Xavier Prep and Shadow Hills are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2022, but likely not for long. The Saints will head out on the road to take on the Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Xavier Prep's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Shadow Hills' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Thursday, Xavier Prep earned a 9-6 win over Big Bear. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Saints.
Vanjuan Vladimirov made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off five hits. Vladimirov was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in February.
Elijah Castro
| 04/03/25 vs Big Bear | 5 |
| 03/24/25 vs Jesuit | 2 |
| 03/18/25 @ Palm Springs | 2 |
| 02/27/25 @ Lakeside | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ La Quinta | 1 |
In other batting news, Elijah Castro was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Hyun Jun Kim, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Xavier Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .526. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Shadow Hills had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They came out on top against the Indians by a score of 6-2.
Like Xavier Prep, Shadow Hills also got a great game from a two-way player: Alex Arizaga. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Arizaga has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Arizaga wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Nicholas Rodriquez, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Mario Valenzuela was another, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Xavier Prep's record now sits at 9-7. As for Shadow Hills, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Xavier Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Shadow Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Xavier Prep came out on top in a nail-biter against Shadow Hills in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Saints since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
