Honorable mention All-State a year ago among a loaded Cardinals roster that included catcher Josh Caron, the Division 1 Player of the Year who's now at Nebraska. Hamilton, a North Dakota State commit, is a smooth-fielding shortstop who according to Prep Baseball Report has a "feel to turn the double play in rhythm." He batted .360 in 2021 and was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored and two stolen bases in the state title game. 

Junior Jackson Hunley, a second team All-Big Eight choice a year ago, joins Hamilton in trying to lead the Cardinals back to the mountaintop. He was 7-0 on the mound last year, including the winning pitcher in the title game after striking out four over four shutout innings. 

Batted .352 with only five errors (.900 fielding percentage) while playing shortstop en route to first team All-Capitol North honors. 

At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Johnson is an imposing figure on the mound with a wingspan — and a "simple and clean delivery," according to Prep Baseball Report — that allows him to deliver from multiple arm slots. With a fastball in the upper 80s and significant vertical and horizontal break on his off-speed stuff, the junior's high ceiling is likely to attract attention from college scouts. 

Among the more well-rounded players in the area, Jungers hit .492 with 12 doubles and a pair of homers as a junior and also posted a 2.11 ERA, garnering first team All-Big Eight honors and second team All-District accolades. He has committed to Lindenwood (Mo.), which next season will begin its first season in NCAA Division I competing in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Jungers helped Memorial finished second in the Big Eight at 14-4, trailing only Sun Prairie. 

A first team All-Badger North and second team All-District selection in 2021, King looks to lead a team that will have a new person filling out the lineup card for the first time in 25 years following the resignation of Spencer Lee last summer. Former assistant Micah Thingvold is the new skipper. 

King batted .423 with five doubles and 20 RBIs last season. 

The top-ranked class of 2022 prospect in the state according to Prep Baseball Report, Kilen is a middle infielder headed to Louisville. According to his recruiting profile on Prep Baseball Report, he has "elite defensive instincts" and a great "feel for the positional demands at shortstop." He could see his name called during the MLB draft July 17-19, perhaps as early as the first round if his stock rises with a strong spring.

Batted .311 with three doubles in 2021, boasting the most pop among a quartet of Warriors chosen as honorable mention All-Badger North. Brett Owen (.314) and Cooper Roberts (.308) and pitcher Erik Brouette were the other three picked as honorable mention.

Unanimously chosen as first team All-Capitol North in 2021 after batting better than .500 in league play.

Got on base at a .482 clip while hitting .311 with a homer, earning All-Capitol North first-team honors.

A 6-foot-1, hard-throwing left-hander with a trio of pitches in his arsenal, including a mid-90s fastball, Oppor is the fourth-ranked prospect in the class of 2022, according to Prep Baseball Report. He's committed to Gulf Coast State College, a junior college in Panama City, Fla., but has the raw potential to be selected in the MLB draft right out of high school.

Oppor, a first team All-Capitol North and second team All-District selection in 2021, struck out 79 batters in 36⅓ innings of work last year, compiling a miniscule 0.96 earned run average while also batting .323 with five homers. He'll be joined by, among others, senior AJ Uttech, who hit .420 last year while helping the Cardinals to the league title.

A first team All-Badger North choice a year ago, Price hit .310 with a pair of homers and 15 RBIs in 2021. He also got on base at a .481 clip. 

A second-team All-East Central Conference choice last year as a freshman, Sauer boasts a load of potential for a program that's been among the state's best in Division 2 over the last decade. He also was honorable mention All-District in 2021.

The 6-foot-1 Schaller, a shortstop, has committed to Kent State (Ohio) and was first team All-Badger North and second team All-District last year after batting .541 with four home runs, 27 RBIs and a 1.585 OPS. 

Batted .475 a year ago en route to honorable mention All-State and first team All-Big Eight honors. Among a strong core of returning players for the Spartans, who look to challenge Sun Prairie for the league title and area supremacy. Has committed to UW-La Crosse. 

A middle infielder, Soule batted .476 with 11 doubles a year ago on his way to first team All-Badger South honors. He has committed to UW-Stevens Point.

