Baseball Game Preview: Zapata Hawks vs. Calallen Wildcats

Zapata is 0-6 against Calallen since April of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Hawks will welcome the Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Calallen took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Zapata, who comes in off a win.

Zapata is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against King last Tuesday as they made off with a 13-4 victory. Considering the Hawks have won six games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Lauro Guerra was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and not a single walk). Those 15 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he launched this season.

Mario Garcia

Hits (Career)

03/25/25 @ King	3
03/14/25 vs Falfurrias	2
03/10/25 @ Roma	2
04/09/24 @ Port Isabel	2
04/02/24 @ La Feria	2

In other batting news, Mario Garcia was a standout: he scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of J.D. Salinas, who went 1-for-4 with four RBI and one run.

Meanwhile, Calallen has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 2.55 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Wednesday. They came up short against Trinity Christian, falling 17-4. The Wildcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Calallen's loss dropped their record down to 20-2. As for Zapata, their win bumped their record up to 9-6.

Zapata might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from Calallen in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Hawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.