The Manteca Buffaloes are taking a road trip to square off against the Central Catholic Raiders at 7:15 p.m. on Monday. Manteca will come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
If Manteca beats Central Catholic with 12 runs on Monday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Buffaloes put the hurt on Sierra with a sharp 12-3 win on Friday. Considering the Buffaloes have won six contests by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Jimmy Burns
| 03/06/26 @ Sierra | 1 |
| 02/20/26 @ Tokay | 0 |
| 02/13/26 @ Franklin | 2 |
Jimmy Burns made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over six innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Manteca let Nate Slikker and Devon Richardson run wild. Slikker went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base, while Richardson went 3-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most hits Slikker has posted since back in February of 2025. Noah Navarro also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Manteca kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 11 runs the game before, Central Catholic was a bit more limited in their matchup on Friday. They took a 5-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of East Union. The game marked the Raiders' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Central Catholic saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hudson Walker, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Having lost for the first time this season, Central Catholic fell to 5-1. As for Manteca, their record now sits at 9-0.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Manteca hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .345. However, it's not like Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .333. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Manteca couldn't quite get it done against Central Catholic when the teams last played back in April of 2025 as they fell 5-1. Can the Buffaloes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
