Baseball Game Preview: Vernon Hills Cougars vs. Niles West Wolves

For the second straight game, Vernon Hills will face off against Niles West. The Cougars will square off against the Wolves at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday.

Vernon Hills took a eight-run defeat the last time they faced off against Niles West, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cougars sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over the Wolves on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Cougars have posted since April 12th.

Ethan Zbylut

Earned Runs

03/25/25 @ Harrisburg	6
04/24/25 @ Maine East	4
04/19/25 vs Niles North	3
04/01/25 vs Hoffman Estates	1

Ethan Zbylut spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up eight Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Vernon Hills is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-12 otherwise.

At the plate, Connor Brockway was excellent, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.

Vernon Hills has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-13 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. As for Niles West, their loss dropped their record down to 9-13.