The Creighton recruit, who verbally committed 1½ years ago, was a first team All-Big Eight Conference choice last year and a second team All-State pick by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association after hitting .450 with 11 stolen bases.

Chosen as first team All-Big Eight and second team All-District in 2021 after batting .437, Zempel heads to Winona State (Minn.) in the fall. 

He'll be joined this spring by senior outfielder Matthew Zimmerman, a second-team All-Big Eight choice who helped the Cardinals reach the sectional finals. 

A returning first team All-Badger North choice, she hit .346 with a 1.037 OPS in 2021 and leads a Thunderbirds team that, thanks to being blessed with depth, has eyes on winning a Badger West title — the league has switched from a North/South alignment to an East/West format — as well as trying to make it to state for the first time.

Strampe is an "All-State caliber player," according to coach Dan Lewison. Senior outfielders Paige Lewison and Caroline Lewison, who are cousins, are also two to watch for Baraboo. 

 This duo made up a premier pitching combination a year ago, laying the groundwork for the Golden Beaver's run to the Division 1 state quarterfinals against Sun Prairie. They worked over 85 innings in the circle, yielding only 16 earned runs for an ERA a tick below 3.70.

Both were first team All-Badger North selections, Fakes making it as a unanimous pick. She also hit .622 with an OPS of 1.556. Edwards hit .350 with five doubles and three homers.

A Badger North first-team choice, Czarnecki hit .364 while helping the Golden Beavers punch their fourth trip to state and first since 2004. Senior Gracie Halfman, expected to play center field, joins Czarnecki for a youthful squad that lost only one player to graduation.   

Picked as first team All-Capitol North a year ago, Hayes returns as one of the cornerstones — junior pitcher Emma Jo Peck is the other — for a team that is littered with juniors and underclassmen but has momentum from winning eight of nine to close out 2021. 

Hit .468 in 2021 en route to first team All-Capitol North for the Blue Devils, who are coming off a challenging season that saw them go 4-15 but this spring are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the program's lone trip to state.

A commit to the University of Iowa and a returning first team All-Big Eight choice, she had a 1.50 ERA with six shutouts and only 14 walks with 132 strikeouts. The Spartans also return their top hitter in infielder Merit Williams, who hit a .359 with a pair of homers. 

Among the top outfielder duos in the area, both were first team All-Badger South honorees for the defending league champions. Lee, who also earned honorable mention All-State from the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association, hit .595 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs and has committed to NCAA Division III Trine University (Ind.). Mayfield, headed to UW-Platteville, hit .487 and scored 34 runs out of the leadoff spot. 

With plenty of pop in her bat, Hanson delivered four homers and 27 RBIs while hitting .351. A second team All-Badger South pick a year ago, she'll continue her career at UW-Green Bay.

Delivered 18 RBIs en route to honorable mention all-league recognition and has committed to the University of Wisconsin as a preferred walk-on. 

 They formed a tough-to-solve tandem a year ago and found themselves as teammates on the Badger North's postseason awards list, both first-teamers after leading the Vikings to a share of the league title and a trip to the sectional finals

She hit .404 at the plate and had a .981 fielding percentage, garnering first team All-Badger North recognition

Coming off a year that saw her post a 0.57 ERA with 171 strikeouts and only 11 walks, she might very well end up as the top pitcher in the state this season for the Pumas, one of the premier programs in the state over the last three decades. Winners of five state titles, their most recent came in 2018 and 2019. 

A returning unanimous first team All-Badger North choice, Dietz was referred to by one opposing coach in preseason surveys as the "best in the biz." She hit .632 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, 15 walks, nine stolen bases and a 1.962 OPS, and her 72 total bases ranked 24th in the state according to WisSports.net. 

Her rookie campaign couldn't have gone much better, ending with All-Big Eight first team honors after leading the Cardinals to the state finals. She struck out nine and allowed only five baserunners in a complete-game 8-0 win over Beaver Dam in the quarterfinals and gave up one run over six innings while striking out five in a 1-0 loss to Kaukauna in the title game. 

