Baseball Game Preview: Niles West Wolves vs. Vernon Hills Cougars

For the second straight game, Niles West will face off against Vernon Hills. The Wolves will head out on the road to square off against the Cougars at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

Niles West took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They put the hurt on Vernon Hills with a sharp 10-2 victory. The Wolves haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Yacoub Rayan

Base on Balls Against

04/28/25 vs Vernon Hills	1
04/21/25 vs Niles North	1
04/14/25 vs Maine West	2
04/08/25 @ Glenbrook South	0
04/01/25 vs Von Steuben	2

Yacoub Rayan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Eli Ordower was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Lucas Som was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

Niles West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .641. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Niles West pushed their record up to 9-12 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Vernon Hills, they moved to 7-13 with that defeat, which also ended their three-game winning streak.