Baseball Game Preview: Elgin Comets vs. Fairbanks Panthers

The Elgin Comets will challenge the Fairbanks Panthers at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

On Wednesday, Elgin came up short against Buckeye Central and fell 9-4.

Peyton Zempter

Runs

04/28/26 @ Hardin Northern	4
05/12/26 @ North Baltimore	3
04/27/26 vs Perry	3
05/13/26 @ Buckeye Central	2
04/15/26 vs Kenton	2
+ 9 more games

Jacob Walker and Peyton Zempter did some serious damage despite the final result: Walker got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Zempter went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Zempter has become a key player for Elgin: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-10 otherwise.

Meanwhile, Fairbanks unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Tuesday. They came up short against West Liberty-Salem, falling 11-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Panthers have suffered since May 23, 2025.

Nolan Baker made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Trey King, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.

Fairbanks' loss dropped their record down to 12-8. As for Elgin, they now have a losing record of 10-11.

Elgin got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in April of 2025 against Fairbanks by a conclusive 11-2 score. Will the Comets repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.