Baker's battery mate also was a first team All-Big Eight selection and will be a catalyst in the Cardinals; bid to make it to state for the fifth straight season, though the current run of four straight trips includes a break in 2020 due to there being no season that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A first team All-Big Eight pick, she was 2-for-4 with a run scored in the state quarterfinal win for the Cardinals, who prior to losing in the title game had won 20 straight after starting out 3-3. 

She hit 16 homers last season, best in the state according to WisSports.net, en route to first team All-Big Eight accolades. She also was 10-1 in the circle with a 1.75 ERA as one of the top players for the Wildcats, who shared the league title with Sun Prairie prior to losing 3-2 in an eight-inning thriller to the Cardinals in the sectional finals. 

Andes was a key contributor for defense that orchestrated six shutouts last season, helping her to honorable mention All-State accolades from the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association. In all, the Crusaders held opponents to 1.58 goals per game, and only two teams scored more than two goals — Division 3 state champion McFarland and Oregon.

Apel posted 11 straight shutouts to open her career. She didn’t allow a goal until the state semifinals, a 4-1 loss to eventual Division 2 champion Whitefish Bay.

It was the second WIAA state tournament appearance in team history for the Eagles, who finished the year 15-1. Apel was 31-for-35 on save opportunities last season, earning honorable mention All-Badger North.

An honorable mention All-State choice, Blau finished third on the team in scoring with nine goals. She was essential for the Division 3 state champs, a team that held opponents to six goals over the span of 16 games in an undefeated season.

Blau stepped up in the title game when teammate Avery Pennekamp aggravated an ankle injury, providing a goal and an assist to lead the Spartans past Plymouth 4-1.

Bryan earned first team All-Badger North and honorable mention All-State honors as a junior, helping the Warriors to a 14-3-1 record and an appearance in the Division 1 regional finals, a 2-0 loss to Verona.

Bryan has committed to Loyola Chicago.

On the attack, honorable mention All-State pick Dehner produced three goals and two assists. On defense, she helped the Silver Eagles to a 7-5-1 record that included three shutouts.

The Silver Eagles made an appearance in the regional finals, suffering a 1-0 loss to Deforest. 

In her sophomore season, Fischer earned 11 clean sheets to earn second team All-Badger North honors. She helped DeForest to a regional championship, defeating Monona Grove 1-0 in the finals.

Fischer held opponents to 1.59 goals per match, a number that would have been quite a bit lower had it not been for lopsided losses to Waunakee (9-1 score) and Oregon (10-0). The Norskies finished their season 13-3-1.

Fishnick led the Eagles in goals in 2021, finding the net 26 times and assisting on 13. For her efforts, she was named second team All-State as well as a unanimous pick as first team all-conference. She burst onto the scene as a freshman, scoring a Badger North-leading 45 goals, nearly double that of the league's second-leading striker, Hannah Walters of Portage (24).

Foley was the Crusaders' leading scorer as a sophomore, scoring 12 goals over 12 games. She also had three assists as she led the Badger South in total points (27)to earn first team All-Badger South.

An honorable mention All-State selection in her sophomore season, Hermsdorf — like her teammates protecting the box — was stingy on defense. The Eagles didn’t allow a goal until the state semifinals. Hermsdorf also had six assists on the attacking end and was a unanimous first team All-Badger North choice. 

The UW-Green Bay commit received honorable mention All-State as well as first-team All-Badger North awards. The Panthers held opponents to 0.4 goals per match and made a run at the state title, coming up short to Green Bay Notre Dame 2-1 in the Division 2 state semifinals.

McKay was voted first team All-Badger North in her debut after finishing tied for second on the team with 11 goals. She helped the Vikings to a regional final berth, where their postseason road ended in an 8-0 loss to eventual state qualifier Oregon. 

After scoring 16 goals and assisting on 13, the UW-Green Bay commit found herself named first team All-Badger South and second team All-State. 

A first team All-Rock Valley pick, she had hat tricks in four games (Whitewater, East Troy, Melrose/Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau and Clinton/Beloit Turner). She finished with 17 goals and seven assists.

