Here are 20 high school baseball players to watch in the Green Bay area heading into the season

(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)

The high school baseball season is underway, the opening days in a journey each program hopes ends with a WIAA state title.

There are plenty of talented players to watch in the Green Bay area between now and June. Here are 20 of them, although there is no doubt the list doesn't end here.

Ian Aoki, sr., Ashwaubenon

The Fox River Classic Conference will have plenty of new names to learn this season after so many stars graduated, including Ashwaubenon standout Eason Hurd.

Aoki could be one of those players to emerge in 2025.

The outfielder and right-handed pitcher had a .342 on-base percentage as a junior and struck out 20 batters in 20⅓ innings.

Pete Bruette, sr., Shawano

The infielder was a unanimous all-conference first-team pick in the Bay as a junior and then put together an outstanding summer performance with his Cavaiani travel team in which he hit .462, had an on-base percentage of .481 and a slugging percentage of .654.

Shawano finished fourth in the seven-team Bay last season, and Bruette gives the Hawks hope they can improve on it.

Evan Cichanofsky, sr,. Bay Port

The outfielder hit .310 with six RBI and scored 11 runs for the Pirates last season. Cichanofsky, a left-hander, also could help replace some of the innings lost by the graduation of starters Ethan Plog and Craig Kabat.

He will play at the University of Wisconsin-Superior next season.

Christian Collins, sr., Green Bay Notre Dame

Most prep observers know Collins for his dominating football accomplishments, which included finishing as the state’s fifth all-time leading rusher with 6,560 yards.  

But the University of Northern Iowa football commit is pretty darn good on the diamond, too.

The infielder-outfielder-pitcher hit .359 with one home run, five doubles, two triples and 16 RBI as a junior. He also stole 16 bases.

Carson Hawley, jr., Bay Port

The outfielder-pitcher will be counted on to help the Pirates overcome the loss of several impact players to graduation.

Hawley put together a great summer in 2024 and hopes to carry that over into this spring.

He got a taste of varsity as a sophomore last season, hitting .242 in 36 plate appearances, while allowing two runs in 5⅔ innings.

Braedyn Heezen, jr., Denmark

The Vikings’ quest for a fourth consecutive D2 state title fell short last season, but Heezen was one of several players on the team who enjoyed big years.

He was a first-team pick in the Packerland as an infielder and will be one of the top leaders for Denmark.  

Brady Kita, sr., Gibraltar/Washington Island

The star catcher was a key piece for a team that won a share of the Packerland in 2024 and should be a top contender again with six all-conference players returning.

Kita might be the best of a talented group.

He was named the North East District Division 4 player of the year by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association as a junior and will play at St. Norbert College next season.

Peyton Kuehn, sr., Green Bay Preble

The outfielder was a first-team all-conference selection in the FRCC in 2024, a bright spot for a Hornets squad that finished near the bottom of the league standings.

Kuehn hit .343 with six doubles, 16 RBI and had an OBP of .400.

He went 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA on the mound, striking out 43 in 39⅓ innings.

Jacob McDonald, sr., Pulaski

The Madison JC commit arguably was the best catcher in the FRCC last season, at least after former Notre Dame standout Brady LaViolette and Bay Port’s Cal Casper.

Along with his work behind the plate, he hit .290 with four doubles, 11 RBI and 13 runs. He had a .438 OBP for a Red Raiders team that went 11-7 in league play.

Michael Molthen, sr., Pulaski

While McDonald was a star backstop for the Red Raiders, Molthen played the same standout role in the outfield.

He ranked 13th in the FRCC in batting average at .365 and added 16 RBI and 11 stolen bases along with a .447 OBP and a .931 fielding percentage.

Molthen went 2-3 with a 3.64 ERA in nine appearances on the mound, striking out 51 in 32⅔ innings.

Brett Paulsen, jr., Kewaunee

The ace of the pitching staff — he tossed a no-hitter last May — who helped lead the Storm to a 17-6 record and at least a share of a second straight Packerland championship.

He was a first-team all-conference selection.

Charlie Prokash, so., Algoma

The right-hander is one of the best pitchers in the Packerland after just one season. He had a 2.95 ERA and struck out 115 in 97 innings during his high school and summer seasons.

His fastball has been clocked at just under 84 mph.

Ethan Richardson, sr., Green Bay Southwest

The Trojans won only five conference games in 2024, but they did have a few of the top players in the league.

It includes their standout outfielder-infielder, who hit .338 with 18 RBI. Richardson — who was a team captain in football — had one home run, two triples and scored 11 runs while sporting a .446 OBP and stealing 15 bases.

Mason Sequin, sr., De Pere

The defending DI state champion Redbirds have plenty of holes to fill this season with the graduation of 15 players, but Sequin will provide some much-needed experience near the top of the order.

The outfielder had 14 RBI, 17 runs and 10 stolen bases for De Pere entering state last June. He added two hits, two runs and an RBI in a semifinal win over Westosha Central and two hits, two stolen bases and an RBI in the title game win over Sun Prairie East.

Gavin Sikorski, jr., Pulaski

The outfielder was among the top 20 FRCC hitters as a sophomore.

He hit .349 with 11 RBI, 10 runs and a .444 OBP, while drawing eight walks.

Drew Siudzinski, sr., Green Bay Notre Dame

The infielder-pitcher didn’t have a particularly good season at the plate as a junior. But he is an excellent athlete — check out his basketball season for further proof — and has the potential to do some damage in his final year on the diamond.  

Siudzinski is committed to play at UW-La Crosse, one of the top DIII programs in the nation.  

Carson Staffeldt, jr., Seymour

The outfielder-pitcher is a star as both a wide receiver in football and at multiple positions in baseball.

He established himself as a freshman when he hit .368 and had a 2.33 ERA.

Staffeldt was a first-team all-conference pick in the outfield and an honorable mention selection at pitcher as a sophomore last season after helping lead the Thunder to a runner-up finish in the Bay.  

Trevor Vande Hey, sr., Wrightstown

The outfielder was a second-team all-state selection by the WBCA as a junior after hitting .438.

The Iowa commit won the batting title in the North Eastern Conference and had 15 RBI, 15 runs and 10 stolen bases.

Logan Wierzba, jr., West De Pere

The left-hander will be one of the top pitchers in the Bay with a fastball that has been clocked at 87 mph.

One of his best overall performances last season came in April against De Pere, when he allowed two runs in five innings and added three hits and four RBI in an 8-2 win.

Bryce Wotruba, sr., Pulaski

The shortstop is in the conversation for player of the year in the FRCC after a breakout junior season.

He ranked 12th in the league with a .368 batting average and added 9 RBI, 18 runs and 15 walks. He reached base more than half the time and finished with a .507 OBP.

The three-sport athlete also excels in the classroom with a 3.95 grade-point average.