The Weiser Wolverines will head out on the road to square off against the Payette Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Weiser is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.4 runs per game this season.
Weiser is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Cole Valley Christian, who was ranked tenth at the time (Weiser was ranked 17th). The Wolverines came out on top in a nail-biter against the Chargers on Wednesday, sneaking past 7-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wolverines have posted since April 24, 2024.
Madi Janicek
| 04/23/25 vs Cole Valley Christian | 8 |
| 04/21/25 @ Cole Valley Christian | 7 |
| 04/16/25 vs Homedale | 12 |
| 04/14/25 @ Homedale | 14 |
| 04/11/25 vs Baker | 11 |
| + 6 more games |
Madi Janicek spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Weiser got a big performance out of Ellie Shirts, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and one triple. Ali Navarrete was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Weiser was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cole Valley Christian only posted a batting average of .241.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Payette). They had just enough and edged out McCall-Donnelly 17-16 on Wednesday. The game was the first time the Pirates have beaten the Vandals on their field since April 25, 2022.
The team relied heavily on Victoria Walker, who went 4-for-5 with one home run, four runs, and five RBI. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Maddy Brown, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Weiser has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Payette, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-11.
Payette's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Weiser has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Payette, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Weiser keep running through batters, or will the Pirates buck the trend?
Weiser took their win against Payette when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 22-8 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wolverines since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
