The Encinal Jets will venture away from home to face off against the Saint Mary's Panthers at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are still undefeated (Encinal has four wins , while Saint Mary's has seven dating back to last season).
On Wednesday, Encinal narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past San Leandro 7-6.
Darren Olson
| 03/04/26 vs San Leandro | 6 |
| 02/28/25 @ San Leandro | 4 |
| 05/06/25 vs Berkeley | 3 |
| 04/25/25 @ Alameda | 3 |
| 04/05/25 vs Monte Vista | 3 |
Darren Olson looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, Zach Pippen was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Ezra Flanagan was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
Encinal always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Saint Mary's got the win against Salesian College Preparatory on Monday by a conclusive 14-3. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly 11 runs.
Cody Wegner looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Ronan Gardner was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Nico Pilara, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI, one triple, and one run.
Saint Mary's win bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Encinal, their victory bumped their record up to 4-0.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Encinal has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .435. However, it's not like Saint Mary's struggles in that department as they've averaged .547. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Encinal couldn't quite get it done against Saint Mary's when the teams last played back in March of 2023 as they fell 6-2. Can the Jets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
