The Centennial Chargers will head out to square off against the Normal Community Ironmen at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Centennial is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Centennial took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They walked away with an 8-5 win over Peoria Notre Dame.
Cal Meyers
| 04/11/25 vs Peoria Notre Dame | 3 |
| 03/25/25 @ St. Thomas More | 2 |
| 03/22/25 vs Routt Catholic | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Normal West | 1 |
Cal Meyers made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (three). He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He has become a key player for Centennial: the team is 6-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-4 otherwise.
Meyers wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tate Sauer, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. What's more, Sauer posted two RBI, the most he's had over his last 12 matches. Dylan Keene also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Normal Community waltzed into their contest on Saturday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They came out on top against the Rocks by a score of 6-1. Six seems to be a good number for the Ironmen as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Tyler Swanson looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Max Heineman, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Kyle Beaty, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Normal Community pushed their record up to 9-3 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Centennial, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Centennial has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .459. However, it's not like Normal Community struggles in that department as they've averaged .468. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Centennial might still be hurting after the 12-5 loss they got from Normal Community in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Chargers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
