The Rocky Mountain Grizzlies will head out on the road to square off against the Middleton Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Rocky Mountain is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Rocky Mountain and Meridian, and Rocky Mountain kept the tradition alive. The Grizzlies were the clear victors by an 11-3 margin over the Warriors on Friday. The Grizzlies have beaten the Warriors the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Warriors has come to flipping the script.
Jackson Wendt
| 04/04/25 vs Meridian | 7 |
| 03/13/25 vs Kuna | 6 |
| 03/22/25 vs South Albany | 4 |
| 03/15/24 @ Ridgevue | 3 |
| 03/22/24 vs Coeur d'Alene | 1 |
Jackson Wendt made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Rocky Mountain let Connor Ching and Jeff Thompson run wild. Ching went 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Thompson scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most stolen bases Thompson has posted since back in April of 2024. Aiden Henzler was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Middleton faced Ridgevue in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Vikings came out on top in a nail-biter against the Warhawks, sneaking past 11-10. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Vikings considering their one-run performance the game before.
Like Rocky Mountain, Middleton also got a great game from a two-way player: Kellen Viehweg. On the mound, Viehweg tossed five innings while giving up three earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. Meanwhile, Ryan Collins tossed two innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Viehweg went 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Collins scored two runs and stole five bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. That triple was Viehweg's first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Drew Holman, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Cam Lenius, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his five plate appearances.
Middleton's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. As for Rocky Mountain, their record is now 12-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Rocky Mountain has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Middleton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Rocky Mountain came out on top in a nail-biter against Middleton when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Grizzlies since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
