The Northland Prep Academy Spartans will face off against the Kingman Academy Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The timing is sure in Northland Prep Academy's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Kingman Academy has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.
Last Thursday, Northland Prep Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Hopi, taking the game 13-8.
Blayden Cosper
| 04/10/25 vs Hopi | 8 |
| 04/04/25 @ Many Farms | 7 |
| 03/05/25 @ Red Rock | 7 |
| 04/20/24 vs Pinon | 6 |
| 04/01/25 vs Valley | 5 |
Blayden Cosper made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up six earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3. Northland Prep Academy is undefeated when Cosper posts two or more stolen bases, but 3-4 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Michael Cary, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. He has become a key player for Northland Prep Academy: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Wyatt Massey, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.
Northland Prep Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 11.6.
Meanwhile, Kingman Academy lost a heartbreaker to Wickenburg when they met back in April of 2019, and they left with a heavy heart again on Friday. The Tigers came up short against the Wranglers, falling 14-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Tigers have suffered against the Wranglers since February 27, 2015.
Kingman Academy saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Rilee Otto, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Northland Prep Academy is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Kingman Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-11-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Northland Prep Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kingman Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Northland Prep Academy suffered a grim 10-4 defeat to Kingman Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Will the Spartans have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
