Speedway is 0-5 against Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory since May of 2016 but things could change on Monday. The Sparkplugs will look to defend their home field against the Braves at 5:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with eight defeats in a row, Speedway turned things around against Lawrence Central on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over the Bears. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Sparkplugs have posted since May 27, 2024.
Luke Chastain spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on four hits and racked up 13 Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Colten Thompson, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one triple. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Jordan Strong was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory). They put the hurt on Ben Davis with a sharp 17-4 victory on Friday. With that win, the Braves brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Ethan Norris made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-5 otherwise. Norris was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other pitching news, Zane Hamblin looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Andrew O'Brien was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Nick Sobek, who went 3-for-4 with four runs and two stolen bases.
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .457. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in five consecutive matchups.
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-6. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Speedway, their victory bumped their record up to 2-11-1.
Speedway might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory in their previous meeting back in June of 2024. Will the Sparkplugs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
