Baseball Game Preview: Lakewood Ranch Mustangs vs. Berkeley Prep Buccaneers

The Lakewood Ranch Mustangs will square off against the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Lakewood Ranch is coming into the match on a six-game losing streak.

Lakewood Ranch came up short against Braden River on Thursday, falling 10-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Mustangs have suffered against the Pirates since March 2, 2023.

Lakewood Ranch got a good showing from Tanner Buteau, who tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest earned runs Buteau has allowed since back in February.

At the plate, Lakewood Ranch saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was James Butler, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. That run was Butler's first of the season.

Meanwhile, Berkeley Prep didn't have quite enough to beat Lemont on Wednesday and fell 4-2. The Buccaneers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Rivers Kurland was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over 6.2 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.

Lakewood Ranch's loss dropped their record down to 5-15. As for Berkeley Prep, their defeat dropped their record down to 16-6.

Lakewood Ranch couldn't quite finish off Berkeley Prep in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 and fell 2-0. Will the Mustangs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.