Baseball Game Preview: Liberal Redskins vs. Great Bend Panthers

Liberal hasn't had much luck against Great Bend recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Redskins will square off against the Panthers at 6:00 p.m. Liberal has given up an average of 9.3 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Cimarron hit Liberal with a eight-run first inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Redskins fell 16-11 to the Bluejays.

Skyler Hubbard

Runs

04/01/25 vs Garden City	4
04/25/25 vs Cimarron	2
04/17/25 vs Woodward	2
04/22/25 @ Garden City	1

Skyler Hubbard and Marco Alonso did some serious damage despite the final result: Hubbard got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, while Alonso got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two RBI and one run. Liberal is 2-1 when Hubbard posts two or more runs, but 4-8 otherwise. Blayden Betts was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one run.

Meanwhile, it was close, but on Saturday Great Bend sidestepped Gardner-Edgerton for a 2-1 victory.

Carson Umphres spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Great Bend secured the win behind a pair of hitters. One of them was Daxton Minton, who went 2-for-3 with one run.

Great Bend's victory bumped their record up to 12-4. As for Liberal, their loss dropped their record down to 6-9.

Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Liberal hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. However, it's not like Great Bend struggles in that department as they've averaged .314. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Liberal suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Great Bend in their previous meeting on April 11th. Can the Redskins avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.