The Division 1 field is set for the WIAA State Finals, and it's a loaded eight-team bracket featuring six programs ranked inside our current Power 25. After a spring packed with competitive action across the state, these teams now converge in Appleton with a shot at the biggest prize.

We broke down each of the eight programs in this year’s bracket — highlighting key players, strengths, and storylines to know ahead of first pitch at Fox Cities Stadium.

Hudson (22-6)

Hudson heads into the State Finals as our No. 1 team in our Power 25 rankings. With one of the most talented rosters in the state, they are primed to potentially bring home their first state title in school history. They earned the No. 1 seed in this group of teams and will take on Badger on June 16th.

SS Jace Mataczynski (2026) has been the leader of Hudson’s lineup, finding himself at the top of the team leaders in numerous categories, including batting average (.424), hits (36), home runs (4), RBI (27), and extra-base hits (18) in 85 registered at-bats.

Jace Mataczynski

C Logan Hagman (2027), who has been nothing short of dominant at the plate in his sophomore season. The sophomore hit .367 this season, with over half of his hits (29) going for extra-bases (16), including two home runs.

2B Sam Abrahamson (2026; St. Thomas) put up a strong season as well for the Raiders, hitting .367 as well in 90 at-bats. OF Sam Manchester (2026) has shown some power at the plate, swatting 3 home runs to go with a .308 batting average. 1B Bennett Brathol (Concordia-St. Paul), OF Hunter Oswald (2025), INF Silas Heisler (2025; Northwestern-St.Paul), and Steele Homme round out the regular lineup for the Raiders that look to keep the bats hot as they enter the State Finals.

On the mound, RHP Mitchell Anderson (2025; Wisconsin-La Crosse) has been a workhorse and leads a pitching staff that has been keeping opposing hitters all season long. He heads to state with a 6-2 record with a 1.98 ERA in a team-leading 46 innings pitched. LHP Mark Susa (2027) has put up an equally as dominant season, going 4-1 on the year and pitching to a tune of a 2.46 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched.

Mitchell Anderson

Previously mentioned Brathol and RHP Myles Howe (2026) have been lights out for Hudson, with each pitcher logging over 20 innings and posting ERAs of 0.69 and 0.90, respectively. LHP Bergen Aune (2026) and RHP Nick Hirsch (2025; Wabash Valley) have put together strong seasons to round out a dangerous Raiders pitching staff.

Badger (21-7)

Badger heads into state as the No. 8 seed and will go on to face No. 1 Hudson on Monday. They head to Grand Chute with a high-powered offense that is heading to state for the first time in school history.

At the plate, OF Zach Walton (2025) has been exactly what Badger needed out of the leadoff spot, hitting .400 with a team-leading .520 on-base percentage for the Badgers. Right behind Walton in the lineup is INF Trent Ertmann (2025), who has put up a strong season at the plate as well, registering a .392 batting average.

In the three-hole is OF Matthew O’Grady (2026), who has solidified himself as the leader of this lineup, hitting .409 while hitting 6 home runs and collecting 24 RBI on the year. O’Grady has been everything you can ask for out of the three-hole and more, as he is also a perfect 16-for-16 this year on stolen base attempts.

Matthew O'Grady

INF Ryan Albanese (2026), Ryan McCarthy, and Bradley McCarthy have all produced well for the Badgers this season, with each hitting over .300 for a well-rounded Badger lineup.

On the mound, RHP Riley Lussmyer (2025; Millikin) has been lights out, posting a 0.91 ERA to pair with a 8-1 record on the season in 53.2 innings pitched, punching out 69 batters thus far. Along with Lussmyer, LHP Gavin Stewart (2025; Kalamazoo) has also been a workhorse for Badger, throwing 51 innings and striking out a team-leading 71 batters in the process. They lead a Badger Staff that looks to compliment the offense and help upset No. 1 Hudson this Monday.

Gavin Stewart

Sussex Hamilton (21-8)

Hamilton heads to Grand Chute with a pitching staff that has been shutting offenses all season long. With a team ERA of 2.14, they have plenty of arms for Coach Mike Schramek to look towards as they look to win their first title in school history.

The Chargers are led by two arms that have put up equally dominant seasons on the mound. RHP Ethan Hibicke (2025; Wisconsin-River Falls) recorded an 8-1 record with a 1.44 ERA and RHP Jacob Osmanski (2026) recorded a 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA. They have proven to be two aces on one staff, with each pitcher logging 53.1 and 50.2 innings, respectively.

Nick Brauhn (2026) and Colin Roubik (2025) have had a few starts but have primarily worked out the bullpen, with both arms proving to be quality options out of the ‘pen for the Chargers. Brauhn pitched to the tune of a 1.67 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched, with Rubik also logging a strong season with a 2.49 ERA.

At the plate, Hamilton brings a competitive team to Grand Chute, with Hibicke hitting at a .400 clip this season. C/OF John Arnold (2026) and Wes Spreng have also put up strong seasons at the plate and are names to look for to lead Hamilton offensively. The Chargers will take on No. 5 Oak Creek this Monday.

John Arnold

Oak Creek (23-5)

Oak Creek heads to the State Finals with one a well-balanced team, and they enter the Grand Chute with the No. 5 seed. They will take on No. 4 Hamilton on Monday, as they look to win their first state title in their program’s history.

RHP Ryan Buchta (2025; Winona State) leads the Knight’s pitching staff, as he has been nothing short of lights out all season long. The senior enters with a 9-1 record and a 0.61 ERA, as well as racking up 84 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched.

Ryan Buchta

RHP Jayden Pryor (2026) and RHP Blake Ulezelski (2027) have gotten the bulk of the remaining starts, with both Pryor (3-2, 2.45 ERA) and Ulzelski (5-0, 3.12 ERA) both putting up strong numbers on the season.

RHP Ben Mills (2025) has been dominant out of the pen, posting a 1.91 ERA in 11 appearances for Oak Creek and is another arm for Coach Scott Holler to go to during the State Finals.

At the plate, OF Camden Jeske (2028) has been impressive for the Knights in his freshman season, hitting .321 and only striking out 4 times and had a team leading 13 XBH in 84 at-bats. INF Gavin Zastrow and INF Brian Simmons (2027) both logged a .358 average on the season. C/OF Carson Dachel (2026), OF Nate Schopf (2025), and 1B/3B Mack Endres (2026) are all names to look out for in this competitive Oak Creek lineup.

Camden Jeske

Hortonville (22-7)

Hortonville is heading to the State Finals for the second time in three years, finishing runner-up in 2023. The Polar Bears have a history of winning at this tournament, as they look to take home the school’s fourth state title in program history. They earned the No. 3 seed this year and will take on No. 6 Hartford on Monday.

Hortonville heads just down the road with a strong pitching staff, with the duo of RHP Braylon Brantner (2026) and RHP Taiven Gass (2025; McHenry County) leading the charge. Both Brantner (7-1, 1.50) and Gass (5-1, 1.80) have logged over 50 innings for the Polar Bears and will likely be looked upon to continue much of the same dominance in Grand Chute.

Taiven Gass

RHP Griffin Jens (2025; McHenry) and RHP Noah Jentz (2026) have been locked in all season long, mostly working out of the ‘pen. Both have sub-2 ERAs on the season in over 20 innings of work. RHP Kaden Kreski (2025) is also another option for Coach Greg Yeager to go to.

Hortonville brings a well-balanced lineup to State, with C Turner Kuhnke (2025; Wisconsin-Milwaukee) being among the top hitters in the Polar Bears’ lineup. He has a team-leading .342 average, as well as two home runs and 18 RBI on the year.

INF Rashaud Kastner (2025) and the previously mentioned Kaden Kreski are two other bats to look out for, with Kreski hitting a team-leading 11 XBH on the season. INF Gary Wuest has also had a strong year at the plate, collecting 26 RBI on the season, which ranks first on the team.

Hartford Union (21-7)

Hartford brings a strong pitching staff and competitive lineup to Grand Chute. Coached by Steve Oleshko, the Orioles look to earn their first state title in program history.

The Orioles have received a strong season from a duo of arms in LHP Jack Perkowski (2025, Highland) and RHP Carter Kutz (2025; Nebraska). Perkowski has logged 43.2 innings this season, pitching to the tune of a 0.96 ERA and a perfect 7-0 record. Kutz has been equally as dominant on the season, posting a 6-1 record with a 1.08 ERA on the season in 52 innings.

Jack Perkowski

RHP Ayden Grulke (2026) has been electric for Hartford, posting a 0.97 ERA in 29 innings while working mostly out of the pen. Other names to look out for include RHP Joe Landgraf (2025) and Brady Walters, who both put together strong seasons on the mound.

At the plate, INF Brady Helms (2027) has been a key contributor for the Orioles, including leading the team in both batting average (.429) and RBI (25). Ethan Birkel (2025) has put together a strong season, hitting .338 while also hitting 3 home runs on the season.

Brady Helms

INF Joe Landraf (2025), OF Kaiden Romens (2026), and OF Kutz are also names to look out for, with Kutz being a threat to steal at any moment. The senior went a perfect 21-for-21 on the basepaths to pair with a .325 average on the year. The offense has a little bit of everything that they can lean on, as they will take on No. 3 Hortonville next Monday.

Sun Prairie East (21-7)

Sun Prairie East rides a high-powered offense and a deep pitching staff into the State Finals. They finished runner-up in the state finals last season, as they look to avenge last season’s loss with their first title in program history this season.

UTIL Max Glusick (2025; Wisconsin-Milwaukee) has been a force at the plate this season for the Redbirds. In 92 at-bats, the senior has registered a .500 batting average, as well as swatting 3 home runs and tallied 21 stolen bases this season. Not far behind him in terms of production is his brother, OF/SS Cam Glusick (2027), who is hitting .440 with three home runs and a team-leading 37 RBI thus far.

Camden Glusick

Reed Sausgstad has been a weapon, going a perfect 24-for-24 on the season in stolen bases with a .431 batting average. INF Van Vogler (2026) UTIL Alex Klun (2025) and INF Trystan Fry (2025) have had strong seasons at the plate as well and are names to look out for. As a team, Sun Prairie East has stolen 118 bases, an incredible feat that will force their opponents to do their best to control the basepaths.

LHP Joey Tamboli (2026) leads a deep pitching staff and had a dominant season, going 6-2 on the mound with a 1.03 ERA in 54.1 innings. RHP Klun (2025) also put together a strong season, as he has registered 39.1 innings on the mound with a 3.20 ERA, good enough for a 7-1 record.

Joey Tamboli

Brayden Johnson, LHP Grayson Uttech (2028), and RHP Fry are all names that Coach Jack Marchese can go to, as the look to take on No. 7 Muskego at 2:30 on Monday.

Muskego (20-9)

Muskego has been rolling through the playoffs so far, putting across 29 runs and only allowing 4 runs in three postseason games so far. They bring a strong pitching staff and some hot bats to the State Finals, as they take on No. 2 Sun Prairie East this Monday.

The Indians feature a deep lineup, with RHP Tyson Grulkowski (2026; South Florida) leading the pitching staff. The junior put up a 6-1 record with a 1.28 ERA in a team-leading 38.1 innings this season. RHP Ben Kuglitsch (2026; Florida State) has also put up a strong year on the mound, as he comes in second on the team in 29.0 innings pitched with a 2.41 ERA.

Tyson Grulkowski

From there, Muskego has shared the wealth of innings between RHP Dylan Jeske (2026), LHP Mason Horn (2027), RHP Jake Kardelis (2026) and RHP Callen Tomsyck (2026). With a team ERA of 1.99, the Indians have a deep lineup that has been lights out all season long, and they’ll look for more of the same as they head to the Sta

At the plate, OF Tomsyck has been the leader of the offense, posting a .333 average thus far. OF Kuglitsch put up a .325 batting average on the year to go with a team-leading 22 RBI on the season.

INF Kyle Rogosienski (2027) and INF Carter Nicolato (2026) are two names to look out for, as Muskego looks to continue riding the hot bats and dominant pitching staff to an even deeper postseason run.

Carter Nicolato

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