Inside The Numbers: Wisconsin's 2016 Early Signing Period
November 19, 2015
By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor - Wisconsin/Illinois
The early signing period has come to an end for the 2016 class, a class in which we've been there from start to finish as we saw a lot of these prospects as freshman. Last year we tabbed the 2015 class as the most recruited class ever in Wisconsin high school baseball with 29 early Division I commits. This year the 2016 class surpassed that number with 38 Division I commits at the early signing period and 14 early commits to Division II programs. For sake of consistencies year to year our numbers will only breakdown Division I commits (NCAA Division I and Division II prospects are the only ones to sign early NLI's at this point).
The high end talent in this class is clear by the level of commitments, seven of Wisconsin's top prospects have committed to top 25 programs in the country (according to D1Baseball.com's 2015 final rankings).
No. 3 Florida - Nate Brown (Arrowhead)
No. 8 Louisville - Matt McCarty (South Milwaukee) and Justin Lavey (Tremper)
No. 9 Arkansas - Ben Rortvedt (Verona Area)
No. 11 Illinois - Ryan Schmitt (Arrowhead), Cyrillo Watson (South Milwaukee) and Ty Weber (Menomonee Falls)
Also four of the five NCAA power conferences have nabbed Wisconsin high school prospects this year. Here is a look at the conference breakdown of early commits.
*Big 10 - 8
Missouri Valley - 5
Mid-American - 4
Atlantic 10 - 3
Horizon - 3
Ohio Valley - 3
*ACC - 2
*Pac 12 - 2
*SEC - 2
West Coast - 2
American - 1
Ivy League - 1
Southern - 1
Summit - 1
*Denotes NCAA power conference.
In the heart of Big 10 country it's no surprise to see the most commits within that conference, but one interesting trend is the reach of schools outside the Midwest coming into the Badger State to fill their rosters. Outside of Wisconsin's "surrounding" states (Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa), 18 of the state's top prospects will be crossing multiple state lines to continue their baseball careers. Here's a look at the geographic breakdown of early Division I commits.
Illinois - 10
Indiana - 3
Michigan - 3
Arizona - 2
Florida - 2
Iowa - 2
Kentucky - 2
Missouri - 2
Ohio - 2
Tennessee - 2
Washington - 2
Wisconsin - 2
Arkansas - 1
Kansas - 1
Nebraska - 1
New Hampshire - 1
Not to be left out, but Division II programs have gotten more involved in recruiting Wisconsin this early signing period. 14 Wisconsin prospects have made early commits to Division II programs, 12 of which hailing from the state of Minnesota.
Winona State - 6
Southwest Minnesota State - 3
Grand Valley State - 1
Illinois-Springfield - 1
Minnesota-Duluth - 1
Minnesota State-Mankato - 1
St. Cloud State - 1
The state of high school baseball is alive and well in Wisconsin and it's great to see all of the doors opening for baseball prospects in a cold weather state such as Wisconsin. As this trend hopes to continue, I think in years to come the 2016 class in Wisconsin can always be looked back upon as one of top classes the state has seen.
Division I Early Commits
NAME | STATE | SCHOOL | CLASS | POS. | COMMITMENT |
Gavin Lux | WI | Indian Trail | 2016 | SS | Arizona State |
Alec Marsh | WI | Reagan College Prep | 2016 | RHP | Arizona State |
Ben Rortvedt | WI | Verona Area | 2016 | C | Arkansas |
Ryan Selner | WI | Milwaukee Lutheran | 2016 | RHP | Austin Peay |
Jim Jarecki | WI | Marquette University | 2016 | RHP | Bradley |
Zach Gilles | WI | McDonnell Central | 2016 | OF | Central Michigan |
Grant Frazer | WI | Oconto | 2016 | SS | Central Michigan |
Henry Eilen | WI | Eau Claire Memorial | 2016 | OF | Dartmouth |
Jeff Steuck | WI | Kenosha Tremper | 2016 | 1B | Dayton |
Jake Sperry | WI | Chippewa Falls | 2016 | SS | Evansville |
Adam Lukas | WI | Grafton | 2016 | RHP | Evansville |
Nathan Brown | WI | Arrowhead | 2016 | RHP | Florida |
Keaton Knueppel | WI | Verona Area | 2016 | LHP | Gonzaga |
Taylor Borchers | WI | Appleton North | 2016 | RHP | Gonzaga |
Ryan Schmitt | WI | Arrowhead | 2016 | RHP | Illinois |
Cyrillo Watson | WI | South Milwaukee | 2016 | OF | Illinois |
Ty Weber | WI | Menomonee Falls | 2016 | RHP | Illinois |
Matt Hamilton | WI | Oak Creek | 2016 | RHP | Illinois State |
Jordan Krueger | WI | Mukwonago | 2016 | LHP | Illinois-Chicago |
Jack Eagan | WI | Wautoma | 2016 | LHP | Indiana |
Adam LaRock | WI | Eau Claire North | 2016 | SS | Iowa |
Jack Kinzer | WI | Port Washington | 2016 | C | Iowa |
TD Walker | WI | Milwaukee Lutheran | 2016 | OF | Jacksonville |
Ben Carew | WI | Kimberly | 2016 | OF | Kent State |
Justin Lavey | WI | Tremper | 2016 | 3B | Louisville |
Matt McCarty | WI | South Milwaukee | 2016 | RHP | Louisville |
Takoda Metoxen | WI | Franklin | 2016 | RHP | Memphis |
Dominic Clementi | WI | Arrowhead | 2016 | OF | Michigan |
Joe Acker | WI | Marquette University | 2016 | OF | Nebraska |
Jacob DeLabio | WI | Tremper | 2016 | RHP | Northern Illinois |
Keith Kutzler | WI | Tremper | 2016 | RHP | Saint Louis |
Justin Stollberg | WI | Brookfield Central | 2016 | LHP | Saint Louis |
Jackson Hoang | WI | Pewaukee | 2016 | OF | Southern Illinois-Edwardsville |
Aaron Goecks | WI | Brookfield Academy | 2016 | OF | Southern Illinois-Edwardsville |
Austin Emanuel | WI | Mukwonago | 2016 | C | Western Illinois |
Nick Winter | WI | Milwaukee Lutheran | 2016 | LHP | Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
Matt DeYoung | WI | Xavier | 2016 | 1B | Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
Drake Durham | WI | New Richmond | 2016 | LHP | Witchita State |
Division II Early Commits
NAME | STATE | SCHOOL | CLASS | POS. | COMMITMENT |
Hop Buran | WI | Lake Country Lutheran | 2016 | 3B | Grand Valley State |
Aaron Steinhoff | WI | Horlick | 2016 | RHP | Illinois-Springfield |
Carter Elliott | WI | Hudson | 2016 | 3B | Minnesota State |
Travis Berg | WI | Eau Claire Memorial | 2016 | RHP | Minnesota-Duluth |
Jeremy Stouffer | WI | Indian Trail | 2016 | RHP | Southwest Minnesota State |
Spencer Schroeder | WI | Ellsworth | 2016 | RHP | Southwest Minnesota State |
Christian Zamudio | WI | Tremper | 2016 | 3B | Southwest Minnesota State |
DJ Ellifson | WI | Oak Creek | 2016 | OF | St. Cloud State |
Treyton Larson | WI | River Falls | 2016 | SS | Winona State |
Nathan Santos | WI | Altoona | 2016 | RHP | Winona State |
Jacob Huebsch | WI | Ithaca | 2016 | RHP | Winona State |
Tanner Haessly | WI | Kimberly | 2016 | RHP | Winona State |
Caleb Schoenholz | WI | Green Bay Preble | 2016 | LHP | Winona State |
Aaron Mutter | WI | Burlington | 2016 | RHP | Winona State |
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