Baseball Game Preview: Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes vs. Berkeley Prep Buccaneers

For the second straight game, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic will face off against Berkeley Prep. The Hurricanes will host the Buccaneers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic heads in on the heels of a playoff game on Tuesday. They lost 11-2 to Berkeley Prep. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Hurricanes have suffered since March 26th.

For Berkeley Prep's part, Ben O'Brien was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits (and only one walk). O'Brien has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in February.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Josh Herrmann, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Jett Walters, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.

Berkeley Prep was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .462. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bishop McLaughlin Catholic only posted a batting average of .214.

Berkeley Prep has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 24-9 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 16-16.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Berkeley Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.