MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team will travel to Jonesboro, Ark., this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against Arkansas State.

The series will kick off with game one Friday at 6 p.m., followed by game two Saturday at 4 p.m. The series finale will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.

All three games will be broadcast live on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile, and can be accessed nationwide at WNSP.com. Live stats will be available through the multimedia section at USAJaguars.com. Updates will be provided via Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthALBaseball.

South Alabama (24-10, 7-5 SBC) has won three of its first four SBC series after taking two of three games from Florida International last weekend at Stanky Field.

USA right-hander Jarron Cito (2-1) will take the mound for the Jaguars in Friday’s series opener. Cito ranks 23rd in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (10.54), leading a USA pitching staff that ranks fifth in the country in K per nine (9.1). He will square off with ASU right-hander Daniel Wright (3-2), who leads the Sun Belt in ERA (2.11) and strikeouts (59). Wright earned SBC Pitcher of the Week honors earlier this week after tossing a complete-game shutout against Western Kentucky last weekend.

Jaguar right-hander Matt Bell (4-0) will make his first weekend start of the season in Saturday’s contest. Bell leads the conference in hits allowed (23) and opposing batting average (.190), and ranks second in the league with a 2.12 ERA. ASU will counter with left-hander Chandler Hawkins (2-2), who carries a 3.55 ERA into the weekend.

Southpaw Jacob Noble (3-1) will make his ninth start of the season in Sunday’s series finale. The left-hander has a 3.46 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 15 walks in 39 innings pitched. Noble has not allowed more than three earned runs in any start this season. ASU right-hander Bradley Wallace (3-0) will start Sunday’s contest for the Red Wolves. He enters the series with a 3.32 ERA.

The Jaguars hold a 55-22 all-time lead over Arkansas State in a series that dates back to 1993. ASU swept three games from USA last season in Jonesboro, and has won the last four meetings dating back to the 2011 SBC Championship. South Alabama is 19-11 all-time at Arkansas State.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—

Game notes