Softball Game Preview: Munster Mustangs vs. Valparaiso Vikings

The Munster Mustangs will square off against the Valparaiso Vikings at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Munster comes in on 11 and Valparaiso on five.

Munster is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Indiana's top teams: Lowell, who was ranked 22nd at the time (Munster was ranked sixth). The Mustangs walked away with a 5-1 win over the Red Devils on Tuesday.

Cali Rybicki was a standout: she went 1-for-2 with one home run. Miah Almaguer also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.

Meanwhile, while Valparaiso put up plenty of runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Michigan City. The Vikings were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over the Wolves. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won seven contests by eight runs or more so far this season.

Valparaiso pushed their record up to 10-12 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Munster, their victory bumped their record up to 19-3.

Munster took their win against Valparaiso in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 15-3 score. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.