Baseball Game Preview: Orono Spartans vs. Waconia Wildcats

The Orono Spartans will head out on the road to take on the Waconia Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Orono's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Waconia's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Orono will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Chaska, who they had gone 0-3 against in their three prior meetings. The Spartans were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over the Hawks on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won five matches by six runs or more so far this season.

Chaz Brookins was incredible, going 3-for-4 with six RBI and two doubles. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high. Carson Lucey was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one run.

Orono always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Waconia challenged Jefferson on Thursday. The Wildcats narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Jaguars 6-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcats.

Orono's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Waconia, their record now sits at 3-7.

Orono came up short against Waconia in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 9-4. Can the Spartans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.