Baseball Game Preview: Lincoln Christian Crusaders vs. Central City/Centura Kernels

The Lincoln Christian Crusaders will head out to challenge the Central City/Centura Kernels at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Lincoln Christian comes in on four and Central City/Centura on 16.

Lincoln Christian is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest victory since March 22nd on Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Lincoln Northwest 3-2.

Lincoln Christian's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kale Bryson, who went 1-for-2 with one run.

Meanwhile, Central City/Centura faced Malcolm in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Kernels came out on top against the Clippers by a score of 8-4.

Luke Vakiner was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.

Lincoln Christian's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Central City/Centura, their win bumped their record up to 16-0.

Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lincoln Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Central City/Centura struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Lincoln Christian skirted past Central City/Centura 2-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.