Baseball Game Preview: Hopkins Vikings vs. South Haven Rams

The Hopkins Vikings will challenge the South Haven Rams at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hopkins has three straight wins, South Haven has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Hopkins came out on top against Calvin Christian on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run third inning. The Vikings took their contest against the Squires 5-2.

Trent Smith

Base on Balls Against

04/28/26 @ Calvin Christian	2
04/14/26 @ Belding	0
04/01/26 @ Hamilton	1
03/25/26 vs Lumen Christi Catholic	2

Trent Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kellen Ford, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Braydon Smigiel, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.

The scorekeeper got an easy start on Tuesday as neither South Haven nor Watervliet made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Rams fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Rams have suffered since May 10, 2025.

South Haven's loss dropped their record down to 10-6-1. As for Hopkins, their victory bumped their record up to 11-4.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hopkins has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like South Haven struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Hopkins beat South Haven 10-5 in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.