Baseball Game Preview: Hammond Morton Governors vs. Highland Trojans

Hammond Morton hasn't had much luck against Highland recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Governors will venture away from home to square off against the Trojans at 4:30 p.m. Neither Hammond Morton nor Highland posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

Hammond Morton is headed into Thursday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Wednesday. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Hammond Bishop Noll.

David Shreve

Batters Struck Out

04/16/25 vs Hammond Bishop Noll	6
04/08/25 vs Griffith	5
04/01/25 vs Calumet Christian	5

David Shreve spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Hammond Morton saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Michael Stevens, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Marcellous McQuay also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Highland fell victim to Munster and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Mustangs, falling 11-0. That's two games in a row now that the Trojans have lost by exactly 11 runs.

Hammond Morton's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Highland, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-5.

Highland's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hammond Morton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .485. It's a different story for Highland, though, as they've only averaged .316. Will they be able to contain Hammond Morton's hitters?

Hammond Morton couldn't quite get it done against Highland when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 4-1. Can the Governors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.