Wisconsin Power 25 Update

May 12, 2025
By Andy Sroka & Josh Fields

Teams took great advantage of the beautiful weather to start the month of May, which made for a busy slate across the state, and it made it hard for us to reassemble the Power 25 rankings as we begin to see the race to Appleton prepare for its last leg.

With that, we like where things stand right now. We’ll break down the biggest movers of the week, as well as the two teams that are brand new to the Power 25 in this update.

AT THE TOP

+ No. 1 Hudson (15-4): The Raiders remain the top overall team in the state, and they probably have a tighter grip on the No. 1 overall spot than they did last week. After splitting their season series with rivals River Falls earlier in the week, Hudson continued to play arguably the most competitive non-conference schedule in the state by traveling east again for a Saturday doubleheader against the top-ranked team in the Madison area, Sun Prairie East, and one of the biggest surprises of the spring, Sussex Hamilton. The Raiders responded to the matchups by scoring two huge top-10 wins against both clubs. Tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh against the Cardinals, Hudson exploded for nine runs to all but clinch the win in a battle of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the state at the time. Then, in game two, the Raiders trailed 3-1 headed into the top of the sixth when a lead-off double from SS Jace Mataczynski (2026; uncommitted) sparked a rally that launched his team back in front for good.

He and center fielder Sam Manchester (2026; uncommitted; video below) have been two of the team’s hottest hitters these past couple weeks especially, and they did their part to keep their squad as the best in Wisconsin on our board.

+ No. 2 Kimberly (11-3): Outside of a loss to No. 1 Hudson on May 3, the Papermakers have been excellent in recent weeks. In this update, they benefited from some key losses from the teams previously ranked ahead of them, while their own crucial 3-2 victory over conference foes Hortonville lifted them all the way to the No. 2 spot in the state. Kimberly outscored their opposition 31-6 this past week in the three wins, led by these three impact starters: RHP/OF Sawyer Deering (2025; Tennessee commit), RHP Maddux Hermus (2027; video below), and LHP Shaefer Peterson (2026). Those three combined to punch out 23 batters in 16 innings and allowed just two earned runs.

They host a scrappy Appleton East squad on Tuesday for their first action of this week.

TOP-10 RISERS

+ No. 5 Hortonville (14-3): Despite dropping a game to FVA rivals Kimberly, 3-2, the Polar Bears continue to venture north up the rankings in this update, now inside the top-5 overall. They have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the state, and it’s exactly what helped them rebound from that loss with back-to-back wins, as they limited their opponents to just three runs combined in the next 14 innings, none of which were earned actually. The 6-foot-4 senior RHP Kaden Kreski (2025; uncommitted) led them to the 12-3 win over Oshkosh West, followed by a one-hit shutout twirled by Taiven Gass (2025; McHenry County JC; video below) against Kaukauna.

Another element to this team that has boosted them to No. 5 in the state is how competitive their lineup appears to be. While they don’t rack up runs at the rate of some of the others inside this top-10, Hortonville’s lineup manufactures runs regularly from both the top and the bottom of its lineup, which has helped them win 14 of their first 17 games of the spring.

+ No. 7 Sussex Hamilton (16-4): The Chargers went 2-2 on the week, yet, we bumped them up a bit on the board given the difficulty of their four games that coincided with the losses that came from the teams ranked ahead of them previously as well. Sussex Hamilton has been one of the stories of the season so far, and they opened the week with a 5-4 win at Whitnall on Thursday before dropping narrow ballgames to Wisconsin Lutheran, 1-0, and Hudson, 5-3, with a 2-0 win over Watertown sandwiched in between. Those are four tough games, and all the while, four of their top arms handled those lineups very well, led by senior RHP Nick Brauhn (2025; St. Thomas, MN), who K’d seven batters in his eight innings on the week without allowing a run.

Fellow senior OF Luke Lehnen (2025; Concordia-St. Paul) led them offensively with five hits in those four games, while C/OF John Arnold (2026; uncommitted) added a couple more extra-base hits to his season totals and three more RBIs.

+ No. 8 Whitnall (14-3): The Falcons went 4-1 this week, dropping their contest to Hamilton, 5-4, a Division 1 opponent, but they balanced it out by completing a suspended game against New Berlin Eisenhower that they ultimately won, 10-9. Even with that Hamilton loss, Whitnall owns some of the most impressive wins of any D2 program this spring. That’s what helps them leap inside the top-10 in this week’s update. In those five games (including the previously suspended contest against Ike), Whitnall pitching struck out 51 batters in 32 innings. They were lifted offensively by C/3B AJ Clark (2025; UW-La Crosse; video below) over that same stretch, as he went 7-for-14 with three extra-base hits, including a homer, that helped him drive in six runs in those five games.

