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: Milton Red Hawks
Preseason Rank: No. 9
Head Coach: Kris Agnew
WIAA Division: 1
Conference: Badger Large
2025 Record (Finish): 20-8 (regional champions)
Key Players Lost: Trey Jones (Milwaukee Area Tech JC), Nathan Birkhimer (Milwaukee Area Tech JC), Karson Lueck

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Players: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Lineup depth, defense, and experience.

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DATA CENTER

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Jack Spielmann (6-foot-1, 193 pounds)
  
  • max EV: 100.0 mph (93rd state percentile)
  • avg EV: 93.9 mph (No. 7 in state's 2027 class among LHHs)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.94s (87th state percentile)
• Ben Schultz (6-foot-4, 187 pounds)
  
  • max fastball: 88.4 mph (No. 3 in state's 2028 class)
  • FB spin: 2,210 rpm (No. 22 in state's 2028 class)
  • avg EV: 88.5 mph (88th percentile in state's 2028 class)
• Bradyn Shefka (5-foot-9, 156 pounds)
  
  • CB spin: 2,661 rpm (No. 6 overall in Wisconsin, No. 2 in state's 2027 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.65s (87th state percentile)
  • vert. jump: 29.7 in (No. 11 overall in Wisconsin)

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X-FACTOR

C Jack Spielman (2027; West Virginia commit) leads this lineup that enters this spring returning the majority of the names from a conference championship campaign. In a sophomore year where he slashed .355/.468/.500, with a .968 OPS, five doubles, two triples, and 13 RBIs, the now junior will look to take control of the lineup and be a consistent threat at the top of the order. The left-handed bat has only continued to develop, setting the stage for a must-watch spring. Behind the plate, Spielman is just as good, not committing a single error in his 19 starts last season. A polished defender who will look to be a stable presence for a relatively young pitching staff. 

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

RHP/1B  Ben Schultz (2028; uncommitted) is set to be the ace of this young and upcoming staff. Returning with the most innings under his belt, the now sophomore will be looking to play a pivotal role this season. As a freshman, the right-hander tossed 20.1 innings, with a 2.07 ERA, 17 strikeouts, and 11 walks. Heading into the spring, the arsenal has continued to tick up, seeing a 4 mph velo jump up to 88 mph now. The secodnaries have continued to develop, looking to have true swing and miss potential. Hitters are gonna have trouble in the box as an experienced sophomore steps onto the mound. While his main impact will be on the mound, watch out for the bat as it develops throughout the spring. Last season, he saw limited time at the plate, but shows some pop in wiry 6-foot-4, 186-pound frame. 

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Milton was not a program that dominated preseason headlines a year ago, but the Red Hawks went out and made their own by the end of May. They captured the Badger Large Conference title and finished 20-8, capping the year with a regional championship in what amounted to one of the more quietly impressive seasons in the conference. Head coach Kris Agnew returns a roster built squarely on the foundation of that run, with seven position players and three pitchers coming back from a team that now knows what it takes to win at a high level.

"We return the majority of a conference championship team from last year," Agnew said. "We are very excited about the group we have. We will need some young and capable pitchers to step into larger roles, but confident that they can."

The identity is clear heading into 2026: this is a lineup-first ball club, one with depth up and down the order, reliable gloves at the key positions, and a group of seniors who have been through the fire.

The offense returns its most important contributors, and the middle of the diamond in particular is a strength. SS Jake Cummins (2026; UW-Milwaukee commit) anchors the infield as the team's top senior and brings experience at the most demanding position on the dirt, and he's earned a reputation as one of the state's slickest defenders. Alongside him at second base, 2B Charlie Fitzke (2026; UW-Stout) gives Milton a reliable bat and dependable hands up the middle. Behind the plate, C/OF Jack Spielmann (2027; West Virginia) is one of the premier juniors in Wisconsin and projects as a central figure in the lineup for a second consecutive season. In center field, senior OF Gavin Cole (2026) hit better than .300 a year ago and gives the Red Hawks an experienced presence at the top of their outfield. Senior RF Easton Agnew (2026) also cleared the .300 mark in 2025 and is projected to hold down the right field spot again this spring. With that kind of experience and production intact, the Red Hawks enter 2026 with one of the more complete returning lineups in the Badger Large.

The primary question for Milton surrounds the pitching staff. The graduation of ace Trey Jones and Nathan Birkhimer (both of whom are now pitching at Milwaukee Area Tech JC) removes the program's top two arms and a significant number of innings from last year's rotation. RHP Carson Biddick (2026), who showed promise last summer, will miss the 2026 season after suffering an injury, which limits their options on the mound even further. That development is a real blow to the staff's experienced depth and puts added pressure on the younger arms to step forward sooner than expected. The projected starters are a group with genuine upside. RHP Ben Schultz (2028) is a tall, talented 6-foot-4 sophomore with mid-80s velocity and then some, who was trusted with varsity at-bats as a freshman and will hold down both the mound and first base when he is not starting. RHP Cael Wilke (2027) is another tall righty with mid-80s stuff, and RHP Quinn Kavanaugh (2028) is another sophomore who could earn some time on the mound. Coach Agnew has also listed OF/RHP Bradyn Shefka (2027) and P/1B Landon Schwarz (2027) in the bullpen mix, giving the staff multiple two-way contributors who can eat innings in a variety of roles. Shefka is really interesting, given his high-end athleticism and ability to spin a breaking ball.

The combination of a battle-tested lineup and a developing pitching staff makes Milton a fascinating watch in 2026. The Red Hawks' experience in the lineup and defensively should buy the team the time to acclimate its young rotation to varsity action. They have enough bats, enough gloves, and enough winning experience to grind through a conference schedule and stay dangerous into the postseason bracket. The Red Hawks open the regular season March 31 against No. 24 Badger and will also appear in the Sun Prairie East Invitational on May 9, two early measuring-stick opportunities for a team that has earned the right to carry genuine expectations this spring.

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BOTTOM LINE

Milton returns the core of a Badger Large Conference championship roster and has the lineup depth and defensive experience to compete for another title. If the young pitching staff grows into its roles by the end of May, the Red Hawks have the pieces for another deep postseason run.

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Find more information on the 2026 Milton program below:

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

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POWER 25 COUNTDOWN