Baseball Game Preview: Madison-Ridgeland Academy Patriots vs. Hartfield Academy Hawks

For the second straight game, Madison-Ridgeland Academy will face off against Hartfield Academy. The Patriots will head out to take on the Hawks at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Madison-Ridgeland Academy's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Hartfield Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Madison-Ridgeland Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Hartfield Academy, who was ranked second at the time (Madison-Ridgeland Academy was ranked tenth). The Patriots fell just short of the Hawks by a score of 6-4 on Thursday. The Patriots' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Aiden Peets

Earned Runs

04/10/25 vs Jackson Academy	3
02/28/25 vs Daphne	2
04/04/25 vs Presbyterian Christian	1
03/20/25 vs Warren Central	1
03/08/25 vs Tipton-Rosemark Academy	1

Aiden Peets was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over 4.2 innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Madison-Ridgeland Academy is 7-2 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 9-10 otherwise.

On the hitting side, Garrett Gardener made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and one run. Gunnar Swanson was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Hartfield Academy is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-3 record this season. As for Madison-Ridgeland Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 16-12.