The IMG Academy Gray Ascenders will head out on the road to face off against the Hollins Royals at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. IMG Academy Gray will be strutting in after a victory while Hollins will be coming in after a loss.
IMG Academy Gray is headed into the match having just posted their closest win since February 27th on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Christ School 3-2.
Austin Smith made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Bobby Eidell looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in strikeouts.
JD Westveld
| 03/14/25 vs Christ School | 2 |
| 02/28/25 vs Huntsville | 1 |
| 02/21/25 @ Northside Christian | 1 |
| 02/20/25 @ The First Academy | 1 |
| 02/18/25 vs Sunshine State Elite Academy | 1 |
Back at the plate, JD Westveld was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Julian Braga, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Hollins didn't have quite enough to beat Palm Harbor University on Friday and fell 3-1. The Royals have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Alain Esquivel was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Hollins' defeat dropped their record down to 4-7. As for IMG Academy Gray, their record is now 9-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. IMG Academy Gray has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hollins struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
IMG Academy Gray was able to grind out a solid win over Hollins when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 8-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for IMG Academy Gray since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
