The Bagdad Sultans will venture away from home to face off against the Kingman Academy Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Bagdad will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.
Bagdad's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Salome 17-0. The result was nothing new for the Sultans, who have now won 12 contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Michael Langston
| 04/04/25 @ Salome | 0 |
| 03/28/25 @ St. David | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Anthem Prep | 1 |
| 03/01/25 vs Thatcher | 2 |
Michael Langston made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Aaron Landers was a standout: he scored three runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-2. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Zayden Sanders, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple.
Meanwhile, Kingman Academy fell victim to Glendale Prep Academy and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They came up short against the Griffins, falling 10-0. That's two games in a row now that the Tigers have lost by exactly ten runs.
Kingman Academy saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gavin Hopper, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Kingman Academy has also traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-9-1 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for Bagdad, their victory was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-1.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bagdad has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .528. However, it's not like Kingman Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bagdad was able to grind out a solid win over Kingman Academy in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 5-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Sultans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
