Baseball Game Preview: McLean County Cougars vs. Carlisle Indians

The McLean County Cougars will face off against the Carlisle Indians at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. McLean County is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.

McLean County took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Mason County, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cougars skirted past the Royals 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Cougars have posted since May 10, 2024.

Jaelin Groves

Earned Runs

04/03/25 @ Mason County	1
03/25/25 vs Daviess County	1
03/22/25 @ Breckinridge County	1
03/18/25 vs Hopkins County Central	0

Jaelin Groves spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jax Lee, who scored two runs and stole three bases. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Corbin Martin, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.

McLean County hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Carlisle beat Mason County 8-3 on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Indians.

McLean County's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-4. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Carlisle, their record is now 2-0.

McLean County came out on top in a nail-biter against Carlisle in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 7-5. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.