Baseball Game Preview: Capuchino Mustangs vs. Archbishop Riordan Crusaders

The Capuchino Mustangs are taking a road trip to square off against the Archbishop Riordan Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Capuchino's pitching crew has only allowed 2.2 runs per game this season, so Archbishop Riordan's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Capuchino took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They had just enough and edged out Santa Cruz 3-2. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now won three in a row.

Declan Mendel

Batters Struck Out (Career)

03/07/25 vs Santa Cruz	10
02/28/25 vs Mills	9
04/17/24 vs Sequoia	9
04/24/24 vs Hillsdale	6
04/03/24 vs Santa Cruz	6

Declan Mendel tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over six innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Bryce Brooks, who scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-2. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Riordan came up short against Leigh on Saturday, falling 7-1. The match marked the Crusaders' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Capuchino's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for Archbishop Riordan, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2-1.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Capuchino has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Archbishop Riordan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Capuchino skirted past Archbishop Riordan 5-3 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Capuchino since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.