Baseball Game Preview: Forest Park Foresters vs. Dunbar Poets

The Forest Park Foresters will challenge the Dunbar Poets at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

As a matter of fact, Forest Park put up the most runs they have all season on Monday. They fell 16-11 to Douglass. The loss continues a trend for the Foresters in their meetings with the Mighty Ducks: they've now lost six in a row.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Dunbar, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They won by a run and slipped past Mergenthaler Vo-Tech 13-12. The win continues a trend for the Poets in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won three in a row.

Griffin Wildey made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Dunbar is undefeated when Wildey posts two or more runs, but 0-3 otherwise.

In other batting news, Dunbar got a massive performance out of Jonathan Parks, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs. Parks has become a key player for the Poets: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Amanuel Seyoum, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.

Dunbar's victory was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Forest Park, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3-1.

Forest Park might still be hurting after the 24-4 loss they got from Dunbar when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Will the Foresters have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.