Wisconsin 2025 Winners: 2027 Position Players
November 10, 2025
As the 2025 season comes to a close, new standouts have emerged inside the state’s senior class, players who didn’t just perform, but positioned themselves for even bigger roles ahead.
Last week, we broke down the position players and pitchers from the senior class that stood out. Today we will continue to break down the winners over the year looking at some of the 2027 position players that took the biggest jumps.
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Ira Hilbelink OF / Cedar Grove-Belgium, WI / 2027One of the top players in the state regardless of class with more left in his ceiling to pair with a ton of advanced tools. An advanced hit tool with visible, and quite frankly electric bat speed, along with growing power numbers already reaching 103.3 mph EVs and has been getting to his power in-game. To pair with an arm that already plays above-average in game and feel to really play the outfield. From 7/31/25: “put on about as strong of an all-round performance as you are going to see from anyone throughout the week. Currently ranked No. 5 in the 2027 class, Hilbelink stands in at a strong and athletic 5-foot-11, 195-pounds. The two-way talent produced a 7.03 60-time and showed off the arm with a 93 mph OF velo. At the plate, Hilbelink put together one of the most impressive rounds amongst all of the Future Game attendees. Hilbelink had a max EV of 103.3 mph, but his 99.4 average EV put him fifth among all Future Games throughout the week. He has quick hands through the zone that produces consistent hard contact with a simple approach at the plate and no wasted movement. Hilbelink had two multi-hit games throughout gameplay, going 4-for-9 with a double, home run, and two RBIs across his three games played at the plate. On the mound, Hilbelink worked a fastball/slider combo. His fastball stayed in the 86-88 mph range, topping out at 89.7 mph. His slider is a quality offering, staying in the low-70s and was up to 2,496 rpms.” |
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Chace Staude OF / Kettle Moraine, WI / 2027A staff favorite, athletic and twitchy left-handed hitter that grinds out at-bats and constantly competes almost playing up to any competition he faces. At the plate, there’s some easy bat-to-ball traits with the ability to use the entire field. Defensively, Staude has all the tools to stick and provide quality defense at the next level. From 7/31/25: “is a toolsy, left-handed hitting outfielder and put on a strong showing throughout the weekend. Standing in at a lean 5-foot-11, 163-pounds, there is athleticism and room for added strength. He ran a 6.84 60-time, as well as showing off a 90 mph OF velo during defensive work. Staude has a short, direct-to-ball swing that produces balls that just jump off the bat. Staude can generate some pop with quality bat speed and was up to 24.7 Gs of rotational force. He had a strong showing at the plate during his three games, with a 2-for-4 day with a stolen base in Game one producing a strong showing of his skillset. He is a high-follow name that continues to improve and grow into a top talent in Wisconsin.” |
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Kingston Grisolono OF / Kewaskum, WI / 2027Rankings StateRank: 14 / POS: 3
Another “tooled-up” outfielder from the Badger State that is an arrow-up prospect heading into the winter. There’s a ton of strength and bat speed from the left-side with feel to drive the ball in the air consistently. Any types of gains in the bat-to-ball department would continue to separate Grisolono even more as one of the top hitters in the class. Defensively the arm plays average or even better in-game with feel to man all three outfield spots. From 7/31/25: “is an exciting bat that could lead to power potential in the future. Standing in at 6-foot, 190-pounds, Grisolono has a quiet patient approach with plenty of bat speed being produced during the swing. His max exit velocity of 100.2 mph during the showcase portion of the event was the third-highest among Wisconsin bats at the event. In addition to his upside at the plate, the Kewaskum product registered a 7.01 60-yard dash and a 89 mph OF velocity to round out an intriguing profile. Currently ranked No. 17 in the 2027 class, Grisolono picked up a pair of doubles throughout the weekend to cap off his Future Games performance.” |
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Haaken Hovestol C / Delavan-Darien, WI / 2027Rankings StateRank: 18 / POS: 4
