The Manteno Panthers will take on the Herscher Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Manteno sitting on seven straight wins and Herscher on five.
If Manteno beats Herscher with five runs on Monday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Panthers walked away with a 5-2 victory over Streator on Tuesday.
Jake Wendling was a major factor no matter where he played. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March.
Nolan Canfield
| 04/29/25 vs Streator | 8 |
| 04/22/25 @ Lisle | 7 |
| 04/15/25 @ Reed-Custer | 3 |
| 04/10/25 @ Wilmington | 6 |
| 04/01/25 @ Peotone | 7 |
| + 7 more games |
In other pitching news, Nolan Canfield tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Tyler Buehler, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Norred, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Herscher never let their opponents score on Saturday. They put the hurt on Prairie Central with a sharp 10-0 win. Considering the Tigers have won 12 games by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Herscher also got a great performance from Reed Laird as he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched.
At the plate, Cam Baker was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Colton Selby also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Herscher's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 23-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Manteno, their record now sits at 15-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Manteno has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Herscher struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Manteno came up short against Herscher when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 6-3. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
