The Warsaw Tigers will take on the Valparaiso Vikings at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The last three games Warsaw has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Warsaw took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 victory over Concord. The win continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Minutemen: they've now won six in a row.
Reed Nelson
| 04/23/25 vs Goshen | 6 |
| 04/01/25 vs South Bend Saint Joseph | 4 |
| 04/17/25 @ Huntington North | 3 |
| 04/25/25 vs Plymouth | 2 |
| 05/02/25 vs Concord | 1 |
| + 3 more games |
Reed Nelson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on one hit and racked up seven Ks. He is becoming a predictor of Warsaw's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is undefeated (and 4-5 when he doesn't).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Grady Nelson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Quinton Brock, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Warsaw always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Valparaiso). They never let Merrillville get on the board and left with a 19-0 victory on Wednesday. With that win, the Vikings brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Trevor Fenters made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, DJ Malloy was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, two doubles, and one run. Trent Gill was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Valparaiso is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Warsaw, their win bumped their record up to 8-5.
Valparaiso's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Warsaw hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. It's a different story for Valparaiso, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Warsaw's hitters?
Warsaw couldn't quite get it done against Valparaiso in their previous matchup back in May of 2015 as they fell 12-8. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
