The Sweetwater Mustangs are taking a road trip to take on the Merkel Badgers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Merkel will be up against a hot Sweetwater team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Mustangs' pitcher stepped up to hand Grape Creek an 18-0 shutout on Friday.
Cash Barnes
| 04/11/25 vs Grape Creek | 4 |
| 04/01/25 vs San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy | 3 |
| 02/27/25 vs Gainesville | 3 |
| 03/07/25 vs Dumas | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy | 1 |
Cash Barnes made a splash while hitting and pitching. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Daniel Rodriguez, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Sweetwater's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-12 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Mason Straley, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Sweetwater kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 13 hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Merkel got the win against San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy on Tuesday by a conclusive 12-0. The Badgers haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Like Sweetwater, Merkel also got a great game from a two-way player: Mayson Prieto. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Prieto was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Trey Alexander was incredible, scoring three runs while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Kaden Blubaugh, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Sweetwater's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-12. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Merkel, their record is now 11-9-1.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Sweetwater has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .501. However, it's not like Merkel struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sweetwater took their victory against Merkel in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 9-3 score. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Badgers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
