The Junipero Serra Padres are taking a road trip to take on the Foothill Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Junipero Serra's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Foothill's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Saturday, Junipero Serra had just enough and edged out St. Mary's 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Padres have posted against the Rams since March 22, 2016.
Michael Ohman looked comfortable as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Junipero Serra's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Cooper Hipps, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and two RBI. William Walbridge also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Foothill). They blew past Del Oro 13-5 on Saturday.
Ryan Cooney tossed a big game, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits.
At the plate, Foothill got a massive performance out of George Schmitt, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI Schmitt has posted since back in May of 2025. Another player making a difference was RJ Manicki, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Foothill kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Junipero Serra's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 9.3 runs this season. As for Foothill, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Junipero Serra has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Foothill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Junipero Serra beat Foothill 4-0 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Do the Padres have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Falcons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
