The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association released its 2026 all-state and all-district teams, which prominently feature several Journal Sentinel area athletes who had outstanding individual seasons.
The state players of the year across the four Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association divisions include senior Jace Mataczynski of Hudson (D1), senior Dominic Santarelli of Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy (D2), junior Ira Hilbelink of Cedar Grove-Belgium (D3) and senior Dawson Luther of Pittsville (D4). Germantown senior Jon Murkowski (D2) was named an all-Metro District player of the year, while Muskego senior Maddux Lessard (D1), Wisconsin Lutheran junior Cooper Sievert (D1) and Pewaukee junior Cayden Burtness (D2) received player of the year honors in the Southeast District.
Here are the WBCA all-state teams and honorable mentions. Journal Sentinel area athletes are listed in bold.
WBCA all-state first team
Pitchers
Tyson Grulkowski, sr., Muskego; Brett Paulsen, sr., Kewaunee; Landon Lassahn, sr., Verona.
Catcher
Jack Brenner, sr., Fond du Lac.
Infielders
Carter Gordon, jr., Germantown; Chance Ruby, sr., Wilmot; Jace Mataczynski, sr., Hudson; Cal Moreau, sr., Monona Grove; Calvin Roth, sr., Stevens Point.
Outfielders
Jon Murkowski, sr., Germantown; Dominic Santarelli, sr., Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy; Dawson Luther, sr., Pittsville.
DH/Utility
Ira Hilbelink, jr., Cedar Grove-Belgium.
WBCA all-state second team
Pitchers
Colton Semmelmann, sr., Brookfield Central; Mason Schmidt, sr., Somerset; Parker Lawson, sr., Bay Port.
Catcher
Maddux Lessard, sr., Muskego.
Infielders
Brayden Alivo, sr., Saint Thomas More; Trey Kerkhoff, sr., Burlington; Jake Cummins, sr., Milton; Braun Wotruba, sr., Pulaski; Cayden Burtness, jr., Pewaukee.
Outfielders
Charlie McIntyre, sr., Whitefish Bay; Chase Staude, jr., Kettle Moraine; Joe Meeter, sr., Holmen.
DH/Utility
Zach Rizzo, sr., Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy.
WBCA all-state third team
Pitchers
Damian Kosempa, sr., Marquette; Maddux Hermus, jr., Kimberly; Ethan Jeffers, sr., River Falls; Hunter Larson, sr., Barneveld; Jacob Coopman, sr., Menasha; Cal Schneider, sr., New Berlin Eisenhower.
Catcher
Logan Hagman, jr., Hudson.
Infielders
Mack Endress, sr., Oak Creek; Kaden Kress, sr., Kaukauna; Maddex Welzien, so., West Bend West; Winston Alonso, sr., Reedsburg; Cayden Staffeldt, sr., Seymour; Cooper Sievert, jr., Wisconsin Lutheran.
Outfielders
Tyler Smeiska, jr., Mukwonago; Keyton Kilian, sr., Fond du Lac; Bryce Crubaugh-Lockard, sr., Dodgeville.
DH/Utility
Brayden Banyai, sr., Madison Memorial.
WBCA all-state honorable mention
Pitchers
Reed Vorlob, sr., Horicon; Sam Ortiz, sr., Franklin; Mark Susa, jr., Hudson; Bentley Wagner, sr., Jefferson; Marty Hanna, sr., Sauk Prairie; Brett Breidung, sr., Durand-Arkansaw; Gavin Thiel, jr., Stevens Point; True Thurs, sr., Marathon; Nathan Johnson, sr., Dodgeville; Derek Wales, so., Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran.
Catchers
Grady Cheever, jr., Germantown; Haaken Hovestol, jr., Delavan-Darien; Mac Konieczny, sr., Columbus Catholic; Cooper Whitehurst, sr., Wisconsin Dells.
Infielders
Tyler Olszewski, sr., Germantown; Carson Roemhild, sr., Boyceville; Tysen Teal, jr., Northwestern; Gavin Thompson, sr., Chippewa Falls; Caleb Liggon, sr., Madison Memorial; Logan Michaels, sr., Random Lake; Eli Hart, so., Bay Port; Mack Krause, sr., Neenah; Zandyr Barke, sr., Wittenberg-Birnamwood; Michael Glodowski, sr., Amherst; Henry Grove, sr., Wisconsin Dells; Shawn Jahnke-Fiedler, sr., Fennimore; Cael Koenig, jr., River Ridge; Gage Wall, sr., Seneca.
Outfielders
Alex Michna, jr., New Berlin Eisenhower; Dominick Walters, sr., Franklin; Alex Hoff, sr., Saint Croix Falls; Sam Manchester, sr., Hudson; Ethan Westrate, jr., Fall Creek; Cam Glusick, jr., Sun Prairie East; Grayson Gauwitz, jr., McFarland; Ezra Liggon, sr., Madison Memorial; Carson Hawley, sr., Bay Port; Cam Munao, sr., Gibraltar/Washington Island; Sully Perkins, sr., Amherst; Carson Staffeldt, sr., Seymour; Brett Bossert, sr., Mineral Point.
DH/Utility
Caleb Johns, sr., New Berlin Eisenhower; Sam Abrahamson, sr., Hudson; Drew Gage, sr., Stratford; Mason Durst, so., Barneveld; Jack Olson, jr., Viroqua.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Germantown’s Murkowski, Muskego’s Grulkowski on WBCA all-state team
Reporting by Zac Bellman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zac Bellman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
