Center hasn't had much luck against Oakmont recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Cougars will face off against the Vikings at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Center will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Leroy Greene Academy on Wednesday. The Cougars blew past the Lions 13-3.
Andy Hintz made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Hintz was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Gabe Rodriguez Calouro
| 04/30/25 vs Leroy Greene Academy | 3 |
| 04/16/25 vs El Camino | 2 |
| 03/14/24 @ Colfax | 2 |
| 03/19/25 vs Wheatland | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Nevada Union | 1 |
In other batting news, Gabe Rodriguez Calouro was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ruben Lopez-Aguilar, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one RBI.
Center always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Oakmont came tearing into Tuesday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 7-2 victory over the Cougars.
CJ Smith looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cooper Kunis, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of KC Tibbits, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
The win got Center back to even at 11-11-1. As for Oakmont, their record is now 22-5.
Center came up short against Oakmont when the teams last played on Tuesday, falling 7-2. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
