Baseball Preview: Draper APA Eagles vs. Maeser Prep Academy Lions
The Draper APA Eagles will stay at home for another game and welcome the Maeser Prep Academy Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Draper APA got the win against Freedom Prep Academy by a conclusive 16-1. That's two games straight that Draper APA has won by exactly 15 runs.
Braedan Dye made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). Dye was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and a triple. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played.
In other pitching news, Kason Crafts looked comfortable as he pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Draper APA got a massive performance out of Oliver Wagner, who went 2-for-2 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. Wagner is also crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's stolen at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Ziek Van Dijk, who went 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Draper APA always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .905. That's a new trend for them: their average OBP was 0% earlier this season, but in their last five matchups they've averaged 74.3%.
Meanwhile, Maeser Prep Academy made easy work of Merit Preparatory Academy on Friday and carried off a 14-4 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Lions.
Trace Turner made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in August of 2023. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a triple.
In other batting news, Erik Knecht was incredible, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Porter Bruce, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
Draper APA now has a winning record of 5-4-1. As for Maeser Prep Academy, their win ended a six-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 4-9.
Monday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Draper APA hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Maeser Prep Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Draper APA suffered a grim 21-2 defeat to Maeser Prep Academy in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Will Draper APA have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
