The Maine West Warriors are taking a road trip to challenge the Conant Cougars at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday. Maine West is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Maine West made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Elk Grove, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Maine West put the hurt on Elk Grove with a sharp 9-2 victory on Monday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Warriors.
Julian Delao
| 03/31/25 @ Elk Grove | 3 |
| 04/23/24 vs Maine East | 1 |
| 04/09/24 @ Glenbrook South | 1 |
| 03/13/24 @ Rolling Meadows | 1 |
| 03/12/24 vs Northridge | 1 |
Julian Delao was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. That one hit allowed gave him a new career-low. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with five RBI, three doubles, and one run. Those three doubles gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Joey Bruno was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. He is becoming a predictor of Maine West's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 0-4 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Tim Wiley, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Maine West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Elk Grove only posted an OBP of .258.
Meanwhile, Conant had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 7-6 W against the Chargers.
Like Maine West, Conant also got a great game from a two-way player: Franklin Kirchner. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up four earned runs off five hits. Kirchner has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two RBI. Those stolen bases were his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kakeru Fujino, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Arjun Patel was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Conant's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Maine West, their record now sits at 3-4.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Maine West has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .451. However, it's not like Conant struggles in that department as they've averaged .520. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maine West beat Conant 9-6 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Maine West since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
