The defending playoff champion Millstadt Green Machine has continued where it left off last summer, grinding its way to an undefeated start to the 2025 Mon-Clair League baseball season. 

Following a doubleheader sweep of the Waterloo Buds to begin the season, Millstadt swept a pair from the Valmeyer Lakers last weekend and then did the same to the Godfrey Hamm’s on Sunday. 

On Sunday, the Green Machine downed Godfrey by the scores of 6-1 and 11-1. 

In game one, 2024 playoffs MVP Brian Lupa went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Karl Peters went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Jake Stedman pitched three innings for mound victory. 

In game two, Peters smashed two homers and drove in three runs. Cal Kossina went 3-for-4 with two runs. Chance Lehman was the winning pitcher. 

Last Sunday, Millstadt won 9-5 and 6-3 over Valmeyer. Joey Kossina drove in two runs, and Tony Kossina scored three runs in the game one win. Cal Kossina, Lupa and Lucas Huebner each had two hits in game two. 

Lupa is sizzling at the plate so far for Millstadt, hitting .647 (11-for-17) with six RBIs. 

Millstadt plays Friday night at Belleville, then travels to face the Rockies again for two Sunday afternoon. 

Valmeyer (2-4) split a doubleheader with the St. Louis Spikes on Sunday, winning 4-3 and falling 8-7. 

The Lakers trailed 3-0 after five innings in game one, only to rally late for the victory. Kameron Hanvey went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Jacob Rowold doubled and drove in two runs. 

In game two, Valmeyer took a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth, only to see the Spikes plate two runs in the top of the seventh inning. Matt Helm went 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs, with Hanvey and Trevor Davis each collecting two hits. 

In the May 25 losses to Millstadt, Kenny Otero had five hits and Evan Davis contributed four hits to lead the Lakers.

Valmeyer hosts the Waterloo Buds this Friday night at Borsch Park, then travels Sunday to winless Godfrey.

Hanvey is the top hitter thus far for the Lakers at .476 with five RBIs.

After being washed out the previous weekend, Waterloo (1-3) split a doubleheader with the Belleville Rockies on Sunday in a pair of one-run contests. The Buds lost 6-5 and won 4-3.

Key returning players for Waterloo this season include its top hitter last season, Alex Schreckenberg, along with Nate Albrecht, Ty Kueper, Eric Creech and Preston Wright.

Schreckenberg, Albrecht, Kueper and Creech were all in the league’s top 10 for batting average last season. Wright was the league’s batting champ in 2023.

The Buds play Friday at Valmeyer and then face the Spikes this Sunday in Fairview Heights.