Baseball Game Preview: Byron Center Bulldogs vs. Mona Shores Sailors

For the second straight game, Byron Center will face off against Mona Shores. The Bulldogs will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Sailors at 4:15 p.m. Byron Center's pitching crew has only allowed 0.8 runs per game this season, so Mona Shores' hitters will have their work cut out for them.

On Tuesday, Byron Center made easy work of Mona Shores and carried off an 8-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won four contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Kellen Payne

Hits Against

04/22/25 @ Mona Shores	2
04/01/25 @ South Christian	1
03/27/25 @ Christian	1

Kellen Payne spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Byron Center let Luke Laska and Keaton Van Kampen run wild. Laska got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double, while Van Kampen went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those runs marked the first that Laska has scored this season.

The win made it two in a row for Byron Center and bumps their season record up to 5-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.5 runs over those games. As for Mona Shores, they moved to 5-3 with that defeat, which also ended their four-game winning streak.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Byron Center has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Mona Shores struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.