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Highland's baseball team is doing everything it can to prove he predictions right.
Ranked high in the Division 4 pre-season polls based on getting to the Sectional Finals last year before losing to eventual state champion Rio and with a good number of strong returning letterwinners the Cardinals are highly regarded in baseball circles.
And reeling off six straight wins has done nothing to change the thought.
The Cardinals opened their run with a 13-6 win over Six Rivers West opponent Cassville. It wasn't easy as the Comets got to Highland starter JR Linscheid for four runs in the first and picked up another off reliever Nate Michek in the second. But things got to even in the fifth when the Cardinals tied it at 5-5 then they outscored the Comets 8-1 the rest of the way.
Michek pitched through the sixth and freshman Drew Hennessey came on to close.
Linscheid had two strikeouts, Michek four and Hennessey two.
Drew Drury, Hennessey and Adam Wolfe all were 3x4. Drury had a pair of doubles and drove in four runs. Hennessey knocked in two runs and Wolfe drove in one.
Linscheid was 2x4, Evan Rusch 2x5 and Mitchell Welsh 2x4. Welsh drove in three runs, two in the seventh with a double.
A pair of Highland pitchers combined to strike out 14 Chieftains as the Cardinals turned back Potosi 9-4.
Michek got the start and worked five frames. He fanned nine, walked one and gave up five hits. He was touched for four runs, three earned.
Hennessey finished the final two frames. He struck out five, walked one and gave up one hit.
Welsh was 2x3 with a three rbi night. He had a double in the seventh. Linscheid drove a triple to the gap and drove in TJ Cool who had doubled in the seventh. Rusch singed in Linscheid. He finished with a 2x3 performance.
Nate Michek was 2x3 with a double and a rbi.
Alex Michek also had a hit for the Cardinals.
At Cuba City the Cardinals used five different pitchers so they could get some work in the non-conference game that Highland won 7-3.
Hennessy went two fanning two and giving up two runs, one earned.
Nate Michek went the next three, facing nine batters and striking out six.
Paden Kosharek and Spencer Linscheid split an inning with Linscheid fanning one. JR Linscheid worked the seventh, striking out two.
Hennessey was 2x4 with two stolen bases and an rbi. Rusch doubled and scored in the fourth then walked, stole two bases and scored in the sixth,
Alex Michek had a two run single in the second. Welsh and JR Linscheid also had a hit for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals then swept a double header with Black Hawk, beating the Warriors 8-1 and 21-1.
Nate Michek struck out eight and allowed one hit through four innings and that runner was thrown out by Welsh on a steal attempt.
Spencer Linscheid worked the last three, striking out six and walking three.
Hennessey put the game out of reach in the sixth when he slammed a grand slam home run. James Goodwiler started it with a single, Wolfe and Rusch walked and then Hennessey unloaded.
Nate Michek was 4x4 with a pair of doubles and Hennessey was 2x3 with his grand slam and double. Hennessey finished with five rbis.
Wolfe, Rusch and Goodwiler had a hit each.
The second game was called after four innings by coach agreement.
Henessey continued to swing the hot bat as he went 2x4 and drove in four runs. Drury was 2x2 with a trio of runs batted in. Spencer Linscheid was 2x3 and drove in a run and Ben Aide came through with a two run single.
Every Highland batter reached and scored in a 9-3 win over River Ridge.
Hennessey and JR Linscheid split the pitching duties with Hennessey going three and Linscheid four. Hennessey fanned six, walked three, gave up two hits and a run. Linscheid fanned two, walked four and gave up three hits and three runs.
JR Linscheid and Nate Michek both were 2x4 and Michek had a double and an rbi.
Rusch had a bases clearing double in the fourth and finished with three rbis. Hennessey and Drury had doubles with Wolfe, Alex Michek and Welsh all getting one hit.