Baseball Game Preview: Althoff Catholic Crusaders vs. Alton Redbirds

Althoff Catholic and Alton are an even 3-3 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Crusaders will head out to challenge the Redbirds at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Althoff Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.

Althoff Catholic took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Valmeyer by a score of 9-4.

Sam Roche looked comfortable as he tossed three 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 earned run in three consecutive appearances.

Tyler Birdsong

Doubles (Career)

05/13/25 vs Valmeyer	2
04/09/25 @ Gibault Catholic	1
04/08/25 vs Marquette Catholic	1
03/28/25 vs St. Teresa	1
03/24/25 vs Marissa/Coulterville	1

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Tyler Birdsong, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Evan Hoffman, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.

Meanwhile, Alton entered their tilt with Red Bud on Thursday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 victory over the Musketeers.

Alton's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-11. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.5 runs over those games. As for Althoff Catholic, their record now sits at 16-14.

Althoff Catholic couldn't quite get it done against Alton when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 10-7. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.