The Beatrice Orangemen will face off against Elkhorn North at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Beatrice is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Fairbury with a sharp 17-4 win on Tuesday. The Orangemen haven't had any issues with the Jeffs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Austin Baldwin
| 03/28/25 @ Lincoln Northwest | 3 |
| 03/20/25 @ Auburn | 3 |
| 04/01/25 @ Fairbury | 2 |
| 03/31/25 vs Seward | 1 |
| 03/29/25 vs Hastings | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Austin Baldwin was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He has become a key player for Beatrice: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 1-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ty Weichel, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Beatrice kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 2-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Elkhorn North never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They blew past Roncalli Catholic 12-0. That 12 run margin sets a new team best for Elkhorn North this season.
Jack Settles looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four).
At the plate, Flynn Fickbohm was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1. Charlie Riesselman was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Elkhorn North's win was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. As for Beatrice, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Beatrice has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Elkhorn North struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Beatrice took their victory against Elkhorn North when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 7-0 score. Do the Orangemen have another victory up their sleeve, or will Elkhorn North turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
