Baseball Game Preview: Grand Island Islanders vs. Columbus Discoverers

The Grand Island Islanders will head out to square off against the Columbus Discoverers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Grand Island has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Saturday just wasn't the day for Grand Island's offense. They fell just short of Gretna East by a score of 1-0 on Saturday. The Islanders' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.

Brock Cushing

Earned Runs

05/03/25 @ Gretna East	1
04/26/25 @ Waverly	0
04/21/25 @ Hastings	1

Brock Cushing was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Columbus). They were the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over Burke on Saturday. The victory continues a trend for the Discoverers in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won three in a row.

Spencer Shotkoski looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.

On the hitting side, Jack Holys was excellent, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Connor Cameron, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs.

Columbus kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Columbus' record now sits at 10-15. As for Grand Island, their loss dropped their record down to 17-7.

Columbus' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Grand Island has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. It's a different story for Columbus, though, as they've only averaged .352. Will they be able to contain Grand Island's hitters?

Grand Island suffered a grim 7-1 defeat to Columbus when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Islanders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.