Saugus is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Wednesday. They will be playing in front of their home fans against the Castaic Coyotes at 3:30 p.m. Saugus is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Saugus is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Crespi just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of the Celts by a score of 3-2.
Chase Kline
| 02/26/26 @ Quartz Hill | 3 |
| 03/06/26 @ Crespi | 1 |
Chase Kline was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Saugus is 2-1 when Kline allows three or fewer earned runs, but 2-3 otherwise.
At the plate, Banning Sheff was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run. Those doubles marked the first that he has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Castaic won against Foothill Tech on Tuesday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. The Coyotes never let Heritage Christian get on the board and left with an 11-0 win. That 11-run margin sets a new team best for the Coyotes this season.
Orion Gonzalez made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 13 over seven innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs.
In other batting news, Matthew Gonzalez was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Bryson Nieuwkoop, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Castaic hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
The victory made it two in a row for Castaic and bumps their season record up to 5-3. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Saugus, their loss dropped their record down to 4-4.
Saugus skirted past Castaic 3-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Will the Centurions repeat their success, or do the Coyotes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
