The Coachella Valley Mighty Arabs will face off against the Central Spartans at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Coachella Valley will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Coachella Valley's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Desert Mirage with a sharp 10-0 victory. The contest marked the Mighty Arabs' most dominant win of the season so far.
Daniel Ceja made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ceja was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
In other batting news, Bryan Barraza was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alfredo Avalos, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Coachella Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .630. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Central hadn't done well against San Ysidro recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way last Saturday. Central had just enough and edged out San Ysidro 6-4. While the Spartans didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-15-1), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
The team relied heavily on Freddy Terrazas, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Angel Carrillo, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
The victory made it two in a row for Central and bumps their season record up to 6-4. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Coachella Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Coachella Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .458. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Coachella Valley came out on top in a nail-biter against Central in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, sneaking past 7-5. Does Coachella Valley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Central turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
