Baseball Game Preview: St. Bernard's Crusaders vs. Hoopa Valley Warriors

For the second straight game, St. Bernard will face off against Hoopa Valley. The Crusaders will head out to challenge the Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. St. Bernard's will be looking to extend their current ten-game winning streak.

St. Bernard's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Hoopa Valley with a sharp 12-0 victory. The Crusaders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by six runs or more this season.

Michael Manzi made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

Luke Brunton

Runs (Career)

04/15/25 vs Hoopa Valley	3
03/29/25 @ Point Arena	2
03/15/25 vs Fortuna	2
04/08/25 @ South Fork	1
03/29/25 @ Point Arena	1

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Luke Brunton, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Mateo Reiman was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one double and one RBI.

St. Bernard's always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

St. Bernard's pushed their record up to 12-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Hoopa Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-6.

Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Bernard's has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. However, it's not like Hoopa Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .432. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.