Baseball Game Preview: Duluth Wildcats vs. Central Gwinnett Black Knights

Duluth is on a four-game streak of home losses, and Central Gwinnett a three-game streak of away losses. However, someone's due for a change in luck on Monday. The Duluth Wildcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Central Gwinnett Black Knights at 1:00 p.m. Duluth is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.

Last Thursday, Duluth got the win against Meadowcreek by a conclusive 13-2. That's two games straight that the Wildcats have won by exactly 11 runs.

Cristian Esquivel made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.

In other batting news, Jhonder Colina and Manny Guarate did most of the damage at the plate: Colina scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Guarate went 1-for-2 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most runs Colina has posted since back in March. Enmanuel Barrios was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

Duluth always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Meanwhile, Central Gwinnett fell victim to Dacula and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They lost 12-0 to the Falcons.

Central Gwinnett's defeat dropped their record down to 6-18. As for Duluth, their victory bumped their record up to 8-15.

Everything went Duluth's way against Central Gwinnett in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, as Duluth made off with a 21-1 win. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Black Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.