Hartfield Academy hasn't had much luck against Jackson Prep recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Hartfield Academy Hawks will welcome the Jackson Prep Patriots at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hartfield Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Cathedral, who was ranked 14th at the time (Hartfield Academy was ranked 19th). Hartfield Academy put the hurt on Cathedral with a sharp 9-1 victory on Monday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Hawks.
Cope Burnham
| 03/17/25 @ Cathedral | 5 |
| 02/10/25 vs Canton Academy | 4 |
| 03/01/25 vs Columbia Academy | 2 |
| 03/03/25 vs Warren Central | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Warren Central | 1 |
Cope Burnham looked comfortable as he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five).
On the hitting side, JP Abt was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Graham Jackson, who scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Jackson Prep never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They came out on top against South Panola by a score of 7-0 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Patriots not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since February 21st.
Jake Bailey looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Carson Powell, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. Major Quin was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Jackson Prep was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Panola only posted a batting average of .045.
Hartfield Academy's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-2. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Jackson Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 11-3-1.
Hartfield Academy might still be hurting after the 10-2 loss they got from Jackson Prep in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Hartfield Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
