The Newman Central Catholic Comets will venture away from home to face off against the Sherrard Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Newman Central Catholic has 11 straight wins, Sherrard has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Thursday, Newman Central Catholic made easy work of Mendota and carried off a 9-2 victory. The result was nothing new for the Comets, who have now won 12 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Michael Morse
| 04/30/26 vs Mendota | 5 |
| 04/23/26 vs Hall | 6 |
| 04/16/26 vs Erie-Prophetstown | 7 |
| 04/08/26 vs Forreston | 6 |
| 04/01/26 vs Lena-Winslow | 9 |
| 03/23/26 @ Fulton | 9 |
Michael Morse made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one double.
In other batting news, Garret Matznick and Ashton Miner did most of the damage at the plate: Matznick got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Miner went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Matznick has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Drake Cole was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one run.
Newman Central Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .577. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2025.
Orion hit Sherrard with a five-run sixth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Tigers lost 10-0 to the Chargers. Tigers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team has lost against the Chargers since Thursday.
Newman Central Catholic's record now sits at 17-1. As for Sherrard, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-12.
Sherrard's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Newman Central Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .344. It's a different story for Sherrard, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Newman Central Catholic's hitters?
Newman Central Catholic got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in May of 2025 against Sherrard by a conclusive 10-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Comets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
