Baseball Game Preview: Round Valley Elks vs. Phoenix Christian Cougars

Elks

Runs

04/11/25 vs San Tan Charter	3
04/10/25 vs Benjamin Franklin	3
04/09/25 vs Hopi	15
04/04/25 @ Valley	16
04/03/25 vs Blue Ridge	0
+ 12 more games

The Round Valley Elks will take on the Phoenix Christian Cougars in a tournament on Saturday. Round Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.

Round Valley's tournament run continued when they took on San Tan Charter on Friday. The Elks fell 8-3 to the Roadrunners. The Elks have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Round Valley saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lane Hill, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Christian has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.05 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Friday. They came out on top against Mogollon by a score of 15-12. The victory was familiar territory for the Cougars, who have now won three matches in a row.

Ryne Viscum and Sam Shores did most of the damage at the plate: Viscum scored two runs while going 1-for-2, while Shores scored a run while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Nate Burton, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.

Phoenix Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in three consecutive games.

Phoenix Christian pushed their record up to 17-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. As for Round Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-6.

Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Round Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .400. However, it's not like Phoenix Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .373. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Round Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Phoenix Christian in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 11-7. Will the Elks repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.