Baseball Game Preview: Connell Eagles vs. Naches Valley Rangers

Connell is 1-8 against Naches Valley since March of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Eagles will square off against the Rangers at 3:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Naches Valley will be up against a hot Connell team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 17-3 margin over Wapato on Tuesday.

Trayden Chamberlain looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched.

Hunter VanHollebeke

Runs Batted In (Career)

03/24/26 vs Wapato	6
03/24/26 vs Wapato	3
04/29/25 vs Royal	3
03/20/26 vs Wahluke	1
03/20/26 vs Wahluke	1

On the hitting side, Connell let Hunter VanHollebeke and Tucker Thomasson run wild. VanHollebeke went 2-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs, while Thomasson went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those six RBI gave VanHollebeke a new career-high. Anderw Mertens was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.

Connell always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .629. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Naches Valley not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since May 6, 2025 (when they won 9-1). Everything went their way against College Place as they made off with an 11-5 victory. The win continues a trend for the Rangers in their matchups with the Hawks: they've now won three in a row.

Connell's record is now 4-0. As for Naches Valley, their record now sits at 2-4.

Connell came up short against Naches Valley when the teams last played back in May of 2025, falling 5-2. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.