Baseball Game Preview: Destin Sharks vs. Baker Gators

The Destin Sharks will face off against the Baker Gators at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Destin is coming into the matchup on a five-game losing streak.

On Tuesday, Destin came up short against North Bay Haven Academy and fell 8-3.

Destin saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jaxx Emmert, who went 1-for-2 with one double. That double was Emmert's first of the season.

Meanwhile, Baker made easy work of Pensacola Christian Academy on Tuesday and carried off a 16-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Gators, who have now won nine contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Joel Morse was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5. He is becoming a predictor of Baker's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't).

In other batting news, Kase Armstrong was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Wyatt Straight, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-5.

Baker always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Baker has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. Destin's defeat dropped their record down to 4-9.

Everything went Destin's way against Baker when the teams last played back in April of 2023, as Destin made off with a 10-4 win. Does Destin have another victory up their sleeve, or will Baker turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.