Baseball Game Preview: Rio Mesa Spartans vs. San Marcos Royals

Rio Mesa is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will challenge the San Marcos Royals at 3:30 p.m. The last four games Rio Mesa has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

On Saturday, Rio Mesa didn't have quite enough to beat Camarillo and fell 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Spartans have lost by just one run.

Rio Mesa got a good showing from Rob Rodriguez, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.

At the plate, Josh Cardenas was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. Andres Rios also deserves some recognition as he stole his first stolen base of the season.

Meanwhile, San Marcos was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 7-6 heartbreaker at the hands of Royal. That's two games in a row now that the Royals have lost by just one run.

San Marcos also got a good showing from Alexi Stegner, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits Stegner has allowed since back in April of 2024.

On the hitting side, Miles Herbert and Kieran Babai stepped up to the plate in a big way. Herbert scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Babai scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.

Rio Mesa's defeat dropped their record down to 1-5-1. As for San Marcos, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.

Rio Mesa came up short against San Marcos in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, falling 4-1. Can Rio Mesa avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.