Hartfield Academy hasn't had much luck against Jackson Prep recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Hawks will look to defend their home field against the Patriots at 6:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Hartfield Academy comes in on ten and Jackson Prep on three.
Hartfield Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Jackson Academy, who was ranked 11th at the time (Hartfield Academy was ranked second). The Hawks beat the Raiders on Friday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 5-1.
Woods Roberson tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
Cooper Howard
| 04/04/25 @ Jackson Academy | 3 |
| 03/27/25 @ St. Joseph Catholic | 2 |
| 04/04/24 @ Jackson Academy | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Jackson Academy | 1 |
| 03/25/25 vs St. Joseph Catholic | 1 |
On the hitting side, Hartfield Academy saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cooper Howard, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave Howard a new career-high. Another was Graham Jackson, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Jackson Prep). They put the hurt on St. Joseph Catholic with a sharp 19-2 victory on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Jake Bailey looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Jackson Prep let Kevin Roberts, JR and Gardner Young run wild. Roberts, JR went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases, while Young went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Carson Powell was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Jackson Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Joseph Catholic only posted an OBP of .250.
Hartfield Academy's win was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.9 runs over those games. As for Jackson Prep, their win bumped their record up to 16-7-1.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hartfield Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Jackson Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .432. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hartfield Academy took their victory against Jackson Prep when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 11-2 score. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
