Baseball Game Preview: Harrison Panthers vs. Woodland Park Panthers

We've got a battle between Panthers coming up.

Harrison is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 12 runs on Saturday, they were much more limited against Pueblo East on Tuesday. They lost 22-1 to the Eagles. The loss was the Panthers' first of the season.

Meanwhile, Woodland Park put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. Everything went their way against Colorado Springs Christian as Woodland Park made off with a 12-1 victory.

Cody Becker was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 13 over six innings pitched. Becker was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.

In other batting news, Woodland Park let Gavin Strouse and Link Bryden run wild. Strouse scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Bryden scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Strouse is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Landon Bain, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.

Woodland Park's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-0. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.7 runs over those games. As for Harrison, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Harrison has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Woodland Park struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Harrison took their victory against Woodland Park in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 14-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Harrison since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.