Gulf Coast is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Friday. They will host the Naples Golden Eagles at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
Naples will be up against a hot Gulf Coast squad: the team just extended their winning streak to five. Gulf Coast never let Lely get on the board and left with a 19-0 win on Tuesday. With that victory, the Sharks brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Preston Compton made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Compton was even better at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that he hit this season.
In other pitching news, Colton Schlief looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Jackson Geiger was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Brandon Borrego, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Gulf Coast always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Naples). They put the hurt on Lely with a sharp 17-0 win on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles haven't had any issues with the Trojans recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
JAKE CAMPINS was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of ETHAN KATZ, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one triple.
Gulf Coast's win bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Naples, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Gulf Coast has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Naples struggles in that department as they've averaged .439. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gulf Coast couldn't quite finish off Naples in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 3-1. Can Gulf Coast avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
