DeKalb is 2-8 against Neuqua Valley since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Barbs will be playing at home against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. DeKalb's pitching crew has only allowed 4.1 runs per game this season, so Neuqua Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
DeKalb is headed into Monday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Saturday. They fell 7-4 to Sycamore.
DeKalb got a good showing from Lukas Stubblefield, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
On the hitting side, DeKalb saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nik Nelson, who went 1-for-4 with one home run. That home run marked the first that Nelson has launched this season.
Meanwhile, while Neuqua Valley put up some runs on Saturday, the same can't be said for Crete-Monee. The Wildcats put the hurt on the Warriors with a sharp 10-0 win. The game marked the Wildcats' most dominant victory of the season.
Kiet Truong made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jorden Castillo was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two runs and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Mike Langan, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Neuqua Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Neuqua Valley has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-10-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for DeKalb, their loss dropped their record down to 16-7-1.
DeKalb couldn't quite finish off Neuqua Valley in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 and fell 4-2. Will the Barbs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
