Washington County baseball playmates Smithsburg and North Hagerstown — two squads that have combined for 25 wins this season — won’t be meeting in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association postseason, which will play out in the weeks to come.
Before those playoffs begin, however, fans will have a chance to soak in some good baseball on Friday, May 2, when the Class 1A Leopards hit the road to take on the 3A Hubs. Expect a postseason atmosphere in this star-studded contest, which we’ve selected as our Game of the Week.
The Hubs, who are going for their fifth-straight win, will be favored to win, but don’t count out Smithsburg and its relatively-fresh pitching staff.
In the weeks and months to come throughout the high school sports season, we plan on spotlighting multiple teams and sports with our Game of the Week. Any big upcoming games we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
Smithsburg at North Hagerstown
First pitch: Friday, 4:45 p.m., at North Hagerstown
Records: Smithsburg is 10-7, while North Hagerstown checks in at 15-4
Last game: The Leopards routed Clear Spring 12-2 on Wednesday, while the Hubs ran away for a 13-2 win over Broadfording Gold on Thursday.
Last meeting: North Hagerstown popped Smithsburg by an 11-5 score in last year’s meeting.
Meet the Leopards: Smithsburg, the No. 3-ranked squad in the MPSSAA Class 1A West II standings, broke free from a three-game losing streak with Wednesday’s victory over Clear Spring … The win over the Blazers marked the first time in two weeks the Leopards have posted a double-digit run total … Heath Githens (3.08 ERA) won’t likely be available to pitch after working five innings on Wednesday, but Smithsburg has a number of other solid hurlers who could make mound appearances, including George Mantz (2.33 ERA), Gavin Ramarge (3.82 ERA), Chase Sarber (6.72 ERA), and Collin Burras (6.75 ERA) … Eli Bowman (.395) is flirting with a .400 batting average this season, while Mantz (.367), Mason Oates (.308), Githens (.300), and Jaxon Teson (.293) are all having a consistent spring at the plate … Ramarge is batting .258 and leads the Leopards in homers (2), while also ranking No. 2 on the roster in RBI (12) and runs (10).
Meet the Hubs: It’s been a busy stretch for North Hagerstown, which is set to play its fourth game in five days on Friday … The Hubs have surged through their competition this week to the tune of a 3-0 record, outscoring their opponents 25-14 in the process … But after a long week, North Hagerstown will have limited arms on hand, as three of the team’s top pitchers — Jackson Coulter (1.75 ERA), Joey Dorsey (2.75 ERA), and Henry Lewis (4.01 ERA) — have each logged five-inning starts this week … A well-rested Ian Kelley, who has compiled two wins and 35 strikeouts in just 13 innings of work, could be asked to take the mound for the Hubs … North Hagerstown has stacked up 15 wins this season not only because of its pitching staff, but also because of a high-powered batting lineup that includes the likes of Blake Custer (.393), Colt Tucker (.385), Eli Brown (.355), Kelley (.345), James Ortiz (.338), Matthew Mallardi (.316), and Cole Bratburd (.300) … The Hubs, winners of four in a row, are the No. 1-ranked team in the MPSSAA Class 3A West 1 standings.
Sandrik’s pick: Hubs by 2.
