A three-pack of doubleheaders are on deck for Hancock County’s baseball teams tonight.
1. Brebeuf at Greenfield-Central
What: The Cougars (4-9) return home after three games on the road to battle the Braves (10-5) of Brebeuf. Brebeuf does not have the power to match Greenfield-Central – the Cougars have hit four home runs this season to the Braves’ one – but the Braves will be difficult to slow down, as they boast a stellar .332 team batting average through Tuesday and already have swiped 43 bases.
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Who: Fans of pitching will be pleased to be watching this doubleheader, where Seth Adams and John Troll will both be looking to add to their impressive résumés. The Cougars’ Adams (2-2) has started four games this season and owns a 2.84 ERA. This control pitcher will make the Braves earn what they get, as he has only issued three free passes in 22.2 innings on the mound.
On the other side, the Braves’ Troll (3-3) brings a few more whiffs with his game. Troll has collected 22 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched. He also has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his seven appearances this season.
When: The first pitch of Game 1 will be thrown at 5:30 p.m. Game 2 begins approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
2. Class 3A No. 6 Yorktown at New Palestine
What: The top two teams in the Hoosier Heritage Conference square off in a doubleheader with massive ramifications. The Tigers (10-2, 6-2 HHC) sit atop the league standings, but only one loss separates them from the next five teams, including the Dragons (9-5, 5-3 HHC). With a couple of wins, New Palestine would seize control of the conference and be in prime position to hold on with the league schedule more than half over.
Who: This two-game series will be determined by the way Jason Hall-Manley (.360, 19 RBI), Evan Hickman (.289, 20 RBI) and the rest of the Dragons’ juggernaut offense (.313, 108 runs scored) deals with a pitching staff that has a combined ERA of 1.44. New Palestine likely will have to solve the Tigers’ Jacob Preston (2-1), who has 35 strikeouts in just 21 innings. He has notched double-digit punchouts in each of his past two starts against HHC foes.
When: The first pitch of Game 1 will be thrown at 5:30 p.m. Game 2 begins approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
3. Mt. Vernon at Shelbyville
What: Last Friday, Mt. Vernon needed a pair of victories to stay in the HHC title hunt. This week against Shelbyville (7-6, 3-3 HHC) is no different. The Marauders (6-7, 5-3 HHC) are tied with New Palestine for second place in the conference behind Yorktown. With the Dragons and Tigers squaring off Friday, this could be the best time for manager Ryan Carr’s crew to make a move.
Who: With Logan Young (.444), John Lux (.435) and Drew Mathies (.429), the Golden Bears boast a threesome of hitters in their lineup with batting averages above .400. Young, in particular, should scare Marauders’ pitchers, as he already has hit three home runs and has knocked in 20.
It will be up to Mt. Vernon No. 1 Zach Spears and recently appointed No. 2 Kennedy Parker to hold the Bears’ batters at bay. In his first start HHC start last week, the junior Parker pitched four solid innings, with two strikeouts, to lead the Marauders to a 3-2 victory against Delta.
When: The first pitch of Game 1 will be thrown at 5:30. Game 2 begins approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
