Baseball Game Preview: Anclote Sharks vs. IMG Academy White Ascenders

The Anclote Sharks will challenge the IMG Academy White Ascenders at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Anclote has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with three straight defeats, while IMG Academy White will come in with three straight wins.

Anclote fell victim to Clearwater and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tornadoes.

Meanwhile, IMG Academy White beat Sunshine State Elite Academy 10-5 on Friday.

Juho Lee looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, IMG Academy White let Jake Madson and Owen Armstead run wild. Madson scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Armstead scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Armstead is becoming a predictor of IMG Academy White's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 5-2 (and 4-9 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Payne Cearnal, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-3.

IMG Academy White kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.

IMG Academy White's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-11. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Anclote, their loss dropped their record down to 5-16.

Anclote came out on top in a nail-biter against IMG Academy White when the teams last played back in February, sneaking past 4-3. Do the Sharks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Ascenders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.