Baseball Game Preview: Madisonville Mustangs vs. Rusk Eagles

Madisonville and Rusk are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2019, but likely not for long. The Mustangs are taking a road trip to square off against the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Madisonville hasn't scored more than a single run for four games straight, a trend the squad is eager to reverse.

Last Monday, Madisonville didn't have quite enough to beat Bullard and fell 3-1.

Malik Kovar

Hits Against

04/07/25 @ Bullard	2
04/01/25 vs Bullard	1
03/15/25 vs Franklin	1
03/14/25 @ Anderson-Shiro	0
02/28/25 vs Bellville	1

Malik Kovar was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Madisonville saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cade Campbell, who went 1-for-2 with one double.

Meanwhile, Rusk fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Bullard on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers. The defeat continues a trend for the Eagles in their meetings with the Panthers: they've now lost six in a row.

Tarren Hicks made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. Maleki Overstreet also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.

Madisonville's record now sits at 13-13-1. As for Rusk, their record is now 11-11.

Madisonville came out on top in a nail-biter against Rusk when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.