The Laredo LBJ Wolves will venture away from home to face off against the Vela Sabercats at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Laredo LBJ's pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so Vela's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
While Laredo LBJ didn't have the best season last year (they finished 4-28), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Economedes on Thursday. The Wolves might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by six runs or more this season.
Leonardo Alvarez made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only three hits, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March of 2024.
Luis Nino
| 03/06/25 @ Economedes | 3 |
| 03/01/25 vs Rio Grande City | 2 |
| 02/28/25 vs Edinburg | 2 |
| 02/27/25 @ Weslaco East | 2 |
| 04/09/24 @ United | 2 |
In other batting news, Laredo LBJ got a massive performance out of Luis Nino, who scored four runs and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-3. Those three hits gave Nino a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Enrique Loyola, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one triple.
Laredo LBJ always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Economedes only posted an OBP of .211.
Meanwhile, Vela entered their tilt with San Benito on Thursday with two consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Greyhounds by a score of 5-2.
Derek Rodriguez was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. Eddie Arreola also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Vela pushed their record up to 7-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Laredo LBJ, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season.
Laredo LBJ suffered a grim 14-5 defeat to Vela when the teams last played back in February of 2019. Can Laredo LBJ avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
