Kankakee hasn't had much luck against Manteno recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. Kankakee will head out to challenge Manteno at 1:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Kankakee put up the most points they have all season on Wednesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Thornton a 12-0 shutout.
Byron Wills
| 03/26/25 vs Thornton | 2 |
| 05/17/24 @ Springfield Southeast | 1 |
| 04/15/24 @ Rich Township | 1 |
| 04/06/24 vs Crete-Monee | 1 |
| 04/06/24 vs Crete-Monee | 1 |
Byron Wills was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (zero). He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bryce Deany, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Alexander Grill was another key player, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3.
Kankakee always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Manteno put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Hoopeston 13-3. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly ten runs.
Jake Wendling made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Wendling was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Brady Hespen and Tyler Buehler did most of the damage at the plate: Hespen scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4, while Buehler got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI and one triple. Hespen also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Andrew Norred, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI.
Kankakee's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Manteno, their record now sits at 4-0.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Kankakee has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Manteno struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Kankakee couldn't quite finish off Manteno when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 6-4. Can Kankakee avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
