Baseball Game Preview: Emporia Spartans vs. Iola Mustangs

The Emporia Spartans are taking a road trip to square off against the Iola Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Emporia 3.7, Iola 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Emporia took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against West, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Spartans sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 victory over the Pioneers on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Spartans have posted since April 11th.

Meanwhile, Iola had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They never let Parsons get on the board and left with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted against the Vikings since April 25, 2017.

Iola's victory bumped their record up to 13-6. As for Emporia, they now have a winning record of 8-7.

Emporia came out on top in a nail-biter against Iola in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.