The Imperial Tigers will head out to face off against the Bishop's Knights at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Imperial will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.
Imperial is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They walked away with a 12-9 victory over San Luis on Wednesday. Imperial's win was all the more impressive since the Sidewinders were averaging only 3.2 runs allowed on the season.
Ayden Avila
| 03/11/26 vs San Luis | 2 |
| 03/05/26 @ Gila Ridge | 1 |
| 02/21/26 @ Coachella Valley | 1 |
Ayden Avila made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs.
In other batting news, Imperial got a big performance out of Trey Ruiz, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Ruben Magos also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Imperial always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. The last time their OBP was this high was back in March of 2025.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bishop's, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They came out on top against Monte Vista by a score of 5-1 on Tuesday. That four-run margin sets a new team best for the Knights this season.
Kyle Rippel and Dane Larson did most of the damage at the plate: Rippel went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and one run, while Larson went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most RBI Rippel has posted since back in April of 2025.
Bishop's pushed their record up to 3-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Imperial, their record now sits at 6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Imperial has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bishop's struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
