Jefferson has gone a perfect 10-0 against Highlands recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Mustangs will take on the Owls at 4:30 p.m. Jefferson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Jefferson's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 17-0 margin over Lanier. The win continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Voks: they've now won eight in a row.
Justin Ruiz was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has become a key player for Jefferson: the team is 3-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 8-10 otherwise. Ruiz was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Aiden Urdiales
| 03/04/25 @ San Antonio Memorial | 4 |
| 04/08/25 vs Lanier | 3 |
| 03/25/25 @ Edison | 3 |
| 03/18/25 vs Highlands | 2 |
| 03/06/25 vs Somerset | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
In other batting news, Aiden Urdiales was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of Jefferson's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 6-2 (and 5-9 when he doesn't). Julian Calvario was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
Jefferson hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Highlands' offense. They lost 11-0 to Burbank on Tuesday. The Owls have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive lost meeting.
Highlands also got a good showing from Robert Mccormick, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Highlands saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zaydin Rivera, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base. Rivera has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
Highlands' loss dropped their record down to 3-13-1. As for Jefferson, the victory got them back to even at 11-11.
Highlands' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Jefferson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. It's a different story for Highlands, though, as they've only averaged .146. Will they be able to contain Jefferson's hitters?
Jefferson beat Highlands 3-0 in their previous matchup back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
