Baseball Game Preview: Madison-Ridgeland Academy Patriots vs. Jackson Prep Patriots

For the second straight game, Madison-Ridgeland Academy will face off against Jackson Prep. Madison-Ridgeland Academy will welcome Jackson Prep at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Madison-Ridgeland Academy is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Jackson Prep, and Jackson Prep kept the tradition alive. Madison-Ridgeland Academy fell 8-5 to Jackson Prep on Tuesday.

Wilkes Johnson was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits.

Garrett Gardener

Hits (Career)

03/25/25 @ Jackson Prep	3
03/12/25 @ East Union	2
03/10/25 vs Starkville	2
02/14/25 vs Simpson Academy	2
03/20/25 vs Warren Central	1

At the plate, Garrett Gardener made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alex Lambert, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.

Even though they lost, Madison-Ridgeland Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. This was only their first loss (out of four games) when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Jackson Prep's victory was their 28th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-5-1. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Madison-Ridgeland Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-9.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Madison-Ridgeland Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Jackson Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.