Baseball Game Preview: Central Rockets vs. Jacobs Eagles

The Central Rockets will head out on the road to take on the Jacobs Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Central came up short against Huntley and fell 5-1.

Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Jacobs ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Dundee-Crown with a sharp 12-6 win. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by six runs or more this season.

George Donze tossed a big game, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Jace Koth was a standout: he got on base in five of his six plate appearances with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Cooper Gulgren was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.

Jacobs always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .532. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.

Central has been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 9-13-2 record this season. As for Jacobs, their record is now 16-6.

Central might still be hurting after the 6-0 loss they got from Jacobs when the teams last played back in April. Can the Rockets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.