Baseball Game Preview: Wilmington Wildcats vs. Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers

The Wilmington Wildcats will head out on the road to challenge the Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Wilmington will be looking to extend their current nine-game winning streak.

Joliet Catholic's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Monday: Wilmington hadn't allowed a single run the last six times they've hit the field. The Wildcats blew past Streator 6-0 on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Wildcats, who have now won 16 matches by six runs or more so far this season.

Kyle Farrell and Cooper Holman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Farrell didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over six innings pitched. Meanwhile, Holman pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. At bat, Farrell went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double, while Holman went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run. That's the most hits Farrell has posted since back in April.

Ryan Kettman

Doubles (Career)

05/13/25 vs Streator	2
05/12/25 @ Streator	1
05/06/25 @ Peotone	1
05/05/25 vs Peotone	1
04/18/25 @ Beecher	1

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ryan Kettman, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.

Meanwhile, Joliet Catholic fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Saint Viator on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Lions by a score of 5-4. The Hilltoppers' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.

Wilmington's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-7. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Joliet Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 18-14.

Wilmington couldn't quite finish off Joliet Catholic when the teams last played back in May of 2023 and fell 5-3. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.