Debatably the biggest winner in the class, after a strong summer circuit showing an advanced and confident skillset behind the plate to pair with an upside left-handed swing. A sneaky athlete from a strong 5-foot-11 frame with some twitch with more to gain in the frame. From 7/31/25: “continues to impress in front of out staff, the backstop showcased well as well as putting together eye opening at bats in gameplay and continuing to elevate his status as one of the top cathers in the state. In the showcase, Hovestol ran a 6.99 60-yard dash and flashed a pop time range of 2.15-2.26 while throwing 74 mph from the chute. In BP, the LHH had a max EV of 96 mph with an avg, of 89 mph and a max distance of 344'. In gameplay, had a hit and walked twice in two games. Hovestol had a loud fly out to center in gameplay as well. A prospect that has added strength recently and is one to follow from the event.” |
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Brady Helms 2B / Hartford, WI / 2027Rankings StateRank: 20 / POS: 1
Another top performing bat inside the state that was coming off a strong sophomore year for Hartford Union as they made it to the State Finals. Advanced feel to hit after hitting over .420 during the spring season and continued to find success throughout the summer circuit. From 7/31/25: “Recently participate of the Prep Baseball Future Games, Helms would perform well throughout both days at the Wisconsin State Games. Starting off by running a 6.90 60-yard dash before taking a loud and standout round of batting practice, driving the ball throughout the field while consistently finding the barrel. The feel for the barrel would translate to gameplay, launching multiple extra base hits including a loud home run. Defensively, Helms is a versatile defender capable of playing multiple spots on the field with a chance to stick on the left-side of the infield given the arm strength. One of the top uncommitted players in the state's 2027 class.” |
INF/OF Cooper Wendt (Mukego) From 7/31/25: “Loud tools on display during his showing at the State Games. The 5-foot-10, 161-pound junior logged the fastest 60-yard dash time of the entire event at 6.45 seconds. At the plate, Wendt has a standard, tall setup at the plate with little wasted movement before the pitch, working his weight back slightly with a slight stride forward before the swing. He utilizes both hand and hip speed to generate power with a direct-to-ball path to attack the pitch, putting together a max exit velocity of 97.4 mph during his round. Defensively, Wendt consistently worked around the ball to receive, attacking with confidence and releasing the throw out of a lower 3/4 slot.”
INF Aedan Waterstreet (Appleton North) From 7/31/25: “was one of the more relatively unknown players to us on the roster, but we will undoubtedly be watching to see how Waterstreet progresses in the future. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound righty oozes projection with a long-limbed frame and has plenty of room to fill out. On the mound, he works in line with an easy and repeatable delivery, working in-line down the mound and throwing out of a high ¾ slot. Waterstreet displayed a strong feel for a four-pitch mix. His primary offering is a mid-80s fastball that topped out at 87 mph, playing with arm-side life through the zone. The righty also offered a 80-83 mph sinker that played with arm-side run.. His changeup does a decent job of killing spin, averaging just under 1600 rpms and playing with depth in the 76-79 mph range. He rounds out his arsenal with a mid-70s breaking ball with a sharp 11/5 bite. During his outing on the mound, he pitched two innings, allowing two hits and allowing an earned run. At the plate, Waterstreet has a tall setup and a smooth, uphill swing. Waterstreet does a quality job at covering the zone, expanding his zone multiple times and finding the barrel for a couple extra base hits throughout the week and topping out at a 99.3 mph exit velo during his round of BP. There’s upside on both sides of the ball, and it will be great to see how he continues to develop.”
C Tyler Smeiska (Mukwonago) is a 5-foot-8, 170-pound catcher with real feel to hit from the right-side. A contrast performer in front of our staff with feel to barrel up velo with ease against right-handers and lefties alike, growing feel to see and do damage against spin and secondaries at the plate that will only add to the value offensively. Behind the plate Smeiska has the tools to continue to provide quality defense at the next level, the hands and receiving had taken strides over the year looking more comfortable handling velo and spin to either side of the plate, the catch and throw traits flashed like a real tool, arm strength up to 80 mph with accurate throws to the bag.
