Baseball Game Preview: Northmont Thunderbolts vs. Centerville Elks

Northmont hasn't had much luck against Centerville recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Thunderbolts will welcome the Elks at 5:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Northmont is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Central 21-2 on Friday. With that victory, the Thunderbolts brought their scoring average up to 8.4 runs per game.

Brady Whittaker was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). Whittaker was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.

Drake Sauber

Runs (Career)

04/03/26 vs Central	4
04/02/26 vs Hinsdale Central	2
05/13/25 vs Miamisburg	2
04/28/25 vs Fairmont	2
04/26/25 @ Fairfield	2

In other batting news, Drake Sauber was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Austin Welch was another key player, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs and two stolen bases.

Northmont always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .632. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Central only posted an OBP of .364.

Meanwhile, while Centerville put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Archbishop Alter. The Elks were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Knights. That ten-run margin sets a new team best for the Elks this season.

The win made it two in a row for Northmont and bumps their season record up to 4-1. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Centerville, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Northmont came up short against Centerville in their previous matchup back in April of 2025, falling 6-2. Can the Thunderbolts avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.