Baseball Game Preview: Weslaco Panthers vs. Donna Redskins

The Weslaco Panthers will be taking part in a tournament against the Donna Redskins at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Tuesday, Weslaco earned a 4-1 win over Hanna. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.

Diego Castillo

Batters Struck Out

02/25/25 vs Hanna	9
02/17/25 vs Veterans Memorial	7
05/16/24 vs La Joya	5
05/10/24 @ Eagle Pass	5
05/03/24 vs Mission	4
04/23/24 @ San Benito	11

Diego Castillo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up nine Ks. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024.

At the plate, Weslaco saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gael Villareal, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

While Donna didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They walked away with a 7-2 victory over Mercedes on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Redskins in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won three in a row.

Weslaco now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Donna, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Weslaco has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Donna struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Weslaco took their win against Donna in their previous meeting back in February of 2022 by a conclusive 11-0. Does Weslaco have another victory up their sleeve, or will Donna turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.