The Yreka Miners will face off against the West Valley Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Yreka comes in on five and West Valley on 17.
Yreka is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over Orland. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Miners have posted since April 19, 2024.
Brody Zediker
| 04/04/25 vs West Valley | 4 |
| 04/10/25 vs University Prep | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Del Norte | 3 |
| 03/10/25 @ Shasta | 3 |
| 04/16/25 vs University Prep | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
Brody Zediker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up seven Ks. He is becoming a predictor of Yreka's success: when he allows at most two earned runs the team is 5-2 (and 6-11 when he doesn't).
At the plate, Yreka's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Gabe Gregg, who went 1-for-4 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, West Valley got the win against Lassen on Thursday by a conclusive 13-1. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won 14 matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Trent Nehls was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Nehls was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gunner Church, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. Jayden Knight was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
West Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .560. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .360 or higher in eight consecutive contests.
West Valley pushed their record up to 19-3 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Yreka, their record now sits at 11-13.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Yreka hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. However, it's not like West Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Yreka suffered a grim 13-6 defeat to West Valley when the teams last played back in April. Can the Miners avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