INF Braun Wotruba (Pulaski) From 7/31/25: “Wotruba was a big winner at the Wisconsin State Games, showing clear feet to hit throughout gameplay collecting three hits including a triple thorughout three games. The 5-foot-9, 183-pound infielder has consistently hit in front of our staff throughout the year, no matter the class or velo, during the workout the right-handed hitter reached a peak exit velocity of 95.8 mph showing consistent and repeated feel for the barrel throughout his round. Defensively Wotruba is a versatile defender capable of playing multiple spots on the infield showing enough arm strength to stick on the left-side.”
INF Patrick Davidson (St. Joseph) The left-handed bat has always stood out to our staff, another constant performer at the plate with a history of quality bat-to-ball traits and now more impact as he filled into his frame. Coming from a family of hitters, Patrick has similar hitterish traits that his older brother Brady had at this age that will continue to make him a tough out as he continues his prep career.
MIF Mason Sturma (Waterford Union) From 7/31/25: “Stands in at a lean 5-foot-11, 142-pounds with good proportions and room for added strength. At the plate, he features a tall, simple setup and stays loose throughout, features slight toe-tap trigger and possessed a strong feel for the barrel with a line drive approach. Defensively, he stays light on his feet, showcased range to both sides, with soft hands to receive."
OF Colton Topp (Arrowhead) From 7/31/25: “Standing in at 6-foot, 166-pounds and hitting from the left side of the plate, Topp maxed out at 95.0 mph and averaged an 88.0 mph exit velocity. Topp steps in with a tall, open set-up with an easy and repeatable swing with strength, working slightly uphill through the zone with barrel awareness that transfers into game. Defensively the outfielder takes natural and efficient routes to the baseball and looks like a capable defender at each spot in the outfield.”
MIF Cayden Burtness (Pewaukee) From 7/31/25: “Standing in at a compact 5-foot-7, 155-pounds with some twitch and athleticism in his profile. The rising junior improved his 60-yard dash time to 7.04 and features a simple approach at the plate that produced a strong round of batting practice. He has a short trigger, works his hands back and attacks the pitch with a compact, slightly uphill swing that produced a max exit velocity of 93.6 mph during his round. The bat-to-ball stood out in game, going for five hits across seven at-bats including a double. On the field, he stays light on his feet and has confident actions while attacking the ball, slowing up to receive it in rhythm to get it out of the glove quickly.”
INF James Radabaugh (Waunakee) From 7/31/25: “Standing in at a strong 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, there is plenty of projectability to dream on in Radabaugh's frame. A rising left-handed bat in the state's junior class, Radabaugh features power potential from the left side of the plate that put together a strong round of BP. Stepping into the box with a quiet setup and a wide base, Radabaugh has a slight stride to trigger the load, with his hands staying in place up until the swing. He generates plenty of pop in the bat thanks to his hand, bat, and hip speed, and has a line-drive approach with a strong feel for the barrel throughout his round that put up a 99.9 mph max exit velocity during his round of batting practice.”
INF Will Nikolay (De Pere) From 7/31/25: “Standing in at a well-proportioned 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame, One of the top right-handed hitting infielders in the class with impact and minimal swing and miss. He continued to show off his natural hitting ability by putting together a loud round of BP, topping out at 96.4 mph for his highest batted ball exit velo of the day. He has a quiet, standard setup with little movement pre-pitch, before a quick leg-lift triggers the load where he is able to create separation. He has notably quick hands and bat speed through the swing. Defensively, Nikolay works to the ball with short footwork, staying in rhythm consistently.”
OF Cooper Haas (Brookfield East) From 2/26/25: “quite possibly took the biggest stride forward of anyone at the event with his performance on Sunday. Haas came in and added considerable size and strength to his frame. He measured at 6-foot, 173 pounds and there is more strength and fill coming to his athletic frame. He started his day by running an impressive 6.83 seconds 60 yard dash which is a considerable improvement from last year (7.51 seconds in 2024). The junior two-way prospect then took a loud round of batting practice which produced a max exit velocity of 94 mph from a repeatable and compact hand path. From the outfield, Haas pulled down 88 mph which was near a top mark for the event. On the mound, Haas featured a 3 pitch mix with a fastball up to 82 mph, a sharp 12/6 top to bottom curveball and feel for a change up that he keeps low in the zone. Haas definitely put himself on the map and has made himself a name to know in the state.”
INF Damen Lonstine (Cedarburg) From 2/26/25: “made a statement with his performance on Sunday. Lonstine ran one of the best 60’s of the day at 6.71 seconds showing considerable burst off the line and quick turnover once underway. Lonstine has explosive hands through the baseball and registered a max exit velocity of 93 mph. He likely sticks up the middle on the dirt but it remains to be seen if it will be at 2B or SS. Our staff was impressed with his actions on defense overall. Lonstine continues to be an intriguing prospect and continues to improve every time we see him.”
INF Wyatt Stauss (Marinette) From 7/12/25: “would show a strong right-handed barrel throughout the weekend with loft-based intent and bat speed that consistently played up. Presenting a strong 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame, Stauss moves well for his size with athleticism that shows up both at the cold corner and at the plate. Name to follow in Wisconsin’s 2027 class as he continues to add more polish to his present toolset.”
C Alex Solberg (New Richmond) From 7/31/25: “Powerful 6-foot-3, 217-pound frame. The right handed hitter took one of the loudest rounds of batting practice reaching a peak exit velocity of 100.3 mph with, which translated to the games, where he hit a home run out to left-center field in game one. Athlete with strength and feel for the barrel at the plate, defensively Solberg plays with steady actions and athleticism behind the plate.”
INF/OF Michael Petfalski (Waukesha South) From 7/31/25: “Standing in at 5-foot-8, 141-pounds, Petfalski has room for additional strength and had his toolset on display throughout the weekend. One of the top athletes in the class, Petfalski started off the event by running a 6.80 60-yard dash, good enough for 10th best of the entire event. At the plate, he sets up with a simple, upright stance with a slight leg lift that gains ground into the swing, explosive hand speed through the zone. Defensively, he stays light on his feet, gets around the ball, confident actions, throws out of a low 3/4 slot with a loose arm, topping out at 86 mph across the diamond.”
INF Ethan Woller (Elkhorn Area) From 3/28/25: “is athletic and projectable and will most definitely add to his 5-foot-9, 147 pound frame. Woller ran a solid 7.05 seconds 60 yard dash, showcased smooth actions in the infield and impacted the baseball at 91 mph with his quick right-handed swing.”
INF Gentry Madsen (Parker) perhaps one of the more “under the radar” names on this list, the 6-foot-1 left-handed hitting middle infielder has both upside to his frame and feel to hit in game. The bat plays from the left-side, smooth operation with feel to make adjustments pitch-to-pitch along with feel for the barrel. Quality defender in the dirt and should stick in the infield long-term, whether that be up-the-middle or at a corner remains to be seen.
INF Carlos Prado (Preble) From 7/11/25: “Standing in at a lean 6-foot, 140-pound frame with room for added strength, Prado was consistently on the barrel in both of Friday’s pool play games. The switch-hitting shortstop showed strong, intentful swings with a feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate. On Friday, Prado finished 4-for-6 at the plate through two games with a double. An intriguing switch-hitting shortstop to follow in Wisconsin’s 2027 class.”
C/INF Oliver Heckelsmiller (Verona Area) From 7/24/25: “Athletic 5-foot-9, 167-pound frame who looks the part in the uniform. On the barrel all weekend long finishing 7-for-9 with three doubles and five stolen bases. Balanced stance with a small leg lift, and quiet hands. Repeatable swing, direct to the ball with a flat bat path, and a line drive approach. Heckelsmiller sprayed the ball to all fields throughout the weekend. Athletic in the infield with soft hands.”
CIF Decker Kleppin (Random Lake) one of the top performing sophomores during the WIAA season last spring and carried similar production heading into the summer especially at the plate. A strong right-handed swing with easy feel to elevate in the air and power, especially to the pull side.
INF Lucas Quade (New Richmond) From 5/13/25: “Uncommitted, listed at an athletic 5-foot-10, 180 pound with strength to the frame. Quade came came off the bench in game one and worked two walks across both plate appearances driving in a run and scoring himself before going 1-for-3 in game two with another walk. The bat plays from the right-side, swinging an athletic bat and quick bat while flashing bat-to-ball traits to pair with an advanced approach for a sophomore. Quade is a name to follow sophomore in the western part of the state.”
C Arthur Adams (Bay Port) From 7/12/25: “Adams would show an advanced feel for the barrel, consistently extra bases throughout the weekend, including two home runs during GRB North’s Saturday matchup with Halos National. Showed a strong right-handed barrel with loft-based tendencies and developing bat speed. Defensively showed fringy actions with confident hands and developing instincts. Strong 6-foot, 214-pound frame.”
INF Kellen Pluess (East Troy) From 6/27/25: “Pluess would show an intriguing bat this past weekend, acting as a top-of-the-order presence for his Halos squad. The rising junior would show a present feel for the barrel to go along with a rhythmic left-handed swing that stays in the zone a long time. Finished the tournament 6-for-14 with a double, a triple, a home run, seven RBIs, five runs scored, and a walk. Athletic 5-foot-10, 156-pound frame with room for added strength.”
OF Chase Muma (Wisconsin Lutheran) From 6/27/25: “An athletic 5-foot-6, 153-pound frame with room to add strength. Muma showed well on Friday as he went 1-for-2 at the plate. The right-handed hitter operates from an open base with a toe-tap trigger. Compact swing with quick hands and pull-side power. Connected on a solo home run over the left field fence in the fourth inning. Advanced actions at short with a strong arm to match.”
INF Grant Guderski (Fond du Lac) From 7/8/25: “showed quality hit and field tools in his Prep Baseball event debut. He displayed a wiry, lean 6-foot, 160-pound frame with room to add strength. At the plate, he showed off a loose, handsy swing that generated an 87.1 mph max exit velocity. Gruderski possessed steady actions up the middle with a loose, athletic arm that topped out at 82 mph across the diamond.”
OF Jackson Farina (Waukesha West) From 10/23/25: “solidified himself as a prospect showcasing some loud tools on Sunday. Farina ran the second fastest 60 yard dash of the day at 6.97 seconds with an athletic and bursty running gate. His right handed swing during batting practice produced the third best max exit velocity of the day at 94.2 mph and the third best average exit velocity at 89.5. He displayed balance and barrel awareness throughout his round. During outfield defense, Farina’s 85 mph velocity from the outfield was the best mark of the day proving he can play all three spots in the outfield. It was an impressive look at the Waukesha West junior.”
INF Tenzin Pavlik (Shorewood) From 10/23/25: “had a great day with the bat and with the glove. At the plate, he showcased the ability to really impact the baseball from his loose and fluid right-handed swing. His 93.9 mph max exit velocity was the 4th best mark of the day and his 89.8 average exit velocity was second best proving his ability to be consistently on the barrel throughout his round. On defense, Pavlik worked through ground balls with a quick first step laterally with an accurate arm that he can throw from multiple arm angles. The ceiling is high for Pavlik with his quick and twitchy athleticism and should fill out considerably with his long and wiry build that has considerable room to add.”
INF Everett Sachs (Preble) From 9/24/25: “is a twitchy middle infielder standing in at 5-foot-9, 139-pounds with clear room to add to his frame. At the plate the right-handed hitter swings an easy and smooth bat with twitch, flashing feel to barrel the baseball to all fields. Ball jumped off the barrel, reaching a max exit velo of 87.6 mph. Defensively in the infield showing athletic actions while working in rhythm, fluid and light feet with some range to either side with an athletic arm action that plays on the move, topped out at 78 mph across the diamond.”
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