Jim Ned has gone a perfect 10-0 against Merkel recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Indians will square off against the Badgers at 7:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Jim Ned has three straight victories, Merkel has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Jim Ned's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 14-0 margin over Grape Creek. Considering the Indians have won 12 games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gavin Brooks
| 04/01/25 @ Grape Creek | 5 |
| 02/24/25 vs Breckenridge | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Grape Creek | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy | 1 |
| 04/02/24 vs Grape Creek | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Gavin Brooks, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Canton Golson was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs.
Jim Ned hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Merkel came up short against Wall on Tuesday, falling 14-2.
Merkel saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mayson Prieto, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Merkel's defeat dropped their record down to 9-7-1. As for Jim Ned, their win bumped their record up to 15-3.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Jim Ned has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .566. However, it's not like Merkel struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Jim Ned took their victory against Merkel in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 9-0 score. Will the Indians repeat their success, or do the Badgers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
