Baseball Game Preview: West Vikings vs. East Bakersfield Blades

For the second straight game, West will face off against East Bakersfield. The Vikings will challenge the Blades at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: West has struggled recently with six losses in a row, while East Bakersfield will arrive with four straight wins.

It was a classic East v. West duel when West faced off against East Bakersfield on Tuesday. The Vikings came up short against the Blades, falling 14-4.

For East Bakersfield's part, the team relied heavily on NOAH FERGUSON, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. FERGUSON is becoming a predictor of the Blades' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 6-1 (and 4-9 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was KANE CALVILLO, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run.

East Bakersfield always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .553. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

The victory got East Bakersfield back to even at 10-10. As for West, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-17.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. West has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like East Bakersfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.