The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers will head out on the road to challenge the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Berkeley Prep is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last five games.
On Tuesday, Berkeley Prep was able to grind out a solid victory over Tampa Prep, taking the game 6-1.
Parker Mitzel
| 03/04/25 vs Tampa Prep | 12 |
| 02/18/25 @ Out-of-Door Academy | 9 |
| 03/12/24 vs Osceola | 7 |
| 02/20/24 vs Tampa Prep | 6 |
| 03/05/24 @ Tampa Catholic | 5 |
Parker Mitzel was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over 5.2 innings pitched. Those 12 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Josh Herrmann was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was JD Haughey, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Berkeley Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tampa Prep only posted an OBP of .286.
Meanwhile, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.78 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Tuesday. They came up short against East Lake, falling 14-4. The loss continues a trend for the Hurricanes in their meetings with the Eagles: they've now lost four in a row.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic also got a good showing from Steele Thalleen, who tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and seven unearned) runs off five hits. Thalleen has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Tyler Pizzo was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Dominic Zito also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Berkeley Prep pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-4.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Berkeley Prep hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .329. It's a different story for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, though, as they've only averaged .244. Will they be able to contain Berkeley Prep's hitters?
Berkeley Prep couldn't quite finish off Bishop McLaughlin Catholic in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 and fell 10-8. Can Berkeley Prep avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
