Baseball Game Preview: Deer Valley Skyhawks vs. Cactus Cobras

For the second straight game, Deer Valley will face off against Cactus. The Skyhawks will be playing in front of their home fans against the Cobras at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is sure in Deer Valley's favor as the team sits on three straight wins at home while Cactus has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.

Last Tuesday, Deer Valley was able to grind out a solid win over Cactus, taking the game 7-2.

Nate Gentz

Earned Runs

02/28/25 vs Highland	5
03/18/25 vs Elizabeth	2
04/08/25 @ Cactus	1
04/01/25 @ Thunderbird	1
03/14/25 vs Goldwater	1

Nate Gentz made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and not a single walk). He is becoming a predictor of Deer Valley's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is undefeated (and 7-8-1 when he doesn't). Gentz was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one RBI.

In other batting news, Max Weaver was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-3. That's the most stolen bases he has posted over his last 13 contests. Tyler Carr was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.

Deer Valley is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-8-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Cactus, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-14.

Cactus' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Deer Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .448. It's a different story for Cactus, though, as they've only averaged .333. Will they be able to contain Deer Valley's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.