Baseball Game Preview: Northland Vikings vs. Columbus International Lions

Northland is a perfect 3-0 against Columbus International since April of 2024 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Vikings will head out on the road to challenge the Lions at 5:30 p.m. Northland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.

Northland barely beat Beechcroft the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Vikings put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 11-5 win on Friday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Vikings needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.

Jarrod Singleton Jr made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out 14 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Singleton Jr was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.

Jordan Singleton

Stolen Base

04/11/25 vs Beechcroft	4
04/08/25 @ Centennial	3
04/07/25 vs Linden-McKinley	6
04/01/25 @ Mifflin	3
03/28/25 vs Columbus International	1
03/26/25 @ Franklin Heights	1

In other batting news, Jordan Singleton was a standout: he scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Singleton is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Dana Byrd was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Columbus International came up short against Briggs on Saturday, falling 21-8. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Northland's victory was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-3-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Columbus International, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.

Northland took their victory against Columbus International when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 16-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.