Baseball Game Preview: Kendrick Cherokees vs. Columbus Blue Devils

Kendrick is 0-4 against Columbus since April of 2021 but things could change on Tuesday. The Kendrick Cherokees are packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game this season: they will face off against the Columbus Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m.

Kendrick is headed into Tuesday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 12th straight game dating back to last season on Friday. They lost 18-0 to Jordan. That's two games in a row now that the Cherokees have lost by exactly 18 runs.

Meanwhile, Columbus posted their biggest win since April 23, 2024 on Friday. They put the hurt on Hardaway with a sharp 11-1 victory. The win continues a trend for the Blue Devils in their matchups with the Hawks: they've now won six in a row.

Michael Nottleman made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and not a single walk). Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in March of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI and one double. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, Caden Bryans and Jamari Blackmon did most of the damage at the plate: Bryans scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3, while Blackmon scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most runs Bryans has posted since back in April of 2024. Maddox Anderson also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.

Columbus always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hardaway only posted an OBP of .176.

Columbus' record now sits at 3-5. As for Kendrick, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-2.

Kendrick might still be hurting after the 19-0 loss they got from Columbus when the teams last played back in April of 2022. Can Kendrick avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.