Baseball Game Preview: North Mustangs vs. Fairfax Stampede

The North Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Fairfax Stampede at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

North was handed a 21-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Friday. They had just enough and edged out Metro Tech 4-3. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Mustangs as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Joey Morales spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up 14 Ks. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.

Javier Hernandez

Hits (Career)

04/04/25 vs Metro Tech	2
02/28/25 vs Camelback	1
02/27/25 vs Maryvale	1
04/22/24 vs Alhambra	1
04/02/24 @ Carl Hayden Community	1

On the hitting side, North saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Javier Hernandez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Those two hits gave Hernandez a new career-high. Another was Andrew Ortega, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Fairfax gave up the first runs on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They skirted past Ironwood 6-5.

Alexander Tovar was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of Fairfax's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 2-1 (and 4-7 when he doesn't). Tovar was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

North's record is now 3-10. As for Fairfax, their record now sits at 6-8.

North suffered a grim 15-5 defeat to Fairfax in their previous meeting back in February. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.