Baseball Game Preview: Taft Eagles vs. Jones Eagles

Eagles

Runs

04/01/25 @ Maine East	8
03/31/25 vs Solorio	16
03/22/25 vs ITW David Speer Academy	20
03/18/25 @ Brooks	16

We've got a battle between Eagles coming up. Taft is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 12 runs per game this season.

While Taft's victory against Maine East wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Eagles narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Blue Demons 8-7. While the Eagles didn't have the best season last year (they finished 13-21), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Daniel Alvarez tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Israel Rodriguez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Lucas Espinosa, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Jones fell victim to Lane Tech and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They lost 7-0 to the Champions. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Eagles' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

The victory made it two in a row for Taft and bumps their season record up to 4-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for Jones, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 4-3.

Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Taft has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .598. However, it's not like Jones struggles in that department as they've averaged .461. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Taft came up short against Jones in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, falling 10-6. Can Taft avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.