Baseball Game Preview: McDonald County Mustangs vs. Monett Cubs

The McDonald County Mustangs will venture away from home to take on the Monett Cubs at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

On Saturday, McDonald County didn't have quite enough to beat Branson and fell 8-7. The defeat continues a trend for the Mustangs in their meetings with the Pirates: they've now lost five in a row.

Axeton Bateman made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Chayton Banta, who went 2-for-3 with one run.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Monett's offense. They came up short against Carl Junction on Friday, falling 6-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Cubs have suffered against the Bulldogs since April 5, 2019.

Monett saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carson Burtrum, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.

Monett's defeat dropped their record down to 6-4. As for McDonald County, they now have a losing record of 3-4.

McDonald County couldn't quite get it done against Monett in their previous matchup back in April of 2025 as they fell 6-3. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.