Baseball Game Preview: Rocklin Thunder vs. Whitney Wildcats

The Rocklin Thunder will take on the Whitney Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Rocklin's pitching crew has only allowed 2.6 runs per game this season, so Whitney's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Rocklin is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Del Oro just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Golden Eagles by a score of 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Thunder have suffered since May 13, 2024.

Rocklin got a good showing from Andrew Hancock, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Hancock has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.

At the plate, Rocklin saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ethan Brown, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Whitney ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Granite Bay 4-3. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcats.

Noah Warner made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was his first of the season.

Rocklin's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 8-3. As for Whitney, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6.

Rocklin was able to grind out a solid win over Whitney when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 5-1. Will Rocklin repeat their success, or does Whitney has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.