The Lincoln Christian Crusaders will venture away from home to take on the Gross Catholic Cougars at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lincoln Christian took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They never let Palmyra get on the board and left with a 15-0 victory.
Maddox Eppenbach
| 04/20/26 vs Palmyra | 4 |
| 03/24/26 @ Fairbury | 1 |
| 05/19/25 vs St. Paul/Palmer | 0 |
| 05/08/25 vs Maxwell | 1 |
| 04/07/25 vs Lincoln Lutheran | 1 |
| 03/31/25 vs Wahoo/Bishop Neumann | 5 |
Maddox Eppenbach and Kade Stryker were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Eppenbach tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Stryker pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, Eppenbach posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March of 2025. At the plate, Eppenbach got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three RBI, one triple, and one run, while Stryker went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs. That triple was Eppenbach's first of the season.
In other batting news, Paxton Bailey was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Grant Dehaan, who went 2-for-3 with three runs.
Lincoln Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .517. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Gross Catholic strolled into their game on Monday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They put the hurt on Platteview with a sharp 8-2 win.
Gross Catholic also got a great performance from Kayo Rempe as he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Rempe has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Robbie Brennan, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Maddux Villamonte was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Lincoln Christian's record now sits at 9-3. As for Gross Catholic, their record is now 17-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lincoln Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Gross Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Lincoln Christian was able to grind out a solid victory over Gross Catholic in their previous meeting back in April of 2025, winning 7-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
