Illini Bluffs has gone 9-1 against Cuba/Spoon River Valley recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Illini Bluffs is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Illini Bluffs barely beat Delavan the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Tigers blew past the Panthers 18-1 on Tuesday. The Tigers have beaten the Panthers the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Panthers has come to flipping the script.
Brayden Fargher
| 04/16/26 vs Brimfield | 6 |
| 03/28/26 @ Bushnell-Prairie City | 1 |
Brayden Fargher made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Illini Bluffs is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-5 otherwise. Fargher was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Morgan Patterson and Brysan Bacon did most of the damage at the plate: Patterson went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double, while Bacon went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave Bacon a new career-high. Ryan Welsh was another key player, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
Illini Bluffs always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Delavan only posted an OBP of .125.
Meanwhile, Cuba/Spoon River Valley fell victim to Monmouth United and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Red Storm, falling 10-0. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Wildcats' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
The win got Illini Bluffs back to even at 6-6. As for Cuba/Spoon River Valley, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-6.
Illini Bluffs got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in May of 2025 against Cuba/Spoon River Valley by a conclusive 13-1 score. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
