power department. The strength continues to be added to the frame as he looks to create more damage this season. While behind the plate, Nass is one of the more advanced at the position within the state. After a first year of committing zero errors, the actions have cleaned up and become more athletic, set to have another strong year behind the plate. 

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Franklin carries significant momentum into 2026 after a stellar 21-6 campaign that showcased the Sabers' dynamic approach. Coach Steve Drobot's club posted an impressive 18-3 conference mark for second place while setting a team record with 111 stolen bases, embodying the coach's emphasis on speed, offense, and defense. "We are coming off a 21-6 record in 2025, where we had a young team," Drobot said. "We believe the experience we have gained last season will help us take a big step forward in 2026."

The Sabers' offensive attack returns its most potent weapons in OF Dominick Walters (2026) and OF Nicholas Firle (2026; Highland CC), who paced the team's record-setting speed game last season. Walters hit .351 with 26 RBI and 21 stolen bases while posting a .943 OPS, while Firle contributed a .343 average, 17 RBI, and 21 steals of his own with an impressive .525 on-base percentage. Behind the plate, C Tavin Nass (2028) provides another key returning piece after hitting .302 with 16 RBI as an underclassman. The speedy OF Dillon Herling (2027), who posted a state-elite 6.60-second 60-yard dash time, rounds out the core returning position players after hitting .277 with 11 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

The pitching staff centers around RHP Sam Ortiz (2026; Bryant & Stratton Wisconsin), who dominated hitters last season with an 8-1 record and sparkling 1.18 ERA across 41.2 innings while striking out 64 batters. Ortiz's performance anchored a team ERA of 2.22 that helped fuel Franklin's success. Joining him in the projected rotation are LHP Prescott Sanford (2027), who throws 86 mph and posted elite spin metrics at showcases, and RHP Colby Kamlay (2027), whose 97 mph exit velocity and sub-6.70 60-yard dash time showcase his two-way potential. LHP Brody Charles (2026) provides veteran depth after posting a 0.70 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 30 innings last season. The depth concern Coach Drobot identified will be addressed by utility player Bennett Schueller (2026) and promising sophomore SS/RHP Dominic Bombien (2028), whose 2417 rpm slider spin rate ranked sixth in Wisconsin's 2028 class.

Franklin faces the challenge of replacing four key contributors from last year's squad, but the returning core's experience and the emergence of talented underclassmen position the Sabers well for another strong campaign. The combination of proven offensive production, a dominant ace in Ortiz, and the program's trademark speed and athleticism gives Franklin the foundation to compete at a high level in Division 1.

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BOTTOM LINE

Franklin's speed-based attack and ace Sam Ortiz provide the foundation for another strong season in Division 1. The Sabers have the talent to build on their 21-win campaign if their pitching depth develops as expected.

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Find more information on the 2026 Franklin program below:

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

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