Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 21 Tomah

March 16, 2018
By Steve Nielsen
Illinois & Wisconsin Scouting Supervisor

The Wisconsin high school season kicks off on March 27th, the first day for regular season games.

Leading up to the opening week of games we will be rolling out team previews of high school teams all across the state and across all classifications, eventually launching our Preseason Power 25.

We will bring you a snapshot of what to expect along with top players and keys to success for that particular team.

Team: Tomah
Preseason Rank: 21
2017 Record: 19-7
Conference: Mississippi Valley
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Ryan Brookman
Playoff Run: Sectional finals appearance
2017 Final Rank: 24
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 3

KEY PLAYERS LOST

Jordan Albrecht, SS
Casey Curran, OF
Tommy Repka, 3B

TOP PLAYERS

Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
Mason Brandt	WI	Tomah	2018	LHP
Dalton Prielipp	WI	Tomah	2018	C
Kyle Kroener	WI	Tomah	2018	OF
Jesse Johnson	WI	Tomah	2018	LHP
Josh Carlson	WI	Tomah	2018	1B
Travis Von Haden	WI	Tomah	2018	INF
Connor Prielipp	WI	Tomah	2019	LHP

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

He’s not new to the roster, but he may be new to the mound. OF Kyle Kroener is gifted with a big, live arm. He’s an ultra-athletic outfielder with quick-twitch actions throughout. He ran a 6.94 and threw it 91 mph from the outfield at our Top Prospect event last July. His arm is so live, we had him throw a quick 15-pitch bullpen and he easily touched the mid-80s, so there is probably more in there. Don’t be surprised if Kroener tries his hand on the mound more this season and adds to an already deep staff.

Stat rat

13 of 19: The number of wins that return on the mound for the Timberwolves in their top three arms. Senior LHP Mason Brandt led the way last year with a 7-4 record posting a 2.02 ERA. Junior LHP Connor Prielipp is one of the most coveted southpaws in the Midwest. The 2019 lefty has an easy 86-88 mph fastball and a hard 80-82 mph curveball, easily the best pure stuff in the MVC. Prielipp won four games last year with a minuscule 1.20 ERA and it's likely you can expect those numbers to improve.

Connor Prielipp (2.25.18)

X-FACTOR

Replacing the left side of the infield will likely determine a lot of the Tomah success in 2018. Pitching is clearly a strong point of the Timberwolves but they will need help defending two of the more active positions on the field. We'll be watching early this spring to see who on the roster is able to slide into the left side of the infielder and earn regular playing time -- their chance at state depends on who's able to earn the job.

OUTLOOK

The pitching staff is obviously Coach Ryan Brookman’s strength, as it was in 2017 as well. Last year, Tomah held opponents to three runs or fewer in 16 of their 26 games and won all but one of those contests. That being said, the offense will not be asked for much even though they return a good portion of the middle of their lineup.

Kroener, Prielipp, and senior 1B Josh Carlson all hit over .300 a year ago, and Brandt returns as the team's leading run producer with 20 RBI from last season. Insert seniors INF Travis Von Haden and C Dalton Prielipp who will likely improve upon their junior campaign numbers and the Timberwolves lineup should produce at a similar clip, if not better than last year. This combination of a steady offense and shutdown arms has Tomah looking to improve upon its finish as a sectional finalist in 2017.

BOTTOM LINE

Tomah's winning formula is simple: Hold opponents to three runs or fewer. It sounds easy, but it's a daunting task even for an experienced pitching staff that returns three left-handed arms. Third-year head coach, Brookman, has already worked wonders with this squad and now Tomah actually has some high expectations in 2018. Falling one game shy of a state tournament bid in 2017, the quality they have at the top of their rotation rivals anyone in the state and it can get them through a deep playoff run in 2018.

Find more information on the 2018 Timberwolves below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Gamechanger

Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.