WIAA Power 25: Update
April 28, 2025
Let’s update the state’s top-25 rankings after another quality week of Wisconsin baseball, in which the weather was the best it's been the spring – until it wasn’t. For you in this update, there wasn’t too much movement at the top of the board, but we did have to drop three teams from the rankings to make way for a few of Wisconsin’s hottest programs, including two Division 2 squads.
There were some tough calls we had to make in this one, which forced us to look big picture at the number of quality wins these teams had this spring, going back to the very start.
Here’s where things ended up.
THE TOP-10
We’ll keep this fairly short and sweet, but there ultimately was little movement inside the Power 25’s top-10 order this week as a few of these teams battled each other closely, while the others finished with near-perfect weeks themselves.
+ No. 1 Monona Grove (10-1) simply took care of business this week with a two-game sweep of Waunakee and a 16-5 win over Madison West, so they’ll retain their No. 1 spot in the state for the third straight week.
+ No. 2 Hudson (9-2) is also still our second ranked squad in Wisconsin after a 2-1 week that featured a split with the always competitive Chippewa Falls, as well as a nerve-wracking win over Minnesota’s Mahtomedi High. All three games were decided by a run, and it doesn’t get any easier this week with a series against Eau Claire Memorial followed by Friday and Saturday matchups with ranked Hortonville and Kimberly.
+ No. 3 Sun Prairie East (8-2) and No. 4 Madison Memorial (10-2) played each other very closely to determine sole control of the Big Eight Conference. While the two teams split the two-game series, the Spartans are the ones coming out of the week perched at the top of the conference standings as of today, at 7-1 overall. Neither budges on the Power 25 this week as the two still feel evenly matched and Memorial’s doubleheader split with Bay Port and Kaukauna maybe prevented them from leapfrogging the Cardinals for the time being, while SPE walked off a scrappy Marquette squad Saturday, 5-4, to notch their eighth win of the spring.
We saw these two battle last Tuesday in East’s 2-0 win, featuring a nice start from senior RHP Alex Klun (below), though we also got to see some of the reasons why Madison Memorial is playing like one of the best teams in the state this spring as well. Two-way junior Brayden Banyai (UW-Milwaukee; below) plays with an infectious energy, and we got to see some more barrels from the talented uncommitted juniors Caleb and Ezra Liggon.
+ No. 5 Kimberly (6-2) doesn’t move this week after winning their two games this week against Fond du Lac, 8-6, and Oshkosh West, 4-2.
+ No. 6 Pewaukee (11-1) did drop its first game of the season this past week, an 8-0 defeat to New Berlin West, though they did split with the Vikings overall and won another three ballgames on top of that one, including two over Lake Mills and McFarland on Saturday. They’re still our top-ranked Division 2 squad on the Power 25 despite the loss, as they appear to be one of the most balanced teams in the division, with senior experience and depth at key positions.
+ No. 7 De Pere (6-1) played just once and won, an 11-1 win over Sheboygan South.
+ No. 8 Germantown (7-2) is our first difference in the top-10 in this week’s update after a two-game sweep of Tosa West. Though their two-spot climb up the board had a little something to do with Arrowhead and Waukesha North, which dropped a spot each as a result.
+ No. 9 Arrowhead (5-3) started the week strong with a two-game sweep of a competitive Kettle Moraine team, led by a stellar outing from senior Peter Kussow (Louisville), but a weekend loss to a soaring Sussex Hamilton squad did splash some cold water on the good vibes – and they only scored five runs total in those three games.
+ No. 10 Waukesha North (6-3) went 1-2 this week after debuting in the Power 25 all the way up at No. 9 in last week’s edition. They split with a competitive Mukwonago team and dropped another to a rising Menomonee Falls squad, 5-4. We’re still believers here though, and we think they can potentially poach the Classic Eight from the rest of these programs. Five teams in this conference are within a game of the lead at this stage, with three tied at 3-1 overall: Arrowhead, North, and Oconomowoc.
ON THE RISE
+ No. 11 Whitnall (8-1) rises to this spot just outside the top-10 in this update after a two-game sweep of South Milwaukee. And we’re also disappointed weather prevented a conclusion to a crazy game in the making with ranked New Berlin Eisenhower, which was halted at 9-9 headed into the sixth inning on Friday. In that game, sophomore Lucas Weber had a tough start, but he’s been good this spring and he accounts for one of the team’s biggest strengths, its live pitching staff. That game also featured an impressive look at junior Tanner Effertz in relief, who wields one of the best fastballs in the state, and he’s still uncommitted.
Regardless of how that Ike game turns out (if we ever find out), Whitnall has some legit firepower on the mound and they just got catcher AJ Clark (2025; UW-La Crosse), who homered in that rain-shortened game Friday.
+ No. 14 Slinger (7-1) has put together back-to-back 3-0 weeks to climb to No. 14 overall, which is their highest ranking of the season so far. They earned some signature wins this past week too, holding conference opponents West Bend East and Homestead to just one run each, while downing a then-ranked Oak Creek, 6-3, which is always a quality win. LHP Tyler Loesche (2025; North Iowa Area CC) was excellent against the Knights, with 10 Ks in just under five frames. They’ve gotten some timely hitting from senior Cooper Williams, sophomore backstop Ethan Miller, and junior middle-infielder Grady Chvosta (below), which has helped lighten the load carried by a deep and talented rotation.
