The Hanover Central Wildcats will challenge the Lake Central Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Hanover Central has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Lake Central will arrive with seven straight victories.
Hanover Central is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Lincoln-Way Central, who was ranked 17th in their home state at the time (Hanover Central was ranked 11th). The Wildcats fell just short of the Knights by a score of 5-3 on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Wildcats have suffered since June 3, 2024.
Anthony Rayski and Dylan Bowen did some serious damage despite the final result: Rayski went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI, while Bowen went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. That home run marked the first that Rayski has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Jaylen Rutherford, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Meanwhile, Lake Central got the win against NorthWood on Saturday by a conclusive 9-2. Considering the Indians have won 14 games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Lake Central also got a great performance from Ethan Champman as he pitched six innings while giving up just two earned runs off 11 hits. Champman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Dylan Hein was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Parker Robinson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Lake Central pushed their record up to 24-4 with the win, which was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. As for Hanover Central, their loss dropped their record down to 19-7.
Hanover Central suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Lake Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2022. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
