2023 RECAP: Mosinee and Medford went 11-1 and split the season series to share the Great Northern Conference title. Antigo was the only other team to finish above .500 in the conference, finishing 7-5 in league play. Both Mosinee and Medford has their seasons ended by West Salem, with Medford's coming in the regional final and Mosinee losing in the sectional semis.

2023 SEASON INFO (Standings, All-Conference, Stats, etc.)

2024 FORECAST

Head Coach: Adam Olson (11th year at Mosinee; 11th overall) 146-58 career record
2023 Record: 22-3
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Keagen Jirschele (sr), Gavin Obremski (sr), Taylor Lemanski (sr), Grant Kuklinski (sr), Garrett Shupe (sr), Brady Lokken (jr), Cameron Ziebell (sr), Ethan Oatman (jr)

Forecast: Mosinee has won at least a share of the past two conference titles and are set up to win a third straight in 2024. The Indians are loaded with high level talent and one of the favorites in all of Division 2, proof by their second ranking in the WBCA Division 2 Preseason Coaches Poll. Five seniors are committed to play at the next level; Keagen Jirschele (South Dakota State), Garrett Shupe (North Dakota State), Cameron Ziebell (UW-Stout), Taylor Lemanski (UW-La Crosse), and Gavin Obremski (Rock Valley JUCO). Jirschele, Shupe, and Obremski form the best trio of arms in the conference and one of the better in the division. Six batters return to Coach Olson's lineup that hit over .300, matching the talent at the plate with that on the mound. The top end talent for this Mosinee team has the hopes of a return to Appleton as a very real possibility.

Head Coach: Justin Hraby (20th year at Medford; 20th overall) 252-186 career record
2023 Record: 23-5
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Braxton Weissmiller (sr), Tanner Hraby (sr), Max Dietzman (sr), Parker Lissner (jr), Nick Steliga (sr), Jack Wojcik (sr), Hayden Strebig (soph), Carson Carbaugh (sr)

Forecast: Medford has won three of the past four conference titles including sharing the title last season with Mosinee. The Raiders are the biggest challenge to the Indians sitting atop the conference throne once again. UW-River Falls commit Tanner Hraby and Braxton Weismiller are to of the top batters returning in the conference and both first team all-conference selections last season. Coach Hraby enters his 20th season at the helm for Medford and will have a strong senior group to rely on to lead a group of younger players looking to fill the spots of a good class of 2023 group. Medford came into the season ranked fourteenth in the WBCA Division 2 Preseason Coaches Poll and figure to make the Great Northern title a two-horse race.

Head Coach: Tyler Lorenz (2nd year at Antigo; 14th overall) 94-48 career record
2023 Record: 9-11
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Riley Guethner (sr), Ben Robrecht (sr)

Forecast: Antigo won six straight conference titles from 2013-2018 and second year head coach Tyler Lorenz is committed to getting them back to that state. However, it does feel like the Great Northern Conference race will be just a two-team race. The Red Robins return over 50% of their squad from 2023, that was only the third team in conference to finish over .500 in league play. Riley Guenther and Ben Robrecht will lead the rotation for Antigo.

Head Coach: Joe Waksmonski (18th year at Rhinelander; 18th overall) 173-181 career record
2023 Record: 8-14
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Max Ratty (sr), Owen Kurtz (sr), Seth Nofftz (jr), James Heck (sr), Dylan Vanderbunt (jr), Kaden Vanney (sr)

Forecast: Rhinelander will have the advantage of returning its entire pitching staff from last season including all-conference selection Max Ratty. That alone gives them an advantage over all the teams in the middle of the conference. Ratty, Heck, Vanderbunt, and Vanney headline that pitching rotation and will be joined by players from the younger levels to add depth. The offense will need to come along for the Hodags in order for them to truly compete in 2024 however.

Head Coach: Peter Aerts (8th year at Pines; 8th overall) 48-84 career record
2023 Record: 8-15
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Landyn Hoeft (sr), Jonathan Miller (jr) AJ Muench (jr), Matt Milanowski (jr), Brady Maines (sr), Mylo Albrecht (soph)

Forecast: The Pines pitching staff comes into 2024 as the strength of the team, returning over 60% of the innings pitched, including all-conference nominee Landyn Hoeft. Coach Aerts will need to rely on quite a few new players in the batting order and the field, which may prove difficult at times. Being consistent at the plate and having the arms develop from last season will be key to the Eagles success in 2024.

Head Coach: Steve Anderson (2nd year at Lakeland; 2nd overall) 8-14 record
2023 Record: 8-14
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Nate Ariola (sr), Logan Gray (sr), Danny Gahler (sr), Ashton Bremer (jr), Mitchel Fulton (sr), Merick Trotter (jr), Ben Peterson (jr)

Forecast: Lakeland finished fourth in the conference despite having the second worst run differential in the league, scoring just 39 runs and allowing 102. The positive from that, is just two seniors were on the squad. That means coming into 2024 this team will have experience up and down the roster. Those athletes will need to take a step forward however, if the Thunderbirds are to finish anywhere but near the bottom of the standings.

Head Coach: John Roberts (1st year as head coach; 5th with Tomahawk)
2023 Record: 2-18
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Brayden Larson (jr), Brody Rigney (jr), Ethan Ihn (sr), Cooper Hetzel (jr), Monty Framke (jr), Drew Tollefson (jr)

Forecast: Tomahawk went winless in conference last season and had a -120 run differential, which was nearly doubly worse than the second worst team. Already in 2024, Tomahawk has a conference win, meaning the trajectory is up. Coach Justin Roberts is in his first season as the skipper and appears to be on the right track.

Conference Previews are based on information submitted by coaches, 2023 award info, statistics available to WSN, and other sources including the Baseball Wisconsin Yearbook. To purchase your copy of the Baseball Wisconsin Yearbook, click here.