Baseball Game Preview: Cleveland Blue Raiders vs. McMinn County Cherokees

For the first time this season, Cleveland will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will welcome the McMinn County Cherokees at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The timing is sure in Cleveland's favor as the squad sits on ten straight wins at home while McMinn County has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Cleveland and Ooltewah, and Cleveland kept the tradition alive. Cleveland blew past Ooltewah 9-1 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Blue Raiders have posted against the Owls since May 4, 2023.

Collin Stuart was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was his first of the season.

In other batting news, Owen Goglio was excellent, going 2-for-4 with one home run. That's the most hits he has posted over his last 13 games. Charley Atha was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.

Meanwhile, McMinn County came up short against South-Doyle on Saturday and fell 4-1.

Cleveland has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.1 runs over those games. McMinn County's loss dropped their record down to 9-6.

Cleveland took their victory against McMinn County in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 16-8. Will Cleveland repeat their success, or does McMinn County has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.