Baseball Preview: Hanover Central Wildcats vs. Valparaiso Vikings
Hanover Central is on a eight-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Valparaiso is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Hanover Central Wildcats will take on the Valparaiso Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games Hanover Central has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Hanover Central is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Indiana's top teams: New Prairie, who was ranked 19th in their home state at the time (Hanover Central was ranked 14th). Hanover Central narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past New Prairie 6-5. That's two games straight that Hanover Central has won by just one run.
Meanwhile, Valparaiso put the finishing touches on their eighth blowout victory of the season on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Michigan City. That's two games straight that Valparaiso has won by exactly ten runs.
Trevor Fenters was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Fenters has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances. Fenters was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Trent Gill, who scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Edward Curry was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing three bases.
Hanover Central's win bumped their record up to 18-2. As for Valparaiso, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 16-2 record this season.
Hanover Central beat Valparaiso 5-2 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Does Hanover Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Valparaiso turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
