Baseball Game Preview: Central Christian Crusaders vs. CrossPointe Christian Academy Cavaliers

Central Christian has won three straight games at home, while CrossPointe Christian Academy has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Central Christian Crusaders will welcome the CrossPointe Christian Academy Cavaliers at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Central Christian is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Praise Academy with a sharp 16-4 win on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Crusaders with their most commanding win of the season.

Meanwhile, CrossPointe Christian Academy got the win against Peoples Baptist Academy on Tuesday by a conclusive 13-3. The Cavaliers haven't had any issues with the Knights recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.

Luke Smith made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and two stolen bases. CrossPointe Christian Academy is undefeated when Smith posts two or more stolen bases, but 1-2 otherwise.

In other batting news, Harrison Wilkes was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Evan Diekert was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-3.

CrossPointe Christian Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .514 or higher in four consecutive games.

Central Christian now has a winning record of 5-4. As for CrossPointe Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.

Everything went Central Christian's way against CrossPointe Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Central Christian made off with a 14-2 victory. Does Central Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will CrossPointe Christian Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.