Chesterton hasn't had much luck against Valparaiso recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Trojans will square off against the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Chesterton sitting on three straight wins and Valparaiso on 12.
On Friday, Chesterton had just enough and edged out Highland 5-3.
Chesterton got a great performance from Kaden Hawksworth as he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. What's more, Hawksworth posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April.
Nate Redman
| 05/16/25 @ Highland | 2 |
| 05/03/25 @ Elkhart | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Lake Central | 1 |
| 04/26/25 vs Hammond Morton | 1 |
| 04/25/25 vs Munster | 1 |
At the plate, Nate Redman was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one double. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Andrew Goveia also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Valparaiso hadn't done well against Highland recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Vikings were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Trojans. Considering the Vikings have won 12 contests by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Gordon Wineland spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Matthew Civanich, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. Trent Gill was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs.
Valparaiso hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive games.
Valparaiso pushed their record up to 18-5 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Chesterton, their record now sits at 14-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Chesterton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Valparaiso struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Chesterton came up short against Valparaiso in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 8-5. Can the Trojans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
