Baseball Game Preview: Gretna East Griffins vs. Bellevue West Thunderbirds

The Gretna East Griffins will face off against the Bellevue West Thunderbirds at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Gretna East has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Gretna East is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Lincoln East, who was ranked third at the time (Gretna East was ranked 13th). The Griffins had just enough and edged out the Spartans 2-1 on Friday.

Colton Kuhl looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Gretna East saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carson Herrmann, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, after a string of six wins, Bellevue West's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell 3-0 to Skutt Catholic. The matchup marked the first time this season in which the Thunderbirds were not able to get on the board.

Bellevue West's defeat dropped their record down to 7-2. As for Gretna East, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Gretna East has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bellevue West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Gretna East might still be hurting after the 13-0 loss they got from Bellevue West in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Griffins have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.