Baseball Game Preview: Ray Bearcats vs. Superior Panthers

A feisty cat fight will be fought as Ray Bearcats face off against Superior Panthers at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Ray managed to slip by Coolidge the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. Ray lost 19-7 to Coolidge on Tuesday. Even though they lost, the Bearcats' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.1 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).

Jaxon Cude was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. John Beede also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.

Meanwhile, while it was Superior who put the first points on the board on Tuesday, it was San Manuel who put up more. Superior came up short against San Manuel, falling 11-1. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Superior saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryland Duarte, who went 2-for-3 with one double.

Superior's defeat dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Ray, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 6-9.

Ray's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. Ray has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Superior, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Ray continue to outrun the ball?

Ray came out on top in a nail-biter against Superior in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. Does Ray have another victory up their sleeve, or will Superior turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.