Baseball Game Preview: Illiana Christian Vikings vs. Whiting Oilers

For the second straight game, Illiana Christian will face off against Whiting. The Vikings will welcome the Oilers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Illiana Christian has eight straight victories, Whiting has 11 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Whiting's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Tuesday: Illiana Christian hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Vikings never let the Oilers get on the board and left with a 16-0 win on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won nine games by ten runs or more so far this season.

Jake Scott

Batters Struck Out

05/05/25 @ Whiting	2
04/26/25 @ Mishawaka Marian	1
04/17/25 vs Hobart	3

Spencer Bandstra and Jake Scott were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Bandstra pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Scott tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had over his last three matchups. At bat, Bandstra got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs, while Scott went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI. That home run was Scott's first of the season.

In other batting news, Luke Smith was excellent, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Ayden VanKuiken, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run and one double.

Illiana Christian pushed their record up to 13-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Whiting, their loss dropped their record down to 1-13.