Baseball Game Preview: McKeel Academy Wildcats vs. Lakeland Dreadnaughts

McKeel Academy is a perfect 4-0 against Lakeland since March of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The McKeel Academy Wildcats will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against the Lakeland Dreadnaughts at 7:00 p.m.

McKeel Academy is headed into their home opener looking to turn things around after starting their season on the road. They fell 7-3 to Bartow on Tuesday.

Caleb Clanton

Batters Struck Out

02/11/25 @ Bartow	9
05/14/24 vs Mulberry	6
05/08/24 vs Robinson	4
05/02/24 vs Hardee	8
04/25/24 @ Lake Wales	1
+ 8 more games

Caleb Clanton was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out nine batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February of 2024.

At the plate, Wyatt Thomas was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Aedan Tompkins was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Lakeland was able to grind out a solid victory over DeSoto County on Tuesday, taking the game 9-5. The win continues a trend for the Dreadnaughts in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won three in a row.

McKeel Academy skirted past Lakeland 2-0 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Does McKeel Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lakeland turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.