Baseball Game Preview: Hazel Park Vikings vs. Center Line Panthers

The Hazel Park Vikings will face off against the Center Line Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Hazel Park is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering New Haven just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Monday. They lost 13-4 to the Rockets.

Hazel Park saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zay Justice, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another was Josh Wilkowski, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 19 runs the game before, Center Line was a bit more limited in their game on Monday. They came up short against Fitzgerald, falling 8-1.

Dylan Fenger was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Austin Manley also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.

Hazel Park's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 7-5. As for Center Line, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season.

Center Line's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hazel Park hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .383. It's a different story for Center Line, though, as they've only averaged .213. Will they be able to contain Hazel Park's hitters?

Hazel Park came out on top in a nail-biter against Center Line when the teams last played back in June of 2024, sneaking past 6-5. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.