Baseball Game Preview: Countryside Cougars vs. Dunedin Falcons

Countryside is 1-9 against Dunedin since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. Countryside will square off against Dunedin at 6:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Countryside has three straight victories, Dunedin has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

On Wednesday, Countryside earned a 5-1 win over IMG Academy Navy.

Cody Hollenbeck made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Hollenbeck wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Braeden Callahan, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Dunedin came up short against IMG Academy Black on Tuesday, falling 16-4.

Aiden Sherifi was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Will Fallon, who scored a run while going 1-for-1.

Countryside's record now sits at 11-5. As for Dunedin, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.

Countryside couldn't quite finish off Dunedin in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 4-2. Can Countryside avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.