Baseball Game Preview: Gilbert Tigers vs. Mesa Jackrabbits

The Gilbert Tigers will face off against the Mesa Jackrabbits at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Gilbert has five straight victories, Mesa has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

It was a proper cat-fight when Gilbert duked it out with Desert Ridge on Thursday. Gilbert had just enough and edged out Desert Ridge 4-3. That's two games straight that the Tigers have won by just one run.

Johhny King

Base on Balls Against

03/10/25 vs Mountain View	3
03/27/25 vs Desert Ridge	2
03/22/25 @ Mountain Pointe	2
03/03/25 vs Sunnyside	2
02/26/25 @ Saguaro	2

Johhny King tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. He also tossed two walks, which is notable because Gilbert is 3-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 3-8 otherwise.

On the hitting side, Will Bates was incredible, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Hayden Leach, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

Meanwhile, while it was Mesa who put the first points on the board on Friday, it was Westwood who put up more. Mesa came up short against Westwood, falling 16-6. That's two games in a row now that the Jackrabbits have lost by exactly ten runs.

Hunter Brooks was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 2-for-2. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Gerardo Sanchez was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

Gilbert picked up their first home win, bumping their record up to 6-9. As for Mesa, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-11.

Everything went Gilbert's way against Mesa in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Gilbert made off with a 16-0 victory. Will Gilbert repeat their success, or does Mesa has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.