The Varnum Whippets will head out to take on the Konawa Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Varnum sitting on six straight victories and Konawa on five.
Varnum proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by 12) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Hydro-Eakly 10-9.
Varnum's victory was truly a team effort as eight different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Aiden Cooper, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI Cooper has posted since back in April of 2025. Brenden Poull was another, going 2-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Varnum was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .400 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, while Konawa put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for Wayne. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Bulldogs. Considering the Tigers have won six contests by more than ten runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Tyler Whitley made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Whitley was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Konawa's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-4 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Hayden Moore was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. He has become a key player for Konawa: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Greyson Snell also deserves some recognition as he got his first hits of the season.
Varnum's record is now 6-0. As for Konawa, their record now sits at 6-4.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Varnum has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .621. However, it's not like Konawa struggles in that department as they've averaged .572. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Varnum got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in April of 2025 against Konawa by a conclusive 8-0 score. Will the Whippets repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
