Channel Islands and Hueneme are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Raiders will face off against the Vikings at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Channel Islands will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Channel Islands barely beat Malibu the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Raiders put the hurt on the Sharks with a sharp 13-2 victory on Friday.
Nolan Salinas made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was even better at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of Channel Islands' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-7 when he doesn't).
Jacob Sanchez
| 04/04/25 @ Malibu | 4 |
| 03/26/25 vs Fillmore | 2 |
| 02/20/25 @ Thacher | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs Santa Paula | 1 |
| 03/17/25 vs Nordhoff | 1 |
In other batting news, Jacob Sanchez was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Isaiah Osuna was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4.
Channel Islands was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, while Hueneme put up some runs on Saturday, the same can't be said for Thacher. The Vikings didn't even let the Toads on the board, marking the Vikings' second-straight 8-0 shutout. Considering the Vikings have won six games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
George Rodriguez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over seven innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Joseph Pena was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Aureliano Perez, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Hueneme's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-7. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Channel Islands, they now also have a winning record of 8-7.
Channel Islands came up short against Hueneme in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, falling 6-2. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
