Baseball Game Preview: Mullen Mustangs vs. Smoky Hill Buffaloes

Mullen is a perfect 10-0 against Smoky Hill since May of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Mustangs will host the Buffaloes at 4:15 p.m. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with five consecutive losses for Mullen and six for Smoky Hill.

On Monday, Mullen didn't have quite enough to beat Grandview and fell 5-4.

Thomas Stewart

Runs

04/21/25 @ Grandview	2
04/02/25 vs Regis Jesuit	2
03/31/25 vs Thomas Jefferson	2
03/20/25 vs Mount St. Mary	2
04/17/25 vs Grandview	1
+ 5 more games

Thomas Stewart put in work no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs. Mullen is 3-1 when Stewart posts two or more runs, but 2-7 otherwise.

In other batting news, Blake Young was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. He has become a key player for Mullen: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least one home run, but 2-7 otherwise. Sam Waller was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run.

Cherokee Trail hit Smoky Hill with a four-run second inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Buffaloes took an 8-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cougars.

Smoky Hill saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Max Goodrich, who went 1-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Another was Anwyl Gutierrez-Trujillo, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs.

Smoky Hill's defeat dropped their record down to 5-10. As for Mullen, their loss dropped their record down to 5-8.

Mullen came out on top in a nail-biter against Smoky Hill in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 9-8. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Buffaloes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.