Madison-Ridgeland Academy is a perfect 3-0 against St. Joseph Catholic since April of 2024 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Patriots will welcome the Bruins at 6:30 p.m. Madison-Ridgeland Academy's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so St. Joseph Catholic's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Hartfield Academy, who was ranked second at the time (Madison-Ridgeland Academy was ranked tenth). The Patriots were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Hawks on Friday. The game marked the Patriots' most dominant win of the season.
Rhett Taylor
| 04/18/25 @ Hartfield Academy | 2 |
| 04/11/25 @ Jackson Academy | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Presbyterian Christian | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ Jackson Prep | 2 |
Rhett Taylor made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Garrett Gardner was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Will Bizot, who went 2-for-3 with three runs.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, St. Joseph Catholic had to endure a 13-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against Jackson Academy by a score of 5-2 on Thursday.
Chad Davidson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, Reid Hager and John Dean D'Antonio did most of the damage at the plate: Hager went 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI, while D'Antonio went 1-for-2 with one triple and one run.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-12. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for St. Joseph Catholic, their victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-11 and their overall record up to 10-16.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Madison-Ridgeland Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like St. Joseph Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy took their win against St. Joseph Catholic when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-0 score. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bruins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
