Baseball Game Preview: Montezuma-Cortez Panthers vs. Valencia Jaguars

A feisty cat fight will be fought as Montezuma-Cortez Panthers challenge Valencia Jaguars at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday. Montezuma-Cortez will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.

Montezuma-Cortez not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since May 11, 2024. They blew past Montrose 13-2. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

Connor Rosenbaugh looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits.

Cory Carver

Runs Batted In (Career)

03/25/25 @ Montrose	5
05/18/24 vs Valley	3
03/22/25 vs Rifle	2
05/11/24 @ Bayfield	2
04/23/24 vs Dove Creek	2

At the plate, Cory Carver was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Michael Krupa was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Valencia suffered their biggest defeat since March 1st on Tuesday. They came up short against Albuquerque, falling 14-4. The Jaguars' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Montezuma-Cortez's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Valencia, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-5.