FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — After a stellar senior season that helped Fond du Lac reach the WIAA Division 1 state tournament, Cardinals star catcher Jack Brenner hopes to hear his name called in the 2026 MLB draft this weekend.
"I love being out here and any day that you're able to be out on the field is just a great day to be alive," Brenner said.
Most days you can find Brenner in a batting cage or on the diamond.
"It's just always been the game that I love and whether it's practicing on my own to better myself at that game and I just it never felt like a job or a chore to do so I just always love doing extra work," Brenner said.
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That extra work paid off on the field. In his senior season with the Cardinals, he finished with a .394 batting average and seven dingers.
"I think it's really the steps that I took and throughout middle school and through my early years in high school of putting the time aside to do it on my own," Brenner said. "I think that's what really set me apart."
His play also got him noticed by MLB scouts. According to ESPN and Prep Baseball, he ranks inside their top 160 prospects in this year's draft. Brenner recently participated in the MLB draft combine.
"It was really cool just to be on that stage with all the kids that you hear their names all over the boards as you're growing up and uh to be considered a part of that group is just really cool and it shows that I'm moving in the right direction," Brenner said.
Brenner wants to hear his name called in the draft, but if he can't negotiate the right contract, he could play for Oklahoma, the reigning Division 1 national champion, who he committed to play for next season.
"I'd be really happy to be taken and I'd be really happy to go to Oklahoma," Brenner said.
