When the 2026 New Berlin West baseball team takes the field for the first time, over half of the team will be different from last year’s team. With the loss of 11 total players from the class of 2025, this season will look quite different compared to the last, with a significant change in the team. This season won’t be a “rebuilding” season, but more of a restocking season, meaning how new players are now here, and they will still be competing with a new set of ballplayers to go with returning varsity players. Expectations will be high, and players will be excited and eager for the season to come. With baseball season slowly approaching, it not only builds excitement for the game, but it also reduces stress. With all of the seniors from this past season gone, this upcoming season gives a lot of chances for this year’s team, with around 11 new spots available on varsity.
As open gyms have begun, coaches are getting their first look at the class of 2029, seeing who will be a good fit for what teams. These students are the future of New Berlin West baseball. Not only that, but a few seniors are returning for this season, looking to have a memorable last season of high school baseball. This not only gives a good look at players of all ages, but it also gives everyone practice indoors, with outdoor obviously not being an option to practice in.
Also, with the amount of great players at NBW for baseball, some don’t just play for high school, but for a club team. In most club teams, they also have practices and other opportunities in the offseason to evaluate players and get more individualized work or better experiences with more organized, structured practices and specific work. So even if some talented players are not at open gyms in the offseason, that doesn’t mean they are working their tail off day and night, trying to become the best player they can be.
This season will be very interesting to say the least, and it sure won’t be a season you’d want to miss. With returning senior college commits Elijah Gammage, Drew Spychalla, and Nathan Hinek, who is committed to Milwaukee School of Engineering to play his next four years of baseball, there’s nothing this team can’t do. These players, who are committed to playing college baseball, have had tremendous experience in this organization and around the game of baseball, and will be good leaders for this year’s team, and a role model for the next generation of NBW baseball. Coach Joseph Kolodziej would also say the same, as he cares very much about the program and its future.
Kolodziej talked about his hopes for this upcoming season, saying, “My expectations for the ‘26 season are to make it back to regionals and win it again. It will be a tough road again, but with the returning players, we should make a strong run again.” Kolodziej is always looking for the best out of everyone because he knows that, despite the team being “new,” they have the potential to perform at a high level.
The JV teams, which represent future varsity players, are important to Kolodziej. He shared his goals for JV1 and JV2, as they are the upcoming generation of NBW baseball: “The biggest thing I would like to see out of our JV program is growth. To have them get used to what we do and how we practice. If we do those things right, we should be better than where we started.” Kolodziej hopes to see great growth and development from the lower-classmen who will eventually represent varsity New Berlin West baseball.
Lastly comes the best part of high school baseball: rivalries and competition. Kolodziej shared what teams he looks forward to playing this season: “The games that I look forward to are: every team in our region and Whitnall. With our region being one of the toughest for baseball and having Whitnall down the street, those games should tell us what type of team we have and how we should do versus tougher competition.” Also, the fact that New Berlin Eisenhower is in our region, who have just won their first State Championship, will be a really competitive game, as well as Whitnall, whom NBW had lost to in the playoffs last year in heartbreaking fashion.
Overall, Kolodziej is very excited for the 2026 New Berlin West Baseball season and has high expectations and high hopes for the lower classmen as they are the future of the NBW Baseball program.
