Baseball Game Preview: Egg Harbor Township Eagles vs. Middle Township Panthers

Egg Harbor Township is a perfect 3-0 against Middle Township since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Eagles will host the Panthers at 11:00 a.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Egg Harbor Township was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against St. Joseph on Thursday. The Eagles blew past the Wildcats 8-1. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won three games by seven runs or more so far this season.

Jacob Cagna

Batters Struck Out

04/10/25 vs St. Joseph	9
04/01/25 @ Cumberland	3
03/27/25 vs Ocean City	5
05/09/24 vs Oakcrest	12

Jacob Cagna made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Those stolen bases were his first of the season.

In other pitching news, Nick Cruse looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.

Back at the plate, Eli Casey was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mike Baxter, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple.

Meanwhile, Middle Township had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Thursday. They walked away with a 13-9 win over the Crusaders. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Middle Township pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.2 runs over those games. As for Egg Harbor Township, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-2 record this season.

Egg Harbor Township skirted past Middle Township 2-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.