The California Grizzlies will face off against the Washington Huskies at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
California is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against San Leandro by a score of 6-2. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Grizzlies as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Brayden Gijbels
| 03/19/25 vs Dublin | 7 |
| 05/09/25 @ De La Salle | 6 |
| 04/30/25 @ San Ramon Valley | 5 |
| 04/23/25 @ Dougherty Valley | 5 |
| 04/02/25 @ Foothill | 5 |
| + 7 more games |
California got a great performance from Brayden Gijbels as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over 4.2 innings pitched. Gijbels has become a key player for the Grizzlies: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one hit, but 10-11 otherwise.
At the plate, California saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nolan Jess, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Washington waltzed into their game on Tuesday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They put the hurt on the Loggers with a sharp 12-4 victory.
Hugo Marks and Ezekiel Porter were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Marks struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Porter pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Marks has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Marks got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one double and one RBI, while Porter went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three RBI gave Porter a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ehkam Braich, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Wells, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Washington pushed their record up to 16-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for California, their win bumped their record up to 13-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. California has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Washington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
California was able to grind out a solid victory over Washington in their previous matchup back in March, winning 5-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Grizzlies since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
