Baseball Game Preview: Villa Grove Blue Devils vs. Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers

The Villa Grove Blue Devils will head out on the road to take on the Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The last five games Villa Grove has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

While Villa Grove's victory against Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Blue Devils came out on top against the Buffaloes on Thursday by a score of 6-4 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Blue Devils haven't had any issues with the Buffaloes recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Zane Hosler

Base on Balls Against

05/15/25 vs Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman	2
05/08/25 vs Argenta-Oreana	0
05/05/25 @ Okaw Valley	2

Villa Grove got a great performance from Zane Hosler as he pitched 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Hosler has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Thomas Vandeventer was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Jackson Gire, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Mt. Pulaski fell victim to Monticello and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Sages. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Hilltoppers' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Mt. Pulaski's defeat dropped their record down to 20-6. As for Villa Grove, their record now sits at 8-14.