Baseball Game Preview: Medina Mustangs vs. Barker Raiders

Medina is a perfect 10-0 against Barker since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The Mustangs will be playing at home against the Raiders at 4:45 p.m. Medina is coming into the contest hot, having won their last nine games.

On Monday, Medina earned a 4-1 win over Royalton-Hartland.

Aidan Papaj was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2025.

Papaj wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Camden Fike, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI. Jimmy Dieter also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Barker fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Akron on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Tigers by a score of 2-1. The Raiders haven't had much luck with the Tigers recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.

Barker's loss dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Medina, their victory bumped their record up to 9-1.

Barker's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Medina hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. It's a different story for Barker, though, as they've only averaged .209. Will they be able to contain Medina's hitters?

Everything went Medina's way against Barker in their previous meeting back in May of 2025, as Medina made off with a 15-3 win. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Raiders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.