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As we prepare for the third annual Commonwealth Classic, we will preview each opening matchup by looking closely at each team in the matchup. 

The Commonwealth Classic will take place on Saturday, April 12, and Monday, April 14, at multiple locations in the Richmond area. Games on the first day of action at each site will be at 10 am and 1 pm at Ironbridge Academy in Chester and the evening games will be at 4 pm and 7 pm at RF&P and Deep Run HS. The morning games are set, but the afternoon games and locations will be determined based on the morning results, with winners playing winners at RF&P. Monday games will be throughout the day, again based on Saturday results, with the Championship Game being at 7 pm at RF&P Park.

By a coinflip in our pre-tournament meeting, Highland School will be the home team in this game.

-->>Tournament Details (Schedule, Sites, Gate Info, Etc) <<--

Gainesville Cardinals

 

The Gainesville Cardinals, a program on the rise. Last season they rolled to a 18-6 record before their season ended in a one run loss to Battlefield. Ironically their only loss this season has been at the hands of the Bobcats, also a one run game. Outside of that, the Cardinals have lost only two games since the beginning of last April. While they did have some arms graduate, they bring back a potent lineup. They have scored sixty-five runs in seven games thus far, as well as their staff has only allowed ten total runs. Caden Merritt (Coastal Carolina), JW Kohlmeyer (VMI), Matthew Eidemiller, Ben Ackerman, Aaron Ritenour, Ian Fournier, and company anchor an offense that is capable of the offensive output that was noted above. This tournament format could be advantageous for this team because of their offensive upside, but it will be interesting to see if their arms can work deeper into games to preserve their staff depth.

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Highland School Hawks

 

Highland is off to a 11-4 start, having some strong wins versus teams like Grace Christian (NC), STAB, and Bishop O'Connell. It is a lighter week for Highland as we lead into the tournament, especially with their Monday game versus Miller School being cancelled. The biggest plus with their schedule is it should allow most all of their arms to be healthy and ready for their game Saturday. While they do have some depth on the mound, it is their offensive depth that makes them one of the top teams in the state. The arms have been up and down early this season, but the offense has picked up where they have left off, scoring seven-plus runs in eight of their games. Their lineup can be tough to navigate with names like Joey Rogers (Wingate), Brooks Graham (William & Mary), Benji Cardone (VMI), Justin Summers (William & Mary), and Christian Dart (Roanoke) to get things started. 

What To Expect

This should be offense versus offense. The biggest test will be who can chase the starter first. If this is a tight game as it gets into the later innings, this could be an advantage for Highland with their arm depth. With both teams having lighter weeks, there is a potential for a Merritt vs Lillard matchup, but don't count out some names like Matthew McCauley and Ethan Hudson as potential contributing arms for Highland. Regardless of who throws, or who is in the lineup, we expect this to be a high intensity, high stakes game for multiple reasons, including how close these two schools are to each other.