Baseball Game Preview: Peoria Heights Patriots vs. Midland Timberwolves

Peoria Heights has gone a perfect 6-0 against Midland recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Patriots will challenge the Timberwolves at 10:00 a.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

Last Monday, Peoria Heights came up short against Princeville and fell 8-3.

Brandon Mercer and Cameron Ahart did some serious damage despite the final result: Mercer scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3, while Ahart went 2-for-3 with one home run. Mercer also put up a double, which was his first of the season.

Meanwhile, Midland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They lost 9-3 to Putnam County. The game snapped a strange streak: the last four times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.

Zack Schwanke made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Peoria Heights' record now sits at 3-3. As for Midland, their record is now 1-6-2.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Peoria Heights has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Midland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Everything went Peoria Heights' way against Midland when the teams last played back in March of 2024, as Peoria Heights made off with a 12-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.