Ellis and Russell are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Railroaders are taking a road trip to take on the Broncos at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Ellis comes in on three and Russell on six.
On Tuesday, Ellis made easy work of Sylvan-Lucas and carried off a 14-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Railroaders, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Gavyn Wildeman
| 04/11/25 vs Minneola | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Decatur Community | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Decatur Community | 3 |
| 04/22/25 @ Sylvan-Lucas | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs Kinsley | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
Hunter Guffey and Gavyn Wildeman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Guffey tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Meanwhile, Wildeman pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Guffey has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Guffey got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Wildeman went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Ellis is undefeated when Wildeman posts two or more runs, but 3-5 otherwise.
In other batting news, Ellis let Ben Byers and Aiden Aschenbrenner run wild. Byers went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI, while Aschenbrenner went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Byers has become a key player for Ellis: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 4-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Austin Lopeman, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Ellis always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .618. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Russell beat Minneapolis 6-2 on Tuesday.
Jaxon Ross was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had over his last five matchups. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Sam Thielen was incredible, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Mason Rohr was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base.
Russell's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Ellis, their record is now 9-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ellis has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Russell struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Ellis might still be hurting after the 10-2 loss they got from Russell in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the Railroaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
