Franklin Monroe hasn't had much luck against Tri-County North recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Jets will look to defend their home field against the Panthers at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Franklin Monroe lost a heartbreaker the last time they played National Trail, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Saturday's game. The Jets put the hurt on the Blazers with a sharp 13-3 win on Saturday. The game was the first time the Jets have beaten the Blazers on their field since March 30, 2017.
Brandt Filbrun
| 03/24/25 @ Covington | 4 |
| 04/19/25 @ National Trail | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs Northwestern | 1 |
Brandt Filbrun made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Franklin Monroe is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 3-5 otherwise. Filbrun was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs.
In other batting news, Ty Riffle was excellent, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Franklin Monroe: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three RBI, but 3-6 otherwise. Matthew Byram was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Franklin Monroe always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Tri-County North had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Monday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Polar Bears a 14-0 shutout.
Like Franklin Monroe, Tri-County North also got a great game from a two-way player: Carter Lake. On the mound, Lake pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Peyton Fannin tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (three). At the plate, Lake went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Fannin went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run. Fannin has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.
In other batting news, Ryan Shively and Ben Knife did most of the damage at the plate: Shively got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base, while Knife got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Knife a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Braylen Keener, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Tri-County North's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Franklin Monroe, the victory got them back to even at 6-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Franklin Monroe has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Tri-County North struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Franklin Monroe might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from Tri-County North in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Jets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
