The Sebring Blue Streaks will challenge the IMG Academy Black Ascenders at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
IMG Academy Black will be up against a hot Sebring squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. The Blue Streaks never let Auburndale get on the board and left with a 7-0 win on Tuesday. Give the Blue Streaks' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Dalton Todd
| 04/01/25 vs Auburndale | 7 |
| 03/25/25 @ Lake Placid | 3 |
| 03/21/25 vs DeSoto County | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ Martin County | 5 |
| 03/04/25 vs Avon Park | 9 |
Dalton Todd made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Blayne Humphrey was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Jett DeWitt, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, IMG Academy Black won against Dunedin last Tuesday with 16 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Saturday. The Ascenders were the clear victors by a 16-3 margin over Grove City. Considering the Ascenders have won 12 games by more than seven runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Bennett Jacobs looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Frankie Thomas, who fired off two home runs, six RBI, and four runs while going 4-for-5. Sebastian Wilson was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
IMG Academy Black kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive contests.
IMG Academy Black's victory was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Sebring, their victory bumped their record up to 15-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Sebring has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like IMG Academy Black struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Sebring couldn't quite get it done against IMG Academy Black when the teams last played back in April of 2023 as they fell 6-2. Will the Blue Streaks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
