Baseball Game Preview: Hawkins Hawks vs. Fruitvale Bobcats

For the second straight game, Hawkins will face off against Fruitvale. The Hawks will welcome the Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is sure in Hawkins' favor as the team sits on four straight wins at home while Fruitvale has been banged up by 11 consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.

Hawkins is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They never let Fruitvale get on the board and left with a 19-0 victory on Tuesday. The Hawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matches by eight runs or more this season.

Eli Smith

Batters Struck Out

04/15/25 @ Fruitvale	5
04/08/25 vs Martins Mill	9
03/28/25 vs Cumby	12
03/18/25 vs Alba-Golden	5
03/11/25 vs Big Sandy	13
03/06/25 vs Union Hill	5

Eli Smith made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.

In other batting news, Hawkins got a massive performance out of Trevin Tanner, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. That's the most runs Tanner has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Riggin Smith, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Hawkins always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .656. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Fruitvale only posted an OBP of .250.

Hawkins has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 17 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-7-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for Fruitvale, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-10.

Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hawkins has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .505. However, it's not like Fruitvale struggles in that department as they've averaged .522. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.