Baseball Game Preview: Plymouth Panthers vs. Ripon Tigers

For the second straight game, Plymouth will face off against Ripon. The Panthers will square off against the Tigers at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday. Plymouth is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.

Plymouth took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Ripon with a sharp 11-1 victory. The win was some much needed relief for the Panthers as it spelled an end to their six-game losing streak.

Cole Kuhn made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Plymouth is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-5 otherwise. Kuhn was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024.

Brett Shutter

Runs

04/29/25 vs Ripon	2
04/03/25 vs Sheboygan Falls	2
04/01/25 vs New Holstein	2
04/24/25 @ Kettle Moraine Lutheran	1
04/14/25 vs Chilton	1
+ 1 more games

In other batting news, Jackson Neilitz and Brett Shutter did most of the damage at the plate: Neilitz got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base, while Shutter went 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Shutter has become a key player for Plymouth: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 1-6 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Aidan Demunck, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.

Plymouth's victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 4-6. As for Ripon, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-12.

Plymouth's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Ripon, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Plymouth continue to outrun the ball? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.