The Mesa Verde Mavericks are taking a road trip to take on the Kennedy Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Mesa Verde is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last seven games.
On Thursday, Mesa Verde made easy work of Highlands and carried off a 12-6 victory. Considering the Mavericks have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Gavin Nelson and Casey Purcell were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Nelson pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Purcell struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. At the plate, Nelson got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while Purcell went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That's the most runs Purcell has posted since back in March.
Mesa Verde hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Highlands struck out 11 times.
Meanwhile, Kennedy got the win against Golden Sierra on Wednesday by a conclusive 16-6. With that win, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Kennedy got a massive performance out of Noah Rice-Granderson, who went 1-for-2 with one home run, three stolen bases, and three runs. Rice-Granderson has become a key player for the Cougars: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 5-13 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ashton Luckenbill, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Mesa Verde's record now sits at 12-5. As for Kennedy, their record is now 7-14.
Kennedy's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Mesa Verde has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Kennedy, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Mesa Verde keep running through batters, or will the Cougars buck the trend?
Everything went Mesa Verde's way against Kennedy in their previous meeting back in March of 2025, as Mesa Verde made off with an 11-4 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mavericks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
