Baseball Game Preview: Oakwood Comets vs. Paris Tigers

Oakwood and Paris are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2015, but likely not for long. The Comets will take on the Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Oakwood will be strutting in after a victory while Paris will be coming in after a defeat.

Paris will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Oakwood extended their winning streak to three on Tuesday. The Comets didn't even let North Vermillion on the board, marking the Comets' second-straight 15-0 shutout. The Comets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by seven runs or more this season.

Jackson Dudley made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits 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, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.

In other batting news, Xander Wilson and Bryson Marcinko did most of the damage at the plate: Wilson got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Marcinko got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Wilson has become a key player for Oakwood: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Riglee Hart, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Paris' offense. They fell just short of Newton by a score of 1-0 on Thursday. The match marked the first time this year in which the Tigers were not able to get on the board.

Oakwood's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-9. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Paris, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-10 record this season.

Oakwood skirted past Paris 12-10 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Comets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.