Baseball Game Preview: Barnsdall Panthers vs. Rejoice Christian Eagles

Barnsdall and Rejoice Christian are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2017, but likely not for long. Barnsdall will square off against Rejoice Christian at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

Barnsdall will head out to face Rejoice Christian after giving up their first home loss of the season on Friday. Barnsdall fell 5-2 to Memorial. The matchup marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Rejoice Christian ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over Stillwater. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Eagles have posted since April 11, 2024.

Micah Walker was excellent, scoring a run and stealing three bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Kai Buntin was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.

Rejoice Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive games.

Rejoice Christian pushed their record up to 7-12 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Barnsdall, their loss dropped their record down to 11-2.

Barnsdall came out on top in a nail-biter against Rejoice Christian when the teams last played on March 11th, sneaking past 8-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for Barnsdall since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.