Baseball Game Preview: Arleta Mustangs vs. Monroe Vikings

The Arleta Mustangs will head out to face off against the Monroe Vikings at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Monday, Arleta was able to grind out a solid win over Triumph Charter, taking the game 8-5.

Abel Catalan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Catalan was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his eight plate appearances.

In other batting news, Juan Vaca was excellent, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Monroe, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 21-7 margin over Northridge Academy on Thursday. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Pumas recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Monroe's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 1-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs over those games. As for Arleta, the victory also got them back to even at 1-1.

Arleta might still be hurting after the 15-7 loss they got from Monroe when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can Arleta avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.