The Whitko Wildcats will face off against the Adams Central Flying Jets at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Whitko will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Whitko turned things around against Lewis Cass on Wednesday. They blew past the Kings 10-3. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matches by seven runs or more this season.
Riley Harman
| 04/30/25 @ Lewis Cass | 14 |
| 04/14/25 @ Fort Wayne North Side | 13 |
| 04/21/25 vs West Noble | 12 |
| 04/01/25 @ Churubusco | 10 |
| 05/18/24 vs Prairie Heights | 3 |
Riley Harman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 14 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Those 14 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Chandler Cox was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Hunter Long, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Whitko always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .526. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Adams Central waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Patriots a 3-0 shutout.
The result came thanks to Cade Van De Weg's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up 12 Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Adams Central is 4-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-4 otherwise.
At the plate, Max Byerly was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Adams Central is undefeated when Byerly posts two or more stolen bases, but 3-6 otherwise. Ethan Funk was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Adams Central now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Whitko, their victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 7-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Whitko has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Adams Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Whitko came out on top in a nail-biter against Adams Central when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 4-2. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Flying Jets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
