The Holmen Vikings will head out to challenge the Menomonie Mustangs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Holmen is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Holmen's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. Everything went their way against La Crosse Logan as they made off with a 10-0 victory. The Vikings have beaten the Rangers the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Rangers has come to flipping the script.
Holmen got a great performance from Aaron Ploszay as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Ploszay has posted since back in April.
Jude Anderson
| 05/02/25 vs La Crosse Logan | 3 |
| 04/24/25 @ La Crosse Central | 1 |
| 04/14/25 @ Tomah | 1 |
| 04/10/25 @ Sparta | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Eau Claire North | 1 |
At the plate, Jude Anderson was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Joe Meeter, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Holmen was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .421. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Menomonie, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 win over Wausau East on Friday. While the Mustangs didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Cade Lamb looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Menomonie let Landon Middlestadt and Charlie Mikesell run wild. Middlestadt got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run and two runs, while Mikesell went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Taylor Mars was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI.
Menomonie's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-4. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Holmen, their victory bumped their record up to 10-2-1.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Holmen hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Menomonie struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
