2023 RECAP: Deerfield won its third straight conference championship in 2023, going 14-2 in the league and finishing one game ahead of Johnson Creek and Palmyra-Eagle and two games ahead of Horicon. The three top teams all won a regional and advanced to sectional play where Johnson Creek beat Palmyra-Eagle to advance to a sectional final along with Deerfield. Both Trailways teams lost however, just one game away from state.

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

2024 FORECAST

Head Coach: Marc Blakeley (6th year at JC; 6th overall) 92-41 record
2023 Record: 21-5
2023 JV Record: 14-4
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: 10
Returning Starters: Dylan Bredlow (sr), Taylor Joseph (sr), Sylas Hartz (sr), Ian Heald (sr), Tanner Herman (jr), Aiden Smith (soph), Luke Hartz (soph), Dugg Hartwig (jr)

Forecast: Johnson Creek has won three conference title in the past five seasons and are poised to battle for a fourth here in 2024. Six all-conference players return from last year in Bredlow, Joseph, Hartz, Heald, Herman, and Smith and provide a great group of players to fill a roster around. Bredlow, Smith and Hartwig form one of the top trios of pitchers in the conference, having gone a combined 21-4 last season. Coach Blakeley will also have depth this season with players pushing for playing time from a JV squad that went 14-4. The Blue Jays are the top ranked team in Division 4 early on this season and are 11-0 overall. Johnson Creek is a favorite to get back to Appleton for the first time since 2018 and just the fifth time in program history. A tough Trailways-South conference will prepare the team for that playoff push.

Head Coach: Tom Davye (9th year at PE; 31st overall) 478-177 career record
2023 Record: 23-4
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Devin Patrick (jr), Sean Dooley (sr), Noah Taylor (sr), Sam Mills (sr), Travis Tiller (sr), Dylan Walsh (jr)

Forecast: Coach Tom Davey came into 2024 needing 22 wins to get to 500 in his career. While that may seem like a lot, the Panthers could very well get there. Almost the entirety of last year's 23-win team has returned including a loaded pitching staff that includes Sean Dolley (McHenry County JUCO commit), Devin Patrick, and Noah Taylor who combined to go 19-4 and all had sub-1.00 ERAs. Already this season, Palmyra-Eagle is 5-1 in the conference and has outscored teams 58-9 in those games. The Panthers are ranked twelfth in the latest WBCA Coaches Poll in Division 4. With a loaded roster and great head coach, Palmyra-Eagle will challenge for the conference title and due to that competition in such a tough league, should make a push come playoff time.

Head Coach: Scott Gloede (9th year at Deerfield; 9th overall) 107-62 overall record
2023 Record: 26-6
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Austin Anderson (sr), Landon Brattlie (soph), Adam Suess (sr), Kris Hahn (sr), Jackson Droboc (sr),Stephen Bagley (jr), Bryce Eickhoff (jr)

Forecast: Deerfield has won three straight conference titles, won 26 games last season, and return 75% of its roster. The Demons aren't going anywhere, even with the graduation of one of the top players in the Midwest in Cal Fisher. UW-Platteville commit Austin Anderson and UW-Oshksoh commit Adam Suess return to a lineup that does return six players who hit over .290 last year. The rotation should once again be good for Coach Gloede with Anderson, Hahn, Drobac and a healthy Suess back in the fold. It's proved a huge strongpoint for the team through the first month of the season so far in 2024, as the Demons pitching staff has allowed just one game through four conference games. The Demons are ranked nineteenth in the most recent WBCA Coaches Poll in Division 3 and is still the reigning conference champ, meaning the title runs through Deerfield.

Head Coach: Ryan Nehls (10th year at Horicon; 10th overall) 82-70 career record
2023 Record: 16-5
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Owen Muche (jr), Landon Strieff (sr), Aaron Anderson (sr), Quinten Brown (jr), Carter Schwartz (sr)

Forecast: Horicon won 16 games last season and lost in a regional championship game last season. The Marshmen return the top three pitchers from that squad including all-conference selections Landon Strieff and Aaron Anderson. Coach Nehls will need to find depth behind his top guys if they can truly break into the top three in the league. The Marshmen have scored over nine runs per game early on in 2024, but have lost all three games they've played to Johnson Creek and Deerfield. If Horicon was in the North side of the Trailways, they may be a favorite for the conference crown, unfortunately the top of the South division is loaded.

Head Coach: Dan Birr (2nd year at Fall River; 2nd overall) 8-12 record
2023 Record: 8-12
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: 9
Returning Starters: Ceegan Rauls (sr), Shavlik Schultz (sr), Cole Beaudoin (sr), Levi Kirchberg (sr), Connor Veith (jr), Julian Ramczyk (jr), Devin Foulkes (sr)

Forecast: Fall River finished middle of the pack in the conference last year in Coach Birr's first season as head coach. This year they return a senior-dominant group that includes returning all-conference selection Ceegan Rauls. Rauls, and juniors Veith and Ramczyk are the top three arms for the Pirates and will once again be the top three in 2024. This season, Fall River has gotten out to a 3-2 conference record and outscored opponents by 20 runs. They are in a similar position as the teams in the four-six spots in the standings, in the sense that the top three spots are almost a given for final standings.

Head Coach: Rich Padron (22nd year at HDHS: 22nd overall) 194-160 career record
2023 Record: 9-15
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: 11
Returning Starters: Owen Cotter (jr), Casey Grudzinski (sr), Austin Peplinski (jr), Andrew Maas (sr), Alex Davis (sr), Micah Ottery (sr), Caleb Peplinski (jr)

Forecast: This co-op finished fifth in the conference and was the only other team not in the top four with a positive run differential in 2023. Coach Padron will have a roster that is upperclassmen-heavy and hopeful to be competitive once again. The Falcon-Trojans will have two returning all-conference selections in Owen Cotter and Casey Grudzinski, providing the top of the lineup with a pair of guys who get on base a ton.

Head Coach: Tyler Pomplun (1st year at Parkview)
2023 Record: 2-21 
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: 5
Returning Starters: Christian Hobon (jr), Gehrig Grenawalt (sr), Mathias Treinen (jr), Gage Burrell (soph)

Forecast: Parkview will be young in 2024 as just one senior is listed on the roster. That coupled with a first year head coach in Tyler Pomplun, and the Vikings may struggle to find their footing early on this season. Christian Hobon is the top returning pitcher and hitter for Parkview and will have a lot fall on his shoulders to continue that individual success to help the team.

Head Coach: Trevor Kearney (2nd year at Rio; 2nd overall) 2-21 record
2023 Record: 2-21
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: Lucas Taylor (sr), Kaden Klabacka (jr), Jackson Shawback (jr), Dayton Epps (sr), Carson Grams (sr), Coope Krakow (soph), Parker Braatz (jr)

Forecast: Rio struggled last year fielding a young squad that was inexperienced on the mound and at the plate. The Vikings gave up 303 runs in just 16 conference games last season but Coach Kearney is hoping the squad takes a step forward in 2024. The struggle this season so far has been scoring runs for the Vikings, as they've scored just two runs in four games early on.

Head Coach: Caleb Edington (2nd year at WB; 2nd overall) 8-15 record
2023 Record: 8-15
2023 JV Record: N/A
2023 Freshman Record: N/A

Returning Letter Winners: N/A
Returning Starters: N/A

Forecast: Williams Bay has canceled their varsity schedule up to this point and it appears they won't field a varsity squad in 2024.

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.