Baseball Preview: UIC College Prep Firecats vs. Rauner Wildcats
UIC College Prep is 4-0 against Rauner since April of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. The UIC College Prep Firecats will look to defend their home field against the Rauner Wildcats at 12:00 p.m. UIC College Prep is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 12.3 runs per game this season.
UIC College Prep will head into Tuesday's matchup out to bounce back: they came back down to earth on Tuesday after soaring to a 12-point game in their last game. They fell just short of Bulls College Prep by a score of 10-8. UIC College Prep's defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Miguel Valdivia was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two runs and a triple. Cyrus Lui was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Rauner gave their fans yet another huge win on Thursday. They blew past Goode STEM Academy 15-5. The victory was nothing new for Rauner as they're now sitting on three straight.
Steven Castillo made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Castillo was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last four games he's played.
In other batting news, Roberto Carrasco was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Jayden Delgado, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
UIC College Prep's loss dropped their record down to 5-2. As for Rauner, their win bumped their record up to 11-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. UIC College Prep has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rauner struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10. The only question left is which team can snag more.
UIC College Prep skirted past Rauner 7-6 when the teams last played back in May of 2018. Will UIC College Prep repeat their success, or does Rauner have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
