Manor New Tech is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Valor South Austin is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. Manor New Tech will host Valor South Austin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, Manor New Tech got the win against Travis by a conclusive 17-3. The win continues a trend for Manor New Tech in their matchups with Travis: they've now won five in a row.
Zane Thomas
| 04/11/25 vs Travis | 5 |
| 03/04/25 vs Hempstead | 3 |
| 02/27/25 @ Navarro | 3 |
| 02/20/24 @ Crockett | 3 |
| 04/04/25 vs Eastside Early College | 2 |
Zane Thomas made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of Manor New Tech's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-7 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Ahmad Riley was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Manor New Tech is undefeated when Riley posts three or more RBI, but 6-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Nathan Saliangnak, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Manor New Tech always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .611. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Valor South Austin made easy work of LBJ Austin on Friday and carried off an 18-4 victory.
Like Manor New Tech, Valor South Austin also got a great game from a two-way player: Timothy Noble. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Noble has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Beck Forrester, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Silas Lenaburg was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Valor South Austin is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.1 runs over those games. As for Manor New Tech, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Manor New Tech has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .535. However, it's not like Valor South Austin struggles in that department as they've averaged .533. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Manor New Tech took their win against Valor South Austin when the teams last played back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 10-3 score. Does Manor New Tech have another victory up their sleeve, or will Valor South Austin turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
