Mather is 0-8 against Clemente since April of 2018 but things could change on Friday. The Rangers will head out on the road to square off against the Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mather came out on top against Bulls College Prep on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run fifth inning. The Rangers put the hurt on the Bulls with a sharp 13-3 win. Winning may never get old, but the Rangers sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
David Goytia
| 05/22/25 vs Bulls College Prep | 7 |
| 05/08/25 vs Westinghouse | 5 |
| 04/24/24 @ Chicago Academy | 5 |
| 03/16/24 vs Rickover Naval | 5 |
| 04/12/25 vs Disney II | 4 |
Mather got a massive performance out of David Goytia, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with seven stolen bases and four runs. Those seven stolen bases gave Goytia a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jadier Castillo, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with five stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.
Mather was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .381. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Clemente). They blew past Steinmetz College Prep 19-4 on Saturday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
The team relied heavily on Semaj Beecham, who went 2-for-3 with four runs, two triples, and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Clemente's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 10-1 (and 6-9 when he doesn't). Jayden Morales was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
Clemente has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 14 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-10 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.9 runs on average over those games. As for Mather, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mather has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Clemente struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mather suffered a grim 10-1 defeat to Clemente in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Rangers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
