The rivalry between Delano and Waconia runs deep. They are longtime Wright County Conference foes and battled in Class 3A, Section 6 for the last two seasons. However, Waconia was moved back to Class 3A, Section 2 before this season, meaning their Wright County East Division matchups will be all they have to continue fueling the competitive fires. They meet Thursday in the first of two regular-season games.
Delano's lone game to date was a 4-3 loss to league foe Orono last Thursday. The Tigers (0-1, 0-1) were paced offensively by seniors Claudia Schuler (1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 run scored) and Abby Thomas, whose only hit was a home run.
Waconia (3-1, 1-1) has three more games under its belt, including a 12-4 win over Hutchinson last Friday.
In the circle, Waconia senior Alli Christians has struck out 29 batters in 19 1/3 innings pitched, but she's also struggled at times, and as a result, owns a 5.07 ERA and has walked 14 batters this season.