Baseball Game Preview: Orange Park Raiders vs. Clay Blue Devils

Orange Park hasn't had much luck against Clay recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Orange Park Raiders will square off against the Clay Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Orange Park is headed out to face Clay after opening their season at home and giving their fans just what they were looking for. Orange Park blew past Westside 17-1 on Tuesday.

Adam Forrester was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). Forrester was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.

In other batting news, Devon Rail was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Caleb Richardson, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Clay had to kick off their season on the road on Tuesday, but they showed no ill effects. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Keystone Heights 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Blue Devils have posted since February 27, 2024.

Clay got a massive performance out of Cole Carnell, who scored a run while going 4-for-4. The dominant performance also gave Carnell a new career-high in hits (four). Lukas Moore was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.

Orange Park took their win against Clay in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 6-0. Does Orange Park have another victory up their sleeve, or will Clay turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.