Baseball Game Preview: Berkeley Prep Buccaneers vs. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes

The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers will square off against the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses for Berkeley Prep and four for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Berkeley Prep and Lakewood Ranch, and Lakewood Ranch kept the tradition alive. The Buccaneers fell just short of the Mustangs by a score of 6-5 on Friday.

Ben O'Brien was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. O'Brien was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases.

O'Brien wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Parker Mitzel, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Mitzel also put up a triple, which was his first of the season.

Meanwhile, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic didn't have quite enough to beat Carrollwood Day on Friday and fell 3-2.

Dylan McNeil was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Steele Thalleen was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Tyler Pizzo, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple and one RBI.

Berkeley Prep's defeat dropped their record down to 16-7. As for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 9-11.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Berkeley Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bishop McLaughlin Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.