Burke is a perfect 7-0 against Bryan since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Bulldogs will challenge the Bears at 4:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Burke has four straight wins, Bryan has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Burke's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Buena Vista 12-0. Considering the Bulldogs have won seven contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Sean Holland looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
Brayden Pickett
| 04/28/26 @ Buena Vista | 3 |
| 04/08/26 vs Omaha Northwest | 2 |
| 04/04/26 @ Buena Vista | 2 |
| 03/23/26 @ Omaha North | 2 |
| 03/20/26 vs Omaha South | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brayden Pickett, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. Burke is undefeated when Pickett posts two or more runs, but 6-9 otherwise. Michael Lehel also deserves some recognition as he scored his first runs of the season.
Thurston-Cuming County hit Bryan with a four-run second inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Bears came up short against Thurston-Cuming County, falling 13-1.
Bryan saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Westin Williams, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Bryan's loss dropped their record down to 6-19. As for Burke, their victory bumped their record up to 11-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Burke has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bryan struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Burke got the 'W' when the teams last played back in May of 2025 against Bryan by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
