King hasn't had much luck against Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Mustangs will host the Eagles at 12:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with seven losses in a row, King turned things around against Carroll on Tuesday. They walked away with a 7-2 win over the Tigers. The game was the first time the Mustangs have beaten the Tigers on their field since March 3, 2022.
Grant Hoogland
| 03/01/25 vs Harlingen South | 7 |
| 03/06/25 @ Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North | 5 |
| 03/29/25 @ Gregory-Portland | 4 |
| 03/14/25 @ Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial | 3 |
| 03/07/25 @ Edinburg North | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Grant Hoogland made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of King's success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 2-1 (and 4-16-1 when he doesn't). Hoogland was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Justin Lytle, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Kody Westbrook, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial had already won ten in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it 11 on Tuesday. They never let the Wildcats get on the board and left with a 4-0 victory.
The result came thanks to Zachary Hampton's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Trae Hernandez was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial's win was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 19-2-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for King, their win bumped their record up to 6-17-1.
King suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial when the teams last played back in March. Will the Mustangs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
