The Mission Heights Prep Phantoms will head out to take on the Heritage Academy Gateway Heroes at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Mission Heights Prep got the win against Harvest Prep Academy by a conclusive 22-1. The Phantoms have beaten the Eagle the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Eagle has come to flipping the script.
Ricky Luevano
| 04/18/25 vs Harvest Prep Academy | 9 |
| 04/08/25 vs Canyon State Academy | 6 |
| 04/02/24 @ Alta Vista | 6 |
| 03/05/24 vs Imagine Prep Coolidge | 6 |
| 04/09/24 vs Imagine Prep | 5 |
Ricky Luevano made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Daniel Vargas was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jacob Kemp, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Mission Heights Prep kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, while Heritage Academy Gateway put up some runs on Friday, the same can't be said for Imagine Prep. The Heroes put the hurt on the Storm with a sharp 8-0 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Heroes.
Like Mission Heights Prep, Heritage Academy Gateway also got a great game from a two-way player: Nolen Holliday. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over 5.2 innings pitched. Holliday also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Heritage Academy Gateway is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-3 otherwise. Holliday was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Holliday wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tyler Lines, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple was Lines' first of the season. Benny Treuhaft was another, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Heritage Academy Gateway pushed their record up to 4-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Mission Heights Prep, their record is now 8-4-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mission Heights Prep has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .569. However, it's not like Heritage Academy Gateway struggles in that department as they've averaged .477. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mission Heights Prep couldn't quite finish off Heritage Academy Gateway when the teams last played back in May of 2024 and fell 5-3. Can the Phantoms avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
