MOBILE, Ala. – The 29th-ranked University of South Alabama baseball team will host Troy in a three-game series, which will determine the Sun Belt Conference champion, at Stanky Field.

The series will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by game two at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Saturday's series finale is also set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch, and will be streamed live on ESPN3. All three games will be broadcast live on WNTM 710 AM in Mobile, and can be accessed via the iHeartRadio app. The first two games of the series will be streamed live and available for purchase at JagNationTV.com. Prior to Saturday's contest, seven Jaguar seniors will be honored as part of Senior Day festivities.

USA (34-18, 19-8 SBC) needs just one win to clinch its 15th Sun Belt Conference title, and its second in four seasons under head coach Mark Calvi. Troy (29-23, 17-10 SBC) must sweep the three-game series in order to clinch the SBC title.

Jaguar right-hander Kevin Hill (9-0) will be in seek of his 10th consecutive win in the series opener. Hill has tossed three consecutive complete games, and four straight against SBC opposition. The reigning SBC Pitcher of the Week leads the league in strikeouts (86) and opposing batting average (.199), is tied for the conference lead in wins (9) and ranks second in ERA (1.81). In SBC games, Hill leads the league in strikeouts (79), opposing batting average (.186) and wins (8), and ranks second in ERA (1.57). Troy will send right-hander Grant Bennett (9-3) to the mound in the series opener. Bennett enters the final week of the regular season tied with Hill for the league lead in wins.

USA right-hander Austin Bembnowski (2-3) will make his 10th start of the season in game two of the series. Bembnowski has struck out 43 batters and issued 16 walks in 57 1/3 innings pitched, and enters the weekend with a 3.30 ERA after posting his second quality start of the season last week at Louisiana-Lafayette. Troy will counter with right-hander Lucas Brown (6-2) in Saturday's contest.

Jaguar southpaw Jared Gates (4-3) will make his final start at Stanky Field in the series finale. Prior to the game, seven USA seniors will be honored as part of Senior Day. Troy will send unbeaten left-hander Austin Crook (4-0) to the mound in the regular-season finale.

USA has won nine of its last 10 Sun Belt Conference games after taking two of three contests from Louisiana-Lafayette in Lafayette, La., last weekend. The Jaguars lead the SBC in batting average (.287), on-base percentage (.378), hits (520), walks (228), sacrifice flies (27) and stolen bases (73), and are tied for the league lead in triples (15).

The USA pitching staff leads the conference in ERA (3.26), strikeouts (429), opposing batting average (.244), innings pitched (477.0), earned runs allowed (173) and wins (34), and is tied with Texas-Arlington and Georgia State in allowing the fewest home runs (20). South Alabama also leads the Sun Belt with a .977 fielding percentage.

Center fielder Cole Billingsley leads the league in stolen bases (24), and leads the conference in hits (44) in SBC contests. Billingsley is tied for the league lead in triples (3) in conference games, and ranks third in the SBC in runs scored (26) in league contests.

Adam Ballew is tied for the SBC lead with seven sacrifice flies, and Bud Collura leads the SBC in at-bats (219) and total plate appearances (257), and is tied with Billingsley for third in the league in hits (70) entering the final week of the regular season.

South Alabama holds a 41-34 all-time lead over Troy in a series that dates back to 1965. The schools split a pair of games at Stanky Field last season before Troy took two of three games from the Jags in the final week of the regular season in Troy, Ala.

Troy is 5-12 in road games this season, and has dropped three of its four SBC road series this season. The Trojans took two of three games from Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., April 3-5 in the lone conference road series they have won this year.

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).