Baseball Game Preview: McClatchy Lions vs. West Park Panthers

A feisty cat fight will be fought as McClatchy Lions duke it out with West Park Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. McClatchy will be coming into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.

McClatchy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of California's top teams: West Park, who was ranked 25th at the time (McClatchy was ranked fourth). McClatchy sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 win over West Park on Wednesday.

Antonio Barber

Stolen Base

03/19/25 vs West Park	1
03/11/25 @ Cordova	2
03/05/25 @ Bear Creek	1
03/03/25 @ Franklin	1
02/28/25 @ Bishop O'Dowd	1
+ 2 more games

The team relied heavily on Antonio Barber, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last seven games he's played. Zevi Pruger also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.

The loss snapped West Park's winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 6-3 record. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to strikeouts: they averaged an imposing seven strikeouts in those games compared to only 3.33 in the others. As for McClatchy, their victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0.

Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. McClatchy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .481. However, it's not like West Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .494. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.