McFarland is 0-7 against Delano since April of 2021 but things could change on Tuesday. The Cougars will square off against the Tigers at 4:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
McFarland is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 16-2 margin over Del Oro on Monday. Considering the Cougars have won four matchups by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Nathan Ortega
| 03/24/25 @ Shafter | 6 |
| 03/19/25 vs Wasco | 5 |
| 04/03/25 vs Kennedy | 4 |
| 03/08/25 vs Parlier | 2 |
| 03/01/25 vs Orosi | 2 |
Nathan Ortega was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because McFarland is 2-0-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 4-6 otherwise. Ortega was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julian Medina, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Giovanni Rivera was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
McFarland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three contests, Delano brought some dynamite into their most recent game. They blew past McFarland 16-6 on Saturday. The victory continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won seven in a row.
Jonathan Basurto was incredible, getting on base in five of his seven plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Armando Nunez, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his seven plate appearances.
McFarland's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-6-1. As for Delano, their victory bumped their record up to 4-10.
McFarland might still be hurting after the 16-6 loss they got from Delano when the teams last played on Saturday. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
