Baseball Game Preview: West Panthers vs. Hillcrest Huskies

For the second straight game, West will face off against Hillcrest. The Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Huskies at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: West has struggled recently with eight losses in a row, while Hillcrest will arrive with eight straight victories.

On Wednesday, West didn't have quite enough to beat Hillcrest and fell 6-5.

Michael Garcia put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs but no hits. What's more, he gave up only two walks, the fewest he's had since back in May of 2025. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.

In other batting news, Enrique Negrete made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Kayden Luce, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.

West's defeat dropped their record down to 1-14. As for Hillcrest, they now have a winning record of 8-7.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. West has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hillcrest struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.