The Wickenburg Wranglers will face off against the St. John Paul II Catholic Lions at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Wickenburg will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Gilbert Classical Academy on Monday. The Wranglers were the clear victors by a 14-3 margin over the Spartans. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Wranglers as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Hazen Jones
| 03/24/25 @ Kingman Academy | 6 |
| 04/01/25 vs Bagdad | 5 |
| 03/29/25 @ Phoenix Country Day | 5 |
| 03/17/25 vs Highland Prep West | 3 |
| 03/14/25 vs Glendale Prep Academy | 2 |
| + 1 more games |
Hazen Jones made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Wickenburg is 3-1 when Jones allows two or fewer hits, but 3-6 otherwise. Jones was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Zane Echols was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jaxon Newman, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Wickenburg always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gilbert Classical Academy only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, St. John Paul II Catholic waltzed into their game on Friday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Wolves an 18-0 shutout. The Lions' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Wickenburg, St. John Paul II Catholic also got a great game from a two-way player: James Pierski. Throwing, Pierski pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Joshua Standage pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. At the plate, Pierski scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Standage scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aidan Randall, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in both of his plate appearances. Martin Apolinar also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
St. John Paul II Catholic pushed their record up to 9-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Wickenburg, their win bumped their record up to 6-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Wickenburg has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like St. John Paul II Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
