Baseball Game Preview: Jacksonville Crimsons vs. New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly Vipers

The Jacksonville Crimsons will square off against the New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly Vipers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Jacksonville sitting on three straight wins and New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly on four.

Jacksonville came out on top against Springfield Southeast on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fifth inning. The Crimsons blew past the Spartans 12-1.

Ryan Headen

Hits (Career)

05/14/25 @ Springfield Southeast	3
05/12/25 @ Pittsfield	2
04/21/25 vs Taylorville	2
05/18/24 @ Quincy	2
05/14/24 @ Springfield	2

Ryan Headen was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, Jacksonville let Anderson Decker and Jacob Henry run wild. Decker went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while Henry went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Ethan Kruzan, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs.

Jacksonville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Springfield Southeast only posted an OBP of .318.

Meanwhile, New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly posted their closest victory since April 17th on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Springfield Southeast, sneaking past 4-3.

New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly's win bumped their record up to 17-13. As for Jacksonville, their victory bumped their record up to 18-14.

Everything went Jacksonville's way against New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Jacksonville made off with a 10-2 win. Will the Crimsons repeat their success, or do the Vipers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.