The Papillion-LaVista South Titans will square off against the Skutt Catholic SkyHawks at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Papillion-LaVista South sitting on six straight victories and Skutt Catholic on five.
Papillion-LaVista South is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Lincoln Northeast, who was ranked 15th at the time (Papillion-LaVista South was ranked 12th). The Titans walked away with an 8-4 win over the Rockets on Friday.
Emmett Minderman was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Griffin Minderman, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Skutt Catholic got the win against Blair on Friday by a conclusive 14-1. The result was nothing new for the SkyHawks, who have now won six matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Huston Beran looked comfortable as he pitched 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Skutt Catholic got a massive performance out of Gage Guenther, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI Guenther has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Dylan Van Dyke, who scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Skutt Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Blair only posted a batting average of .176.
Skutt Catholic's victory bumped their record up to 12-2. As for Papillion-LaVista South, their win bumped their record up to 12-3.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Papillion-LaVista South has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .441. However, it's not like Skutt Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .449. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Papillion-LaVista South came out on top in a nail-biter against Skutt Catholic when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. Do the Titans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the SkyHawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.