Champaign Central is 1-9 against Bloomington since May of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Maroons are taking a road trip to square off against the Purple Raiders at 10:00 a.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Champaign Central comes in on three and Bloomington on six.
Champaign Central's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Richwoods. The Maroons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by ten runs or more this season.
Haley Helm
| 04/22/25 vs Richwoods | 7 |
| 04/18/25 @ Effingham | 10 |
| 04/17/25 @ Urbana | 9 |
| 04/16/25 vs Charleston | 13 |
| 04/14/25 @ Mattoon | 8 |
Haley Helm was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one double. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season.
In other batting news, Jaila Davis was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn Helm, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Champaign Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 15 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
While Bloomington didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Everything went their way against Richwoods on Thursday as they made off with a 6-0 victory.
Like Champaign Central, Bloomington also got a great game from a two-way player: Reilly Vetter. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 18 over seven innings pitched. Vetter was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mara Copes, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Lauren Shuey was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Bloomington pushed their record up to 9-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Champaign Central, their record is now 12-1.
Bloomington's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Champaign Central has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .557. It's a different story for Bloomington, though, as they've only averaged .333. Will they be able to contain Champaign Central's hitters?
Champaign Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Bloomington in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Maroons since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
