Colton is 8-2 against Garfield-Palouse since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Wildcats will be playing at home against the Vikings at 11:00 a.m. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Colton has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Garfield-Palouse will arrive with three straight victories.
It was a proper cat-fight when Colton took on Waitsburg/Prescott on Wednesday. The Wildcats fell just short of the Cardinals by a score of 17-16.
Tanner Baerlocher
| 04/16/25 @ Waitsburg/Prescott | 3 |
| 04/16/25 @ Waitsburg/Prescott | 1 |
| 04/14/25 vs Genesee | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse | 1 |
Tanner Baerlocher and Skyler Purnell did some serious damage despite the final result: Baerlocher went 4-for-6 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI, while Purnell scored five runs and stole three bases while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. Baerlocher has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. Silas Nollmeyer was another key player, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Garfield-Palouse). They were the clear victors by an 18-3 margin over St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Maxwell Mitzimberg and Cooper Wells were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Mitzimberg struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Meanwhile, Wells tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Garfield-Palouse is 4-1 when Wells allows two or fewer hits, but 1-2-1 otherwise. At bat, Mitzimberg scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Wells scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Garfield-Palouse got a massive performance out of Preston Olson, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Olson is becoming a predictor of the Vikings' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-1 (and 1-2-1 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Rowan Edwards, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Garfield-Palouse always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Garfield-Palouse pushed their record up to 5-3-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Colton, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-4.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Colton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. However, it's not like Garfield-Palouse struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Colton couldn't quite get it done against Garfield-Palouse in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 as they fell 17-14. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
