The McKeel Academy Wildcats will take on the Robinson Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
McKeel Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past King 4-2.
Kaden Howell
| 04/15/25 vs King | 10 |
| 04/08/25 vs Santa Fe Catholic | 7 |
| 03/18/25 vs Owasso | 3 |
| 03/13/25 vs Haines City | 4 |
| 03/07/25 @ IMG Academy Silver | 11 |
Kaden Howell was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Cooper Hamilton looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Brock Spurgeon, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Robinson waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Dragons. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Knights have posted against the Dragons since March 8, 2022.
Like McKeel Academy, Robinson also got a great game from a two-way player: Samuel Hyman. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Robinson is undefeated when Hyman allows three or fewer hits, but 9-13 otherwise. Hyman was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-4.
In other pitching news, Robinson got a great performance from Nathan Porath as he didn't allow a single earned run over 4.2 innings pitched. Porath also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because the Knights are 5-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 7-11 otherwise.
Hyman wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Cason Cooper, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Tommy Fitzgerald was another, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
McKeel Academy has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Robinson, their win bumped their record up to 12-13.
McKeel Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Robinson in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 5-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
