Baseball Game Preview: Coconino Panthers vs. Verrado Vipers

The Coconino Panthers will take on the Verrado Vipers in a tournament on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Coconino had to kick off their season on the road on Wednesday, but they showed no ill effects. They put the hurt on Peoria with a sharp 11-1 victory. The win continues a trend for Coconino in their matchups with Peoria: they've now won four in a row.

Junior Stone was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Collin Peace, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.

Coconino always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Peoria only posted an OBP of .250.

Meanwhile, it was close, but on Wednesday Verrado sidestepped Shadow Ridge for a 6-4 victory.

Hunter Chambers looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched.

On the hitting side, Verrado let Carter Purdy and Zach Mermis run wild. Purdy went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double, while Mermis went 2-for-3 with one home run. Those two hits gave Mermis a new career-high. Brady Trujillo was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Coconino might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Verrado in their previous meeting back in February of 2020. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.