Baseball Game Preview: South Spartans vs. East Bakersfield Blades

For the second straight game, South will face off against East Bakersfield. The Spartans will welcome the Blades at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is sure in South's favor as the team sits on 11 straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while East Bakersfield has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.

On Tuesday, South needed a bit of extra time to put away East Bakersfield. They came out on top against the Blades by a score of 9-5. That's two games straight that the Spartans have won by exactly four runs.

Josh Encinas

Batters Struck Out (Career)

04/08/25 @ East Bakersfield	12
03/22/25 vs Woodlake	9
03/12/25 vs West	9
05/08/24 @ North	9
05/16/24 vs Mendota	8

Josh Encinas made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single hit and allowed only one earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Those 12 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing five bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. He has become a key player for South: the team is 7-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 3-4 otherwise.

In other batting news, Jose Bojorquez was incredible, going 4-for-5 with one home run, three stolen bases, and three runs. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Alex Portillo, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, three stolen bases, and two runs.

South lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.

South's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 10-5. As for East Bakersfield, their loss dropped their record down to 6-10.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. South has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 10 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 back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.