Highland hasn't had much luck against Bakersfield Christian recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Scots will take on the Eagles at 4:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a seven-game winning streak alive.
While Highland didn't have the best season last year (they finished 11-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Bakersfield 14-4 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Scots have posted against the Drillers since March 24, 2023.
Anthony Garza was a major factor no matter where he played. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Garza was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Richard Gutierrez was excellent, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Diego Hernandez also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Highland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. The last time their OBP was this high was back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, Bakersfield Christian never let their opponents score on Friday. They walked away with a 4-0 victory over Ridgeview.
Bakersfield Christian's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Cale Nielsen, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Highland pushed their record up to 11-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Bakersfield Christian, their record is now 7-3-1.
Both Highland and Bakersfield Christian just can't seem to miss. The Scots have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. However, it's not like Bakersfield Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.3 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Highland suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Bakersfield Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Scots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
