Baseball Game Preview: Albany Cougars vs. Pinole Valley Spartans

Cougars

Runs

04/23/25 vs Pinole Valley	2
04/18/25 vs Salesian College Preparatory	2
04/16/25 @ Salesian College Preparatory	10
04/14/25 @ Archie Williams	2
04/11/25 @ Saint Mary's	12
+ 15 more games

For the second straight game, Albany will face off against Pinole Valley. The Cougars will head out on the road to take on the Spartans at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Albany is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.

Albany's last matchup with Pinole Valley could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's contest on Wednesday. The Cougars lost 11-2 to the Spartans. The Cougars have struggled against the Spartans recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.

For Pinole Valley's part, Rey Malan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits. Malan has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Pinole Valley let JT Broas-Jew and Charles Vargas run wild. Broas-Jew went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple, while Vargas went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Broas-Jew has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Gael Castellanos, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Pinole Valley has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-9-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Albany, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 6-1 and their overall record down to 14-6.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Albany has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pinole Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.