The Mandarin Mustangs are taking a road trip to challenge the Ponte Vedra Sharks at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Mandarin is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Sandalwood just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Mighty Saints by a score of 3-2. The loss was just more heartbreak for the Mustangs who fell 4-2 when the teams previously met back in March of 2025.
Mandarin got a good showing from Jack Nadeau, who pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Nadeau has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
John Brooks
| 04/01/26 @ Sandalwood | 1 |
| 03/31/26 @ Paxon School For Advanced Studies | 2 |
| 03/30/26 vs Andrew Jackson | 2 |
On the hitting side, Mandarin saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was John Brooks, who went 1-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Brooks is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Ponte Vedra made sure to put some runs up on the board against St. Augustine on Friday. The Sharks put the hurt on the Yellow Jackets with a sharp 11-2 win. Considering the Sharks have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Ponte Vedra gave Max Mracek the start and clearly made the right call: he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. What's more, Mracek posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February.
At the plate, Storm Lickliter was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Steele Lickliter, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Ponte Vedra always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Augustine only posted an OBP of .300.
Ponte Vedra's record is now 13-9. As for Mandarin, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mandarin has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ponte Vedra struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mandarin came out on top in a nail-biter against Ponte Vedra in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
