New Ulm Cathedral and Springfield are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Greyhounds will take on the Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with New Ulm Cathedral sitting on five straight wins and Springfield on 26 (dating back to last season).
On Monday, New Ulm Cathedral was able to grind out a solid victory over Sleepy Eye, taking the game 12-7.
Caleb Forstner spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and five unearned) runs on eight hits.
| 05/05/25 vs Sleepy Eye | 4 |
| 05/23/24 vs Martin County West | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop | 2 |
| 04/10/25 @ Lester Prairie | 2 |
| 05/28/24 vs Loyola | 2 |
At the plate, New Ulm Cathedral let Jake Finstad and Elijah Rieser run wild. Finstad went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one triple, while Rieser went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those four hits gave Rieser a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Evan Blekestad, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
New Ulm Cathedral was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .485. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sleepy Eye only posted a batting average of .303.
Meanwhile, Springfield posted their closest win since April 13, 2024 on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 3-2. The three-run effort marked the Tigers' lowest-scoring match of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Jackson Ludewig made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ludewig was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Springfield got a great performance from Noah Mueller as he didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Russell Beers, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. That double was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kade Nachreiner, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Springfield pushed their record up to 13-0 with the victory, which was their 17th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for New Ulm Cathedral, their record now sits at 11-1.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. New Ulm Cathedral has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .464. However, it's not like Springfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .496. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
New Ulm Cathedral couldn't quite get it done against Springfield when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 5-1. Can the Greyhounds avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
