Maranatha Christian and Classical Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Eagles are taking a road trip to face off against the Caimans at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Maranatha Christian has three straight victories, Classical Academy has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Maranatha Christian barely beat Bishop's the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Eagles never let the Knights get on the board and left with an 8-0 win on Friday.
James Pace
| 04/30/26 vs Santa Fe Christian | 5 |
| 04/18/26 vs La Jolla Country Day | 5 |
| 03/31/26 @ Mater Dei Catholic | 4 |
| 04/09/26 @ Scripps Ranch | 3 |
| 03/25/26 vs Canyon Crest Academy | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
Bishop's batters probably weren't too happy with James Pace, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 11 Ks (he gave up two walks). Pace also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Maranatha Christian is 6-1 when he allows at most three earned runs, but 8-10 otherwise.
At the plate, Maranatha Christian let Caleb Kennedy and Holton Heinrichs run wild. Kennedy went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run, while Heinrichs went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave Kennedy a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Browne, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Classical Academy's offense. They came up short against La Jolla Country Day on Friday, falling 10-0.
Classical Academy also got a good showing from Jax Strand, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Strand has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
Classical Academy's loss dropped their record down to 12-12. As for Maranatha Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 14-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Maranatha Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Classical Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Maranatha Christian skirted past Classical Academy 5-4 in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
