White Pine hasn't had much luck against Needles recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bobcats will look to defend their home field against the Mustangs at 12:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
White Pine is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They won by a run and slipped past Lincoln County 11-10. The victory was nothing new for the Bobcats as they're now sitting on three straight.
Cooper Reed
| 05/07/26 vs Lincoln County | 3 |
| 04/24/26 vs Lake Mead Christian Academy | 2 |
| 05/01/26 @ Lincoln County | 1 |
| 05/01/26 @ Lincoln County | 1 |
| 04/24/26 vs Lake Mead Christian Academy | 1 |
Maddox Sedlacek and Cooper Reed made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Sedlacek pitched two innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Meanwhile, Reed didn't allow a single hit and allowed only two earned runs while striking out six over four innings pitched. White Pine is undefeated when Sedlacek allows two or fewer earned runs, but 6-7 otherwise. At bat, Sedlacek went 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run, while Reed went 3-for-5 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Those three hits gave Reed a new career-high.
In other batting news, White Pine got a big performance out of Jacob Derbidge, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Derbidge has become a key player for the Bobcats: the team is 10-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-6 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob Hall, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
White Pine kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Needles hadn't beaten Lake Mead Christian Academy on the road since April 11, 2025 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Mustangs were the clear victors by an 18-5 margin over the Eagles. Considering the Mustangs have won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Gabe Rodriguez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Rodriguez was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with five RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Connor Goulet was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base. Robert Tapia was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Needles' win bumped their record up to 13-11. As for White Pine, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. White Pine has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Needles struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
White Pine beat Needles 13-9 when the teams last played back in April. Do the Bobcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
