The Saint Mary's Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the University Red Devils at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Saint Mary's is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Saint Mary's blew St. Joseph Notre Dame out of the water the last time the pair played, but on March 3rd St. Joseph Notre Dame got their revenge. Saint Mary's fell just short of St. Joseph Notre Dame by a score of 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Panthers have suffered since April 4, 2024.
Saint Mary's got a good showing from Cody Wegner, who struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits.
At the plate, Saint Mary's saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jayson Webb, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask University). They blew past St. Vincent de Paul 19-1 on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Red Devils considering their one-run performance the game before.
University also got a great performance from Sabin Verplaetse as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. What's more, Verplaetse gave up only zero hits, the fewest he's had since back in March of 2024.
On the hitting side, University let Alexander Coleman and Jett Messenger run wild. Coleman went 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI, while Messenger went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Coleman also put up two doubles, which were his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Owen Chee, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
University always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .633. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Vincent de Paul only posted an OBP of .323.
Saint Mary's defeat dropped their record down to 0-3. As for University, their record now sits at 6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Saint Mary's has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like University struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
