MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama will host Texas State this weekend in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series. First pitch of the series is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Jaguar Field, while game two will be on Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.).

South Alabama (17-12-1, 3-3 SBC) comes into the weekend series versus Texas State (27-7, 5-1 SBC) after having its late-inning rally attempt come up short Tuesday night versus McNeese State, falling 3-2 to the Cowgirls at Jaguar Field. After sweeping App State over the weekend, the Bobcats picked up a 6-4 road win Tuesday at Sam Houston State to extend its win streak to five.

Olivia Lackie (12-5) holds a 1.75 earned run average and has struck out 123 batters - which leads the conference - while ranking second in opposing batting average (.179) and third in ERA. Lackie ranks sixth nationally in strikeouts and her 12 wins are tied for 13th most in the country. As a staff, South Alabama holds seven shutouts this spring, and is tied for second-most in the Sun Belt, three behind Texas State's