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Welcome to Looking Ahead. Every Monday, we will go into detail about top games in the coming week that have our staff excited and why. Also, we will list other games that should be good ones to check out between top teams.

Spring breaks have finally concluded in the Commonwealth and the District as the end of April approaches. The 2019 season has entered its stretch run and there is a full slate of games this week.

FEATURED MATCHUPS

No. 22 Patriot at No. 6 Battlefield, Tuesday, April 23
The North Prince William rivalry finally kicks off for 2019 after rain postponed the first scheduled meeting between these two a month ago. Both teams suffered their first losses of the season during their spring trips last week, but both are still unbeaten in Cedar Run District play and feature a ton of talent. Battlefield will have senior Zach Agnos (East Carolina) lined up to pitch and he and the red-hot and recently-committed Craig Miles (George Mason) top a lineup that also features Peter Benavides and Carter Cunningham (Gardner-Webb). Patriot will have junior Riley Eikhoff (Virginia) lined up for the start and have gotten some key contributions from new faces in their 2019 lineup this spring, including senior Brian Wilson and underclassmen Kyle VanDenburg and Eli Serrano, who have added depth around the core of Eikhoff, Andrew Casey, and Jaden Minnick.

No. 10 Menchville vs Hampton, Tuesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 25
The Crabbers enter this week's home and home Peninsula District series unbeaten and take on an 11-1 Monarchs squad in what will be be the marquis matchup in the Tidewater so far this spring. Hampton is leading the District with Menchville's lone loss being an upset loss to Bethel earlier this month. Hampton has been fueled by their pitching staff this spring, which has thrown 6 shutouts in 10 games and hasn't allowed more than 3 runs in a game. Trey Morgan (VMI) and Bryan McBride have established themselves and Hampton's 1-2 punch with Morgan entering the week on a 17 inning scoreless streak. Both Morgan and McBride are key bats at the top of the Crabber lineup as well. Menchville's team is talented on the mound but has been carried in 2019 by a deep and explosive offense that has put up double-digit runs 8 times in 12 games and will likely start Ahmad Goldson and Brandon Rodgers in the games with Philip Forbes V (James Madison) another option to start or come out of the bullpen.

 

No. 14 Mills Godwin at No. 8 Cosby, Wednesday, April 24
Cosby suffered their first setback of the spring last week with a loss to James River (Midlothian) but the Titans remain a deeply talented team and one of the on-paper favorites to be playing on June 8 in the Class 6 State Championship game. Cosby's lineup is deep and will be a challenge for a Godwin team that has also been very good this spring and holds a win over Prince George with its lone losses coming to a pair of top 40 teams. Between these two teams, 17 juniors or seniors will take the field who are committed to play college ball after they graduate.

No. 11 Halifax County at Franklin County, Friday, April 26
A rematch of an earlier-season game that saw Halifax score two runs in the bottom of the seventh to come from behind for a walk-off 5-4 win. These two have emerged as the top big schools in the southwest and this should be another good matchup between the two. Halifax is stacked on the mound with Alex Lowery, Drew Harlow (Radford), and Christian Worley (Virginia Tech). Franklin County's lone losses in 2019 are the first game against Halifax and to No. 6 Battlefield with Agnos on the mound during spring break. Cameron Mullins threw well in their first matchup against the Comets and tossed a shutout during spring break, it'll be interesting to see if the Eagles hold him until Friday or use him in one of their earlier games this week. Mullins also doubles as the three-hitter and junior Brayden Merrick (Virginia Tech) is hitting down a deep lineup that has been explosive at times this spring.

 

GAMES TO WATCH

Monday
Turner Ashby vs. Rockbridge County
Freedom (South Riding) at No. 20 Westfield
Centreville at Chantilly
Gloucester vs. New Kent

Tuesday
No. 1 Benedictine at No. 7 Highland
Tallwood at First Colonial
Sidwell Friends at Flint Hill
Tunstall at Franklin County
Essex at Washington & Lee (Montross)
Chilhowie at Fort Chiswell
Western Branch at Great Bridge
Grassfield at Nansemond River
Colonial Forge at North Stafford
Dominion at Heritage (Leesburg)
McLean at No. 25 Yorktown
Turner Ashby at Harrisonburg
Chantilly at No. 17 Madison
No. 3 Liberty Christian at Jefferson Forest

Wednesday
No. 13 Miller School at No. 1 Benedictine
Colonial Forge at No. 23 Stafford
Northside at Brookville
Briar Woods at Loudoun Valley
Cave Spring at Christiansburg
Steward at Collegiate

Thursday
Millbrook at Sherando
Woodgrove at Riverside
Manchester at James River (Midlothian)
Justice at Marshall
Prince Edward County at Randolph-Henry
Nansemond River at Western Branch
Great Bridge at Oscar Smith
Essex at Northumberland
First Colonial at Tallwood
Sidwell Friends at Maret

Friday
No. 7 Highland at No. 13 Miller School
No. 4 Hanover at Atlee
Douglas Freeman at No. 14 Mills Godwin
Glen Allen at No. 15 Deep Run
No. 20 Westfield at Centreville
Wilson (DC) at No. 6 Battlefield
Millbrook at Harrisonburg
Colgan at Hylton
Briar Woods at Broad Run
Kellam at No. 16 Greenbrier Christian
Blacksburg at Cave Spring
George Mason at Clarke County
No. 5 Grafton at Jamestown

Saturday
West Springfield at Robinson
Wilson (DC) at Bishop McNamara
Trinity Episcopal at No. 7 Highland
Episcopal at Woodberry Forest

 

 

2019 VA/DC HS Coverage