Baseball Game Preview: Mather Rangers vs. Chicago Academy Cougars

For the second straight game, Mather will face off against Chicago Academy. The Rangers will be playing at home against the Cougars at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mather is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Mather and Chicago Academy meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Monday. The Rangers put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 14-3 victory. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Rangers as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.

David Goytia

Batters Struck Out (Career)

05/05/25 @ Chicago Academy	9
04/17/24 vs Prosser	8
05/17/24 vs Hancock	6
03/13/24 @ Fasman Yeshiva	6
05/06/24 vs Westinghouse	5

David Goytia and Lucas Lambert made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Goytia struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Lambert struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Those nine strikeouts gave Goytia a new career-high. At the plate, Goytia went 2-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs, while Lambert got on base in three of his five plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Mather is undefeated when Goytia posts one or more home runs, but 4-9 otherwise.

In other batting news, Jadier Castillo was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two doubles. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in May of 2024. Roy Beard was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.

Chicago Academy's defeat was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-13. As for Mather, their victory bumped their record up to 7-9.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mather has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chicago Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.