Baseball Game Preview: Hilliard Bradley Jaguars vs. Dublin Coffman Shamrocks

The Hilliard Bradley Jaguars will head out on the road to face off against the Dublin Coffman Shamrocks at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The last four games Hilliard Bradley has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Hilliard Bradley and Upper Arlington meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Saturday. The Jaguars fell just short of the Golden Bears by a score of 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Jaguars have suffered against the Golden Bears since May 2, 2022.

Jonathan Ritch was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Hilliard Bradley saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nathan Chittum, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.

Meanwhile, Dublin Coffman was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They lost 10-4 to Mt. Vernon.

Drew Walti was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.

Hilliard Bradley has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-12 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Dublin Coffman, their loss dropped their record down to 5-17.

Hilliard Bradley skirted past Dublin Coffman 8-7 when the teams last played last Wednesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Jaguars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.