The California Grizzlies will venture away from home to face off against the Granada Matadors at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. California is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
California managed to slip by Amador Valley the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. California came up short against Amador Valley on Wednesday, falling 12-0. The game marked the first time this season in which the Grizzlies were not able to get on the board.
Brayden Gijbels
| 03/01/25 @ Liberty | 4 |
| 03/19/25 vs Dublin | 1 |
| 02/22/25 @ Mt. Eden | 1 |
Brayden Gijbels was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because California is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-2 otherwise.
On the hitting side, California saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Johnny Edwards, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that Edwards snagged this season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Granada, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They came out on top against Monte Vista by a score of 8-5 on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Matadors in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won eight in a row.
The team relied heavily on Tommy Brown, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Mikey Boyd, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
This is the second loss in a row for California and nudges their season record down to 4-3. As for Granada, they pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.
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 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Granada struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
California couldn't quite finish off Granada when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 2-0. Can California avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
