MOBILE, Ala. – The 18th-ranked University of South Alabama baseball team will host Troy in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series this week at Stanky Field to close the regular season, and determine the league’s regular-season champion.

South Alabama (39-14, 19-8 SBC) needs two wins in the series to capture its 14th Sun Belt Conference title. USA has won its last six conference series, and has dropped just one league series all season.

All three games of the series will begin at 6:30 p.m., with live streaming available through the All-Access section at USAJaguars.com. Live stats are available for every Jaguar baseball game through the multimedia section at USAJaguars.com, and Twitter updates are provided at Twitter.com/SouthALBaseball.

Game one, scheduled for Thursday evening, will feature Jaguar southpaw James Traylor (5-3, 3.93 ERA), while right-hander Matt Bell (6-0, 2.87) – who leads the SBC in ERA (2.87), opposing batting average (.214) and earned runs allowed (20) – will take the mound in game two Friday. The Jaguars have not announced a starter for Saturday’s finale, while Troy has not announced its pitching rotation for the series.

 The Jaguars have won seven of their last eight home games, and enter the series opener 22-6 at Stanky Field. USA carries an RPI of 14 into game one, and is ranked 18th in this week’s Baseball America and Perfect Game top-25 polls. South Alabama is 21-6 in night games, and is 12-3 under the lights at Stanky Field this year. The Jags have won six straight night games, and four of their last five under the lights at home.

USA is 38-29 all-time against Troy in a series that dates back to 1965. The Jags are 24-10 all-time against the Trojans in Mobile, and took last year’s series with two wins at Stanky Field. South Alabama took two of three games from the Trojans earlier this season at Troy to open conference play.

The Jags have won seven consecutive SBC series at Stanky Field, and last dropped a league series last season when they lost two of three games against Middle Tennessee.

Senior Day will be held prior to Saturday’s finale, in which 15 Jaguar seniors will be honored including Jeff DeBlieux who is tied for the national lead and leads the SBC in triples (8). He carries a seven-game hitting streak into the series opener.

Senior outfielder Nolan Earley enters the series with 52 career doubles, which ranks fourth all-time at USA. He needs three to pass former Jaguar Tyrone Dixon for third on the career list. Earley has hit safely in nine straight games entering the series opener, and is batting .425 with four doubles, one home run, 14 RBI, nine runs, five walks and a stolen base in his last 10 contests. He has posted an OPS of 1.089 during that span, including a .489 on-base percentage, and has driven in at least one run in eight consecutive games.

Dustin Dalken carries a team-best 12-game hitting streak into the series, and is hitting .413 with three doubles, a triple, three home runs, 18 RBI, nine runs and seven walks during that span.

Jaguar closer Kyle Bartsch – the program’s all-time saves leader with 21 – enters the series with 11 saves this season, and needs just two to break Mike Nakamura’s single-season record of 12.

Troy is led by Logan Pierce, who owns the team lead in batting average (.359) and walks (37), and Trae Santos who leads the league in homers (15) and RBI (62).

USA ranks second in the league in batting average (.303) and ERA (4.06), while the Trojans are third with a .299 team average and 4.09 ERA.

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).