The Van Vandals will face off against the Mount Vernon Tigers at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Having struggled with seven losses in a row, Van turned things around against Wills Point on Thursday. They blew past the Tigers 12-2. The Vandals not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since February 19th (when they won 15-2).
Nathan Vance looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits.
Rawly Hinch
| 03/05/26 vs Wills Point | 3 |
| 02/21/26 vs De Kalb | 2 |
| 02/21/26 vs White Oak | 2 |
| 02/19/26 vs Grand Saline | 2 |
| 02/19/26 vs Sulphur Springs | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
On the hitting side, Van got a massive performance out of Rawly Hinch, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Hinch is becoming a predictor of the Vandals' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 0-8-1 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Wyatt Suggs, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.
Van always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .621. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mount Vernon). They were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over Farmersville on Thursday.
Mount Vernon let Ryder Bowers and Pierson Clayton run wild. Bowers went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Clayton got on base in two of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. That's the most runs Clayton has posted since back in April of 2025. The team also got some help courtesy of CJ Clayton, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Van's victory bumped their record up to 5-8-1. As for Mount Vernon, they now have a winning record of 6-5-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Van has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Mount Vernon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
