Baseball Game Preview: Hoopeston Cornjerkers vs. Prairie Central Hawks

The Hoopeston Cornjerkers will take on the Prairie Central Hawks at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hoopeston has given up an average of 7.7 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Hoopeston and Salt Fork, and Salt Fork kept the tradition alive. The Cornjerkers came up short against the Storm on Monday, falling 13-3.

Zach Huchel was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Dallas Sheppard, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Prairie Central, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They came out on top against Bloomington Central Catholic by a score of 5-2 on Monday. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Saints recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.

The team relied heavily on Chase Simpkins, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Will Skala was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Prairie Central's victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 4-10. As for Hoopeston, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-11 record this season.

Hoopeston came out on top in a nail-biter against Prairie Central in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 8-7. Will the Cornjerkers repeat their success, or do the Hawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.