Jac-Cen-Del is 2-8 against Southwestern since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Eagles will be playing in front of their home fans against the Rebels at 5:30 p.m. Jac-Cen-Del is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10 runs per game this season.
Jac-Cen-Del gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They put the hurt on Shawe Memorial with a sharp 13-2 win. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Hilltoppers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Blake Wagner made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over six innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Jac-Cen-Del is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-4 otherwise. Wagner was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Keagan Williamson
| 05/07/25 @ Shawe Memorial | 4 |
| 04/17/25 vs Morristown | 1 |
| 04/15/25 vs Shawe Memorial | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Southwestern | 1 |
| 05/20/24 @ North Decatur | 1 |
In other batting news, Dylan Ricke and Keagan Williamson did most of the damage at the plate: Ricke went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Williamson got on base in two of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those four stolen bases gave Williamson a new career-high. Eli Rowland was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Southwestern had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They came out on top against the Shiners by a score of 5-1.
Like Jac-Cen-Del, Southwestern also got a great game from a two-way player: Jeter Chatham. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Chatham has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Austin Jenkins, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Southwestern was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Southwestern's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-5. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Jac-Cen-Del, their win bumped their record up to 7-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Jac-Cen-Del has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Southwestern struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Jac-Cen-Del suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Southwestern in their previous meeting last Wednesday. Will the Eagles 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.
