Bluffton and Jay County are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2016, but likely not for long. The Tigers will welcome the Patriots at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Bluffton is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Churubusco a 17-0 shutout on Monday. With that victory, the Tigers brought their scoring average up to 6.8 runs per game.
Aaron Streveler
| 05/04/26 vs Churubusco | 10 |
| 04/12/25 @ Northwestern | 6 |
| 04/25/26 @ Eastbrook | 4 |
| 05/01/25 @ Woodlan | 3 |
| 04/11/26 vs Northwestern | 2 |
Aaron Streveler made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Bluffton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .552. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Jay County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over South Adams on Wednesday. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Like Bluffton, Jay County also got a great game from a two-way player: Joseph Geesaman. He tossed six innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Geesaman is becoming a predictor of Jay County's success: when he allows at most two earned runs the team is undefeated (and 4-5 when he doesn't). Geesaman was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Carter Fugiett was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Jay County is 5-1 when Fugiett posts two or more runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Leighton Brown was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
The win (which was Bluffton's third in a row) raised their record to 9-6. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Jay County, their win bumped their record up to 8-5.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bluffton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Jay County struggles in that department as they've averaged .480. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bluffton skirted past Jay County 7-6 in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
