Sandalwood is 9-1 against Atlantic Coast since March of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. Sandalwood will square off against Atlantic Coast at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Sandalwood had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 14-run drubbing they dealt Northwestern on Thursday. Sandalwood's pitchers stepped up to hand Northwestern a 14-0 shutout. With that victory, the Saints brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Trey Dennis and Trent Baskins made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Dennis kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Baskins tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those zero hits allowed gave him a new career-low. At the plate, Dennis scored a run while going 2-for-3, while Baskins went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Baskins also hit a triple, marking his first of the season.
Tobias Caughman
| 03/27/25 vs Northwestern | 3 |
| 03/05/25 vs Hilliard | 1 |
| 02/27/25 vs Camden County | 1 |
| 02/24/25 vs Ribault | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tobias Caughman, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Andrew Detlefsen also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Sandalwood was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .517. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Coast got the win against Hilliard on Thursday by a conclusive 9-3. The win continues a trend for the Stingrays in their matchups with the Red Flashes: they've now won three in a row.
Connor Newman made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Atlantic Coast let Anthony Selejan and Aramis Pabon run wild. Selejan scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while Pabon got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Selejan has become a key player for Atlantic Coast: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 6-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Noah Prudencio, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Sandalwood is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. Atlantic Coast pushed their record up to 10-8 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home.
Sandalwood was able to grind out a solid victory over Atlantic Coast in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 8-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Sandalwood since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