+ No. 10 New Berlin Eisenhower (12-4): The Lions go 2-1 on the week, picking up two Power 25 wins over Pewaukee. No shortage of capable arm to go to, with senior Sam Hirthe (2025, uncommitted) leading the way pitching in both games, earning the save on Tuesday and coming back for the win on Wednesday, striking out nine batters across 7.2 innings. LHP Cal Schneider (2027) earned the win on Tuesday after striking out nine across six shutout innings.

MOVING UP

+ No. 12 Slinger (12-2): The Owls went 3-0 on the week, facing a trio of North Shore conference opponents and taking a two-game lead at the top of the conference. Seniors Jackson Naber (MSOE) and William Baumhardt (McHenry County JC) have continued to perform while Nathan Miller (2026, uncommitted), Tyler Loesche (2025, North Iowa Area CC) add depth to the pitching staff. The lineup continues to get big performances throughout the lineup, Payton Tennies (2027) swung a hot bat this week, while getting big games from Michael Thiede (2025) and Jesse Retzlaff (2025).

+ No. 13 Brookfield East (14-4): The Spartans are moving up a few spots after a 2-0 week, taking down Greater Metro rival Brookfield Central last week. RHPs Noah Melby (2026; uncommitted) and Charlie Slawinski (2025; Madison JC; video below) have been nails atop the rotation for the Spartans, the pair combined for 23 strikeouts on the week. On offense, the lineup continues to produce with sophomores Cooper Haas and Zachary Steichen putting together quality seasons at the top of the order. Juniors Jack Murray and Joel Markusse continue to produce in the middle of the lineup.

+ No. 18 Wisconsin Lutheran (12-4): After a pair of wins over Pius, the Vikings were able to win a tightly contested game over Sussex Hamilton. In that game, junior LHP Brayden Abramowski tossed a complete game shutout, striking out seven batters in seven innings, allowing three hits and three walks. Sophomore INF/RHP Eli Dreier drove in the only run of the game on an RBI double, he and Carter Fry (2027; video below) and Cooper Sievert (2027) form an exciting trio at the top of the lineup.

WELCOME…

+ No. 20 Beaver Dam (13-3): The Golden Beaver make their debut after a 4-1 week that saw them pick up two Power 25 over Monona Grove, out scoring MG 14-2 throughout both games. Led by senior LHP/OF Jeffrey Freund, a dual baseball/football commit to UW-River Falls, who has been nails all spring atop the rotation while hitting at the top of the order. He and INF/RHP Eli Bryant (Kent State) make a formidable duo leading the both the staff and the lineup. Athletic sophomore two-way Ashtyn Seifert (video below) adds depth to both the lineup and the pitching staff.

+ No. 25 Waterford Union (13-5): Maintaining a one-game lead at the top of the Southern Lakes conference. The Wolverines are coming off a strong week extending their win streak to six, while picking up two wins against conference rival Westosha Central and a 18-0 victory over Cudahy. UW-Milwaukee recruit Connor Harvie, holds down the lineup providing a strong presence at the top of the order while providing some of the best defense behind the plate in the state. Outfielder Jack Butler and Shortstop Zach Flater continue to produce alongside Harvie at the top of the order. While Zaidan Eblin (video below) and Hayden Milosh have been providing run production in the middle of the lineup. Center fielder Carter Thompson extends the lineup, swinging a hot bat as of late while providing quality defense in the outfield.

DROPPED OUT

+ Franklin (13-3)
+ Manitowoc Lincoln (15-3)

ON THE BUBBLE

+ Appleton East (10-4)
+ Badger (13-5)
+ Beloit Turner (15-2)
+ Campbellsport (14-4-1)
+ Cedar Grove-Belgium (12-3)
+ Chippewa Falls (13-4-1)
+ D.C. Everest (13-3)
+ Elk Mound (14-1)
+ Holmen (12-5-1)
+ Horicon (14-2)
+ Kettle Moraine Lutheran (13-4)
+ Kewaskum (13-4-1)
+ La Crosse Aquinas (13-2)
+ Menomonee Falls (12-6)
+ Milton (13-5)
+ Mukwonago (12-5)
+ Pacelli (16-2)
+ Reedsburg Area (14-4)
+ Seymour (14-2)
+ Tremper (12-3)
+ Verona Area (10-7)
+ Watertown (11-7)