Baseball Game Preview: Cibola Cougars vs. Volcano Vista Hawks

Cibola is 0-10 against Volcano Vista since May of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Cougars are taking a road trip to take on the Hawks at 4:00 p.m. The last three games Cibola has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Cibola is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Farmington, who was ranked ninth at the time (Cibola was ranked eighth). The Cougars fell just short of the Scorpions by a score of 11-10 on Tuesday.

Jacob Escobedo

Runs

04/29/25 vs Farmington	2
04/25/25 vs Rio Rancho	2
04/11/25 @ Farmington	2
03/29/25 vs Atrisco Heritage Academy	2
03/19/25 vs Atrisco Heritage Academy	2
+ 11 more games

Jacob Escobedo made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-6 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Cibola: the team is 7-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 8-9 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Kean, who got on base in three of his six plate appearances with three runs.

Meanwhile, Volcano Vista came up short against Cleveland on Tuesday and fell 8-3. The Hawks have struggled against the Storm recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost meeting.

Volcano Vista saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alijah Romero, who went 2-for-3 with one run. Noah Massey was another, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Volcano Vista's loss dropped their record down to 14-11. As for Cibola, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-10.

Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cibola hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. However, it's not like Volcano Vista struggles in that department as they've averaged .317. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Cibola couldn't quite get it done against Volcano Vista in their previous matchup two weeks ago as they fell 10-5. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.