Foothill is 1-8-1 against Chico since March of 2023 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Cougars will face off against the Panthers at 2:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
It was a proper cat-fight when Foothill faced off against McKinleyville on Wednesday. The Cougars came out on top against the Panthers by a score of 7-3. Seven seems to be a good number for the Cougars as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Blake Schwerdt
| 04/03/25 vs Pleasant Valley | 6 |
| 04/08/25 vs Red Bluff | 4 |
| 04/14/25 vs Crater | 3 |
| 03/25/25 @ Shasta | 1 |
| 03/07/25 vs West Valley | 1 |
Blake Schwerdt was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Foothill is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 7-10 otherwise. Schwerdt was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run.
In other batting news, Connor Modesitt was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, Chico came tearing into Friday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 7-6 W against the Vikings. The game snapped a strange streak: the last three times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Like Foothill, Chico also got a great game from a two-way player: Jaden Neugebauer. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits. Neugebauer was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Abrahan Medina, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Blake Bettencourt was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Chico pushed their record up to 22-1 with the win, which was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Foothill, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Foothill has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chico struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Foothill suffered a grim 8-2 defeat to Chico in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