She suffered an ankle injury in the state semifinal win over New Berlin but was able to gut it out in the championship game victory. 

Severson earned second-team All-Conference honors, complementing McKay to form a solid tandem as they combined for 22 goals — scoring 11 apiece. 

A first team All-Big Eight selection, she was part of a team that won a regional championship. The Wildcats' defense produced six shutouts in 2021, going 7-1-1 in the Big Eight, 9-4-1 overall.

She was voted first team All-Big Eight and honorable mention All-State after producing 17 goals and four assists in 13 games, helping the Regents to a 10-2-1 overall record, 7-1-1 in league play. The Regents came up just short of a trip to state, losing to Wales Kettle Moraine in the Division 1 sectional finals.

The Rock Valley conference Player of the Year and a first team All-State choice, White had six goals and recorded four assists during McFarland’s undefeated season. The Spartans allowed just six goals over 16 games en route to the program's first state title. 

Andrew Kelly, so., McFarland — Kelly finished eighth at the WIAA Division 2 state meet in the 100-meter dash (11.23 seconds) and was the only freshman in the finals.

Nick Gehring, jr., Madison Edgewood — A Division 2 medalist in the 400 (sixth in :50.81), Gehring also took ninth in the 200 (:22.93).  

Lucas Heyroth, sr., Lodi — Heyroth was essential in the Blue Devils securing their first Division 2 team state title. He had a clean sweep in the hurdles, winning the 110 high (:14.56) and 300 intermediate (:39.19). He added a long jump title (22-10).

Bryant Yanke, sr., Reedsburg — The senior placed ninth in the 300 hurdles at the Division 1 state meet (:41.37). Yanke also qualified for the 110 hurdles, finishing 14th in the preliminaries (:15.86).  

Jack Boerger, jr., Sauk Prairie — Boerger was 14th in the 3,200 (9:38.10) at the Divisison 1 state meet last year. . 

Eli Boppart, jr., Mauston — A rising star in the distance circuit, Boppart was eighth in Division 2 in the 1,600 (4:26.55) last June and then a little over four months later took second in the Div. 2 race at the state cross country meet. 

Verona — The Wildcats' 400 relay team polished off their season with a sixth-place finish at state (:43.96). They have returning runners in sophomores Michael Valichka and Amir Trabelsi.

Lodi— Counting the two alternates, the Blue Devils return four of the six runners (seniors Marcus Malig, Brody Nyffenegger and Lucas Heyroth and sophomore Isaiah Isaiah Groskopf) from last year's 800 relay team that took fourth (1:31.19) in Division 2. Nyffenegger also was seventh in the triple jump (43-2). Lodi also returns all four six runners (Malig, sophomores Connor Pecard and Noah Houdek, and seniors Sean Crowder, Amos Weber and Parker Heintz) from the 3,200 relay team that took 13th (8:31.47).

Caden Thomas, sr., Madison Edgewood — It came down to a jump-off between then-juniors Thomas and Sheboygan Falls' Dustin Kerwin last season at state. Thomas pull out the win for the Division 2 high jump title (6-5). 

Ian Phebus, jr., Waunakee — He placed fifth in the shot put (47 feet, 1½ inches) and seventh in the discus (136-3) at the Madison Memorial sectional. Phebus is one of two qualifiers for the Madison Memorial sectional, the other being Holmen's Griffin Banks, who return this season.

Amos Weber, sr., Lodi — Weber placed ninth in the discus at sectionals with a toss of 116-0. He's among a strong field of throwers from the Whitewater sectonal who return. Platteville senior Devin Digman won the sectional (141-08) as a junior and finished third at state (150-10). Also returning is Ryan Norton of River Valley, who finished fourth at sectionals (135-04) and fifth at state (148-05). 

Owen Stevens-Werthman, sr., Madison Memorial — Werthman placed fourth at sectionals last season (11-6). He is the best returning finisher from the Madison Memorial sectional, as the three ahead of him were seniors.

Avrey Pierick, sr., DeForest — The senior qualified for sectionals last season, when he finished just behind Stevens-Werthman, clearing 11-0.