Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 5 Union Grove

Our 2021 preseason coverage continues today. 

Team: Union Grove
Preseason Rank: No. 5
2019 Record: 27-4
Conference: Southern Lakes
WIAA Division: 1
Head Coach: Nathan Meyer

TOP PLAYERS

OUTLOOK

A common trend you’ll see among the top teams in Wisconsin is pitching depth and this Union Grove squad is no different. They have several quality senior arms, as well as a few impressive younger arms, that make up a strong staff from top to bottom.

Seniors RHP Noah France and RHP Isaiah Cerfus are two powerful arms set to anchor this pitching staff, and they’re both committed to play baseball at Madison JC in the fall. Until then, they’ll combine for one of the state’s top knockout punches atop a rotation.

Noah France (7/14/20)

France is an athletic, live-armed athlete who regularly pumps in a mid- to upper-80s fastball from a lower release angle, creating jump out of the hand and through the zone. That pitch plays off his sweeping swing-and-miss slider – and it’s truly one of the state’s best breaking balls. Cerfus brings a physical presence to the mound, listed at durable 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, his frame aids him in producing a steep, carry four-seam fastball that enters and exits the zone with aggression.

Isaiah Cerfus (7/25/20)

Those two are Union Grove’s power pitchers, while senior southpaws LHP Kaden Pfeffer (Century JC commit) and LHP Taylor Brauer (McHenry JC) are more of the traditional lefty finesse types. Pfeffer’s fastball plays in the low-80s, but it’s his ability to spot it up in the zone and land both of his secondary pitches for strikes that makes him effective. Brauer is cut from a similar mold, featuring a heater with similar velocity to Pfeffer’s and a sharp breaking ball that he can routinely spin for strikes.

Two more senior right-handers, Maguire Delagrave (Wisconsin-Parkside) and Tommy Pinnow (uncommitted), are viewed as possible relief options for the Broncos. RHP Eric Williamson (2022) and LHP/OF Owen Nowak (2023) are two more arms that Union Grove can deploy out of their pen. It’s a deep group that’s going to be a major strength for the Broncos this spring.

There are a handful of seniors leading the charge for Union Grove on offense, starting with a top-50 prospect in the state’s 2021 class: INF/C Nicklas Williams (Wabash Valley JC). He’s an impressive athlete who can handle himself up the middle of the infield or behind the plate. Williams has an athletic, muscular physique, listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds, and it’s helped him generate prominent batted-ball metrics in the past – and from both sides of the plate, as he also started to swing from the left side last year, and with promising results.

Nicklas Williams (8/17/20)

The aforementioned Delagrave figures to be an everyday starter in the outfield for this team and left-handed-hitting C Brady Katterhagen (Wisconsin-Platteville) draws the task of handling this talented pitching staff. Katterhagen’s smooth left-handed bat should be a dependable one in this daily lineup, too. INF Ethan Horon is a junior with left-handed bat strength and speed that'll be welcome inside this order as well.

Speaking of athleticism, junior OF Remmi Sweet oozes upside in a compact 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame. He’ll provide this team with a spark at the top of their lineup as a legitimate stolen base threat each time he gets on base and also gives them a formidable glove to patrol the outfield grass – and he’s used to the varsity scene, having been a part of it since his freshman year. Junior INF Josh DeGroot is another quality option on offense for the Broncos, with loud tools. DeGrott is a 6.73 runner with natural infield instincts and actions, up to 91 mph across the field while also recording 93-plus exit speeds from the right side. He’s among the most interesting uncommitted middle infielders in the state’s 2022 class. The aforementioned Nowak brings a capable left-handed dynamic to this lineup in his first full season at the varsity level.

Josh DeGroot (3/7/21)

BOTTOM LINE 

The Broncos are equipped with a pitching staff deep enough to work their way through the Southern Lakes conference en route to the title, as our favorites. This deep staff looks even more intimidating when factoring in these Union Grove bats. There’s a lot to like within it, and experienced seniors return varsity action to it, which is a not-so-common advantage this season. We’re used to Burlington representing the SLC in the playoffs and at state, but Union Grove made the trip themselves in 2019, and they’re completely prepared for a trip along the D1 track this time around.

Make sure to follow @PBRWisconsin on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2021 season.

Find more information on the 2021 Broncos below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN