The Illiana Christian Vikings will venture away from home to take on the Hanover Central Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hanover Central's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Thursday: Illiana Christian hadn't allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. The Vikings never let Whiting get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Vikings in their matchups with the Oilers: they've now won nine in a row.
Gabe Soto made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was also solid in the batter's box, earning one RBI and two stolen bases.
Ayden VanKuiken
| 05/06/25 vs Whiting | 2 |
| 05/05/25 @ Whiting | 1 |
| 04/26/25 @ Mishawaka Marian | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs River Forest | 1 |
| 04/10/25 @ Boone Grove | 1 |
In other batting news, Ayden VanKuiken was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jake Scott, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Illiana Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Whiting only posted a batting average of .050.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, Hanover Central made sure to put some runs up on the board against Munster on Tuesday. The Wildcats were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over the Mustangs. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcats.
Matt Cook tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hanover Central let Caiden Verrett and Dylan Bowen run wild. Verrett went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and three runs, while Bowen went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Landon Sarkey was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Illiana Christian's victory was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Hanover Central, their record now sits at 13-4.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Illiana Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .485. However, it's not like Hanover Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .459. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Illiana Christian might still be hurting after the 13-5 loss they got from Hanover Central in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
