The Shafter Generals will take on the Minarets Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Shafter sitting on three straight wins and Minarets on seven.
Shafter is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They walked away with a 6-2 victory over Sierra.
Andy Gomez made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run.
In other batting news, Julian Munoz was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Joaquin Garza, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Minarets' hitters rose to the challenge against a Titans pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.76 runs allowed on Thursday. The Mustangs put the hurt on Chavez with a sharp 14-1 win. Considering the Mustangs have won 13 matchups by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Shafter, Minarets also got a great game from a two-way player: Jamie Spurgeon. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Spurgeon was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Torin Wolf, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Beckham Mathewson was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base.
Minarets was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .607. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Shafter's record is now 19-6. As for Minarets, their record now sits at 23-8-1.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Shafter has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .470. However, it's not like Minarets struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Shafter skirted past Minarets 3-2 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Generals since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
