Baseball Recap: Baker Has No Trouble Against Paxton

Gators

Margin (Wins)

03/03/25 @ Laurel Hill	17
03/25/25 @ Pensacola Christian Academy	12
03/11/25 vs Pleasant Home	12
03/07/25 vs Laurel Hill	12
02/25/25 vs Pensacola Christian Academy	11

Baker had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Paxton on Monday. The Gators were the clear victors by a 16-6 margin over the Bobcats. Considering the Gators have won 11 matchups by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

Cole Hardin spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on five hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Joel Morse, who scored four runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. He has become a key player for Baker: the team is 10-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-6 otherwise. Wyatt Straight was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances.

Baker always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .632. They are a perfect 10-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Baker is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Paxton, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 9-8.

Coming up, Baker will face off against Central at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Gators' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Jaguars have averaged an impressive 8.4 runs per game this season. Paxton does not have any more games scheduled as of now.