+ No. 15 Hortonville (9-2) is sitting tied atop the FVA alongside Kimberly at 5-1 each after earning key conference wins over Appleton North and Appleton East this past week. They continue to get some excellent outings from their starters, like junior Braylon Brantner as well as Noah Jentz (2026) and Tavien Gass (2025; McHenry County JC), featured below.
+ No. 16 New Berlin Eisenhower (8-2) climbs four spots in this update despite dropping a game, 2-1, to Waterford at the end of the week. The Lions’ two-game sweep of Wisconsin Lutheran really asserted their status as one of the top Division 2 programs in the state, headlined by its rotation. Senior RHP Sam Hirthe is one of the most gifted uncommitted seniors in the area, and LHP Cal Schneider (2027) is becoming one of the best sophomore southpaws across that same region now. His 14-K no-hitter against WISCO at the start of the week was one of best lines of the spring, and it helped merit a rise in this update for his squad.
+ No. 17 New Richmond (9-0) won both its games this week, against Eau Claire North, 5-0, and Rice Lake, 16-3. This senior-heavy squad has a balanced attack, with a competitive and deep lineup that’s performing, as well as several go-to arms that are pitching like it in the early going.
+ No. 18 Sussex Hamilton (10-1) moves four spots up in this week’s update after a two-game sweep of West Allis Hale and a signature win over Arrowhead on Friday. Senior Stone Sanchez, a football standout, punched out five in five clean innings that helped the Chargers earn that big win. Outside of a 6-1 loss to Waukesha West earlier in the spring, Hamilton is playing some of the best baseball in the area, and they currently lead the Greater Metro at 8-0 as the conference’s lone undefeated program.
+ No. 19 Whitefish Bay (7-0) has not yet lost this spring after securing another three wins this past week over Cedarburg, West Bend East, and Tosa East, allowing a combined two runs in the three ballgames. LHP/OF Charlie McIntyre (2026; Youngstown State) has been leading the way on both sides of the ball for the Blue Dukes, but it’s been a quality team performance so far during this undefeated start.
+ No. 21 Hartford Union (7-4) has won five straight since a rocky start to the spring, including their three games this week against Port Washington, Grafton, and Homestead. They played a really competitive schedule to start the spring that coincided with some uncharacteristic rust on defense which made for some tough losses, but they appear to be back on the right track just as North Shore play heats up where they can still catch up to Slinger and WFB.
WELCOME…
+ No. 22 Manitowoc Lincoln (10-0) sits at the top of the Fox River Classic right now, at 7-0, with signature wins this season over Pulaski, Denmark, and Notre Dame Academy. Senior Brayden Steinbecker (St. Cloud State) has taken the ball in most of the team’s biggest games of the spring so far, including in their narrow 2-1 win over Preble last week. The 6-foot-7 slugger Vance Schroeder (2025) has been manufacturing runs in the middle of the order too, and he actually doubled twice in that same win over Preble. The Shipbuilders are simply playing quality baseball to this point en route to their debut inside the Power 25. They travel to De Pere today, Monday, for a huge FRCC matchup.
+ No. 23 Waupun (14-1) went 6-0 this past week and they’ve now won 14 this spring, which is good for the most in the state. Second-year head coach Travis Hull inherited a competitive program from former coach Derrick Standke, and he’s kept the Warriors performing at a high level. Junior catcher Chase Beahm has been at the center of the action this spring – he was productive at the plate during this past week of dominance, and he’s also been pitching well this spring when he isn’t behind the plate. Senior Jake Krueger has been tasked with taking the ball in some of the team’s biggest starts of the spring, like in their 3-2 win over Jefferson, where he K’d seven over six quality frames; sophomore Landen Larsen has also been a player to watch, as he just punched out nine batters in six clean innings in a 11-1 win over Lake Country Lutheran.
+ No. 25 Reedsburg Area (10-2) sit tied for the top spot of the Badger Small after sweeping conference rival Edgewood this past week. The lineup is led by a pair of upperclassmen in junior infielder Winston Alonso and uncommitted senior outfielder Alek Southworth who are batting .475 each on the season while producing at the top of the lineup. Junior Luke Verch and senior Jack Fenwick have led the pitching staff, each player pitching to a perfect record thus far while sustaining a sub-1 ERA between them both.
DROPPED OUT
+ Edgewood (8-2)
+ Oak Creek (5-2)
+ Waukesha West (3-3)
ON THE BUBBLE
+ Appleton North (7-3)
+ Badger (8-4)
+ Beaver Dam (8-2)
+ Beloit Turner (10-2)
+ Brookfield East (8-3)
+ Campbellsport (10-1-1)
+ Cedar Grove-Belgium (9-1)
+ D.C. Everest (7-3)
+ Dodgeville (9-1)
+ La Crosse Aquinas (7-2)
+ Laconia (10-1)
+ Marquette University (7-4)
+ Milton (8-4)
+ Oconomowoc (6-3)
+ Pulaski (8-3)
+ Random Lake (11-1)
+ Tremper (8-1)
+ Watertown (8-3)
+ Waukesha West (3-3)
+ Waterford Union (8-5)
+ Westosha Central (7-4)