Baseball Game Preview: Lutheran Crusaders vs. Winnebago Indians

Lutheran hasn't had much luck against Winnebago recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Crusaders will take on the Indians at 4:30 p.m. Lutheran will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.

On Monday, Lutheran sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Rockford Christian.

Jaxson Schwaneneck looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jake Guse, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Bryce Taylor, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.

Lutheran kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 6-1 when they post 11 or more hits.

Meanwhile, Winnebago came up short against Byron on Monday, falling 14-4. The Indians haven't had much luck with the Tigers recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.

Lutheran pushed their record up to 10-7 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Winnebago, their loss dropped their record down to 7-15.

Lutheran took their win against Winnebago in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 9-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.