vs
| 05/12/25 - Away | 2-4 L |
| 04/02/25 - Home | 0-4 L |
| 03/31/25 - Away | 1-0 W |
| 04/08/24 - Away | 3-0 W |
| 04/10/23 - Home | 0-3 L |
| + 5 more games |
O'Dea and Ballard are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Fighting Irish will square off against the Beavers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, O'Dea turned things around against Bishop Blanchet on Wednesday. They blew past the Bears 10-1. The contest marked the Fighting Irish's most dominant win of the season so far.
Ballard not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 28, 2025 (when they won 6-0). They never let Cleveland get on the board and left with a 6-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Beavers in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won nine in a row.
Wes Manger made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jake VanDenBerg, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Ballard is 2-1 when VanDenBerg posts two or more runs, but 2-5 otherwise. Adam Brennecke also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Ballard always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
O'Dea's record now sits at 4-6. As for Ballard, their record is now an identical 4-6.
O'Dea couldn't quite finish off Ballard in their previous matchup back in May of 2025 and fell 4-2. Can the Fighting Irish avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
