Baseball Game Preview: Edsel Ford Thunderbirds vs. Carlson Marauders

The Edsel Ford Thunderbirds will head out on the road to face off against the Carlson Marauders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Edsel Ford will be strutting in after a victory while Carlson will be coming in after a loss.

Edsel Ford will bounce into Thursday's contest after beating Anderson, who they had gone 1-7 against in their eight prior meetings. The Thunderbirds walked away with a 5-1 win over the Titans on Wednesday.

Edsel Ford's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kaleb Hazimeh, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Another was Tyler Zelek, who scored a run and stole three bases.

Meanwhile, Carlson didn't have quite enough to beat Allen Park on Wednesday and fell 4-3. The defeat continues a trend for the Marauders in their meetings with the Jaguars: they've now lost nine in a row.

Matthew MacBride made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. MacBride is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Kyle Salisbury also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Having lost for the first time this season, Carlson fell to 3-1. As for Edsel Ford, they now have a winning record of 2-1.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Edsel Ford has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Carlson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Edsel Ford came out on top in a nail-biter against Carlson in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 1-0. Will the Thunderbirds repeat their success, or do the Marauders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.