Baseball Game Preview: Owen Warhorses vs. Mitchell Mountaineers

The Owen Warhorses will head out to challenge the Mitchell Mountaineers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Owen will be strutting in after a win while Mitchell will be coming in after a loss.

Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Owen turned things around against Avery County on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over the Vikings.

Houston Mashburn

Hits (Career)

04/09/25 vs Avery County	3
04/08/25 vs Mitchell	1
04/04/25 vs Draughn	1
03/17/25 vs Erwin	1
03/11/25 @ Mountain Heritage	1

Houston Mashburn was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jackson Warnock, who went 3-for-4 with four stolen bases, five RBI, and two runs. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Gabe Mahar was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.

Owen was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .520. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Mitchell fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Unicoi County on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Blue Devils by a score of 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Mountaineers have suffered since May 3, 2024.

Jacoby Dale was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of Mitchell's success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 3-1 (and 4-7 when he doesn't).

The victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 2-13. As for Mitchell, they now have a losing record of 7-8.

Owen might still be hurting after the 12-6 defeat they got from Mitchell when the teams last played on Tuesday. Can the Warhorses avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.