The Ray Bearcats will head out to challenge the Superior Panthers at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Ray is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
If Ray beats Superior with 18 runs on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Bearcats came out on top against San Tan Foothills by a score of 18-13 on Wednesday.
Adem Nunez and Rj Nunez made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Nunez pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Rj tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Adem has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Nunez got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs, while Rj got on base in all six of his plate appearances with three runs and one RBI. Ray is undefeated when Adem posts two or more runs, but 4-6 otherwise.
| 03/25/26 @ San Tan Foothills | 3 |
| 03/03/26 @ San Manuel | 2 |
| 03/14/26 vs Willcox | 1 |
| 03/13/26 vs Tombstone | 1 |
| 02/28/26 vs Pusch Ridge Christian Academy | 1 |
In other batting news, Ty Chesnut was incredible, going 3-for-4 with seven RBI, one triple, and one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaxon Cude, who got on base in three of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Ray kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 8.8.
San Manuel hit Superior with a four-run seventh inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers lost 11-1 to the Miners. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Superior saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Antonio Lopez, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
The defeat was their first at home, dropping their record down to 4-6. As for Ray, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ray has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Superior struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Ray's way against Superior in their previous matchup back in April of 2025, as Ray made off with a 13-1 win. Will the Bearcats repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
