The IMG Academy Black Ascenders will square off against the Gulf Coast Sharks at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as IMG Academy Black comes in on 13 and Gulf Coast on six.
On Friday, everything went IMG Academy Black's way against Sunlake as IMG Academy Black made off with a 9-1 win. The Ascenders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by eight runs or more this season.
Aiden Choo
| 02/28/25 @ Sunlake | 2 |
| 02/25/25 vs Sunshine State Elite Academy | 1 |
| 02/21/25 vs Parrish Community | 1 |
Sebastian Wilson and Aiden Choo did most of the damage at the plate: Wilson went 1-for-4 with one home run and four RBI, while Choo scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Choo is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stole at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Juan Diaz, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
IMG Academy Black was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .382. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .375 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, while Gulf Coast put up some runs on Friday, the same can't be said for Naples. Gulf Coast came out on top against Naples by a score of 5-0.
Jackson Geiger made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Geiger was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Eric Hermanson tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over six innings pitched.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Luke Camiscioli, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. Preston Compton also deserves some recognition as he stole his first stolen base of the season.
Gulf Coast's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for IMG Academy Black, their record is now 6-0.
IMG Academy Black's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's matchup. IMG Academy Black has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Gulf Coast, though, as they've been averaging only 1.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will IMG Academy Black continue to outrun the ball?
IMG Academy Black was able to grind out a solid win over Gulf Coast in their previous matchup back in April of 2019, winning 5-0. Does IMG Academy Black have another victory up their sleeve, or will Gulf Coast turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
