Baseball Game Preview: Water Valley Blue Devils vs. Bruce Trojans

The Water Valley Blue Devils will face off against the Bruce Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The last three games Water Valley has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Water Valley took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Bruce, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Water Valley came out on top in a nail-biter against Bruce on Tuesday, sneaking past 9-7. While the Blue Devils didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

For Bruce's part, Cole Clark put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance gave Clark a new career-low in hits. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. He has become a key player for Bruce: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-8 otherwise.

Clark wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jayden McCormick, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. What's more, McCormick posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in March of 2024.

Water Valley has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. Bruce's loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 2-9.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Water Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bruce struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.