Manti hasn't had much luck against Juab recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Templars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Wasps at 3:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
On Friday, Manti got the win against Delta by a conclusive 12-2. The win continues a trend for the Templars in their matchups with the Rabbits: they've now won six in a row.
Tazj Hill
| 04/25/25 vs Delta | 6 |
| 04/08/25 @ Emery | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Canyon View | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs North Sanpete | 2 |
| 04/19/24 @ Delta | 2 |
Tazj Hill made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run and six RBI. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high.
Hill wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Chase Keisel, who went 1-for-2 with three runs and one RBI. That's the most runs Keisel has posted since back in March. Boston Hatch was another, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Manti always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Juab came out on top against Carbon on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run seventh inning. The Wasps put the hurt on the Dinos with a sharp 10-2 victory. The Wasps might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
Austin Park was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). Park was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
In other pitching news, Porter Howard looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Luke Marostica was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Trevin Park, who went 1-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Juab's win was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-5. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for Manti, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Manti hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Juab struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Manti suffered a grim 15-8 defeat to Juab in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Templars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
