The Cardinal Newman Crusaders will face off against the Dwyer Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Cardinal Newman is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Cardinal Newman turned things around against Centennial on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 11-2 win.
Luke Heminger made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Heminger was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one triple. He has become a key player for Cardinal Newman: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-5 otherwise.
In other pitching news, Coley Surovek tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits.
Daniel Martinez
| 03/05/26 @ Centennial | 2 |
| 02/27/26 vs Bishop Moore | 1 |
| 02/26/26 @ Monsignor Pace | 1 |
| 02/19/26 vs King's Academy | 1 |
| 02/17/26 vs Benjamin | 1 |
Back at the plate, Cardinal Newman got a massive performance out of Daniel Martinez, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those two runs gave Martinez a new career-high. Jorge Gonzalez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
Cardinal Newman kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.3 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 11.
Meanwhile, Dwyer sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 victory over Saint Andrew's on Monday.
Colten Stephens was incredible, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one home run and two runs. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Rocco Bianco, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Dwyer's win bumped their record up to 9-3. As for Cardinal Newman, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6.
Cardinal Newman got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in March of 2025 against Dwyer by a conclusive 9-1 score. Will the Crusaders repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
