Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 22 Monona Grove


By Isaiah Glidden & Andy Sroka
PBR Wisconsin Staff

The Wisconsin high school baseball season kicks off on March 28, opening day for regular season action under WIAA regulations. Over the next week, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2023 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official PBR Wisconsin Preseason Power 25 Rankings.


Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis. We also utilized some of the information published inside the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association's 2023 Yearbook, which is available for purchase here.

Our 2023 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Monona Grove
Preseason Rank: No. 22
2022 Record: 16-11
Conference: Badger East
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Kevin Connor

ROSTER PREVIEW

NAME POS. SCHOOL CLASS COMMITMENT
Jackson Hewitt OF/RHP Monona Grove 2023 Saint Mary's (MN)
Mac Vesperman 1B/RHP Monona Grove 2023 Edgewood College
Miles Nelson RHP/CIF Monona Grove 2023 -
James Cullison OF Monona Grove 2023 -
Sam Baum RHP Monona Grove 2023 -
Eddie Rivera INF/RHP Monona Grove 2023 -
John Bittner OF Monona Grove 2023 -
Isaac Dresen C Monona Grove 2023 -
Nicholas Guidici OF Monona Grove 2024 -
Kaden Connor 3B/RHP Monona Grove 2025 -
Terek Verhage C Monona Grove 2025 -
Dom Najacht INF/RHP Monona Grove 2025 -
Calvin Moreau INF/OF/RHP Monona Grove 2026 -


KEY PLAYERS LOST

+ Tate Tourtillott (2022)
+ Dillion Connor (2022)

X-FACTOR

+ RHP/OF Jackson Hewitt (2023; Saint Mary’s, MN commit) has been a starter for this Silver Eagles squad for three years now, and going into his final prep season, he will be leaned on yet again. Hewitt is no stranger to this though as last year he earned second-team all-conference honors as a two-way contributor. He hit .314 as a junior last year, and he's always been a performer on the mound in front of our staff, even with low-80s velo that projects to gain ground as he fills out his lean 6-foot-3 build. Even with low-80s velocity, Hewitt's fastball jumps through the zone and is simply tough to sync up, and he pumps strikes too. Much like last year, Hewitt will be expected to be main producer on both sides of the ball for this Monona Grove squad, and with even more experience as a whole, they have high hopes heading into the 2023 season.

UNDERCLASSMAN TO WATCH

+ OF/RHP Calvin Moreau (2026) was one of the biggest winners in the state’s freshman class throughout the winter circuit and he is expected to contribute right away this season. At the Madison Preseason ID a handful of weeks ago, Moreau, who stands at an ultra-projectable 6-foot-2, 165-pounds showcased an advanced skill set all throughout the day. On the mound, he put together a refined ‘pen, topping out at 85 mph while showing feel for both a curveball and changeup. Offensively, he features a smooth, and repeatable right-handed swing that was all over the barrel. He also registered the fastest 60-time of the day at 6.61 which speaks to the athleticism he showcases all around the diamond. While it is unclear how exactly head coach Kevin Connor will utilize Moreau’s skills throughout the season, it is apparent that no matter how he does, Moreau has the ability to rise to the occasion and produce right away as a freshman.

OUTLOOK

Last year, this Silver Eagles team tallied 16 wins and eventually fell short to a talented Sun Prairie team in the Regional finals, and they're looking similarly competitive in 2023, returning quite a bit of talent.

In addition to the senior 'X-Factor' two-way leader Hewitt, there's a senior core here that'll set the tone inside the the Badger East, like 1B/RHP Mac Vesperman (2023; Edgewood College). He's an imposing 6-foot-3 left-handed hitter who can occupy the clean-up spot in the daily lineup again for Monona Grove. And, like classmate Hewitt, he'll have a big role on the mound in 2023 too.

Also back in the dugout this year: RHP Sam Baum (2023), who was 4-1 and recorded an ERA of 1.47 out of the 'pen last year; and RHP/3B Kaden Connor (2025), who is an upside 6-foot athlete with simple and smooth left-handed swing and should be an asset on defense at third base. Connor is another one who could contribute meaningfully on the mound, meaning this pitching staff could be even more dominant than they were in 2022, as senior RHP/CIF Miles Nelson (2023) should also add to the depth of the starting staff. Nelson has mid-80s velocity that only extends the strength of this team – and he has the bat strength to generate some offense inside this daily order too.

More impact seniors like SS/RHP Eddie Rivera (2023) and OF James Cullison (2023) are back. Rivera is expected to be the team's starting shortstop, while Cullison returns after a first team all-conference campaign as a junior last season.

Junior outfielder Nicholas Guidici (2024) is a player to monitor closely, as one of the biggest surprises at our Madison Preseason ID this winter with an impressive, sound left-handed swing that produced some of the loudest contact at the event. And he'll fit in just fine in a corner outfield spot, though his bat will boost this offense significantly, bolstering Monona Grove's overall outlook.

As for underclassmen, Monona Grove will deploy a handful, like C Terek Verhage (2025). Verhage tallied a .264 batting average as just a freshman last year and he's since made some gains to his game, something we saw first-hand at the Madison Preseason ID which have the chance to greatly impact this Silver Eagles lineup. Also, the aforementioned Connor and INF Dom Najacht (2025) are two other sophomores expected to be everyday starters for Monona Grove. With the ‘Underclassmen to Watch’, Moreau wrapping up this talented lineup, the Silver Eagles look to be in a good spot heading into their 2023 campaign, and on both sides of the ball. 

BOTTOM LINE

Despite an inconsistent offense just a year ago, the Silver Eagles still managed a 16-11 record which speaks to how good their pitching staff was throughout the year. Now with another year of experience for this offense and some new, talented faces scattered throughout this lineup, we expect this offense to be much more potent in 2023. Also, with a solid depth of arms that have the ability to get outs on the varsity level, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this team make some noise this postseason while representing the conference that includes the Division 1 program that won it all in 2022.

Find more information on the 2023 Silver Eagles below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN