The Coconino Panthers will challenge the Mingus Marauders at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Monday, Coconino needed a bit of extra time to put away Marcos de Niza. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Padres 15-14. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
Fitz Guinan
| 04/07/25 vs Marcos de Niza | 6 |
| 04/04/25 @ Mohave | 2 |
| 03/20/25 vs Lee Williams | 2 |
| 02/27/25 @ Agua Fria | 2 |
| 03/11/25 vs Buena | 1 |
Tate Jones and Fitz Guinan made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Jones pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Guinan struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. At bat, Jones scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Guinan scored a run while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Corbin Derr was a standout: he went 3-for-5 with one home run and three RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Coconino's success: when he posts at least one home run the team is 3-1 (and 4-9-1 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Abiu Chairez, who went 3-for-5 with one home run and two runs.
Coconino was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .476. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Mingus had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Thunderbirds.
Zaiden Ballesteros spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on six hits.
At the plate, Mingus got a massive performance out of Carter Wacker, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Silas Scott, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Coconino's victory bumped their record up to 7-10-1. As for Mingus, their win bumped their record up to 7-13-1.
Coconino came up short against Mingus when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 20-15. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
