Baseball Game Preview: Marana Tigers vs. Sunnyside Blue Devils

Marana and Sunnyside are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2018, but likely not for long. The Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

It was a proper cat-fight when Marana took on Desert Ridge on Friday. The Tigers narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Jaguars 5-4. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Tigers.

Brandon Collings tossed a big game, pitching six innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

Connor Ellis

Runs

03/20/25 vs Rio Rico	3
03/19/25 vs Frederick	3
04/11/25 vs Desert Ridge	2
03/25/25 @ Sabino	1
03/19/25 vs Pusch Ridge Christian Academy	1
+ 2 more games

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Connor Ellis, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of Marana's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-13 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Cody Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Sunnyside had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They never let the Badgers get on the board and left with a 4-0 win. The game was the first time the Blue Devils have beaten the Badgers on their field since February 24, 2023.

SABINO GONZALEZ made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. GONZALEZ was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, LUCAS MATA was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March of 2024. MICHEL MUNIZ was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI.

Marana's record now sits at 8-13. As for Sunnyside, their record is now 13-8.

Marana couldn't quite get it done against Sunnyside in their previous matchup last Thursday as they fell 8-3. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.