Baseball Game Preview: Hillcrest Trojans vs. Rancho Christian Eagles

The Hillcrest Trojans are taking a road trip to challenge the Rancho Christian Eagles at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Hillcrest's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three games.

Rancho Christian's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Thursday: Hillcrest hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Trojans put the hurt on Canyon Springs with a sharp 11-0 victory on Monday. Considering the Trojans have won ten matchups by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

Niko Bernal

Runs (Career)

04/14/25 @ Canyon Springs	3
04/10/25 vs Vista del Lago	2
04/01/25 vs Perris	2
03/24/25 vs La Sierra	2
03/05/24 @ Loara	2

Niko Bernal was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of James Henson, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Rancho Christian fell victim to Rancho Verde and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They fell just short of the Mustangs by a score of 2-0. The Eagles' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.

Rancho Christian saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cylis Proffitt, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one double.

Hillcrest is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Rancho Christian, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 7-1 and their overall record down to 8-6.

Hillcrest skirted past Rancho Christian 10-8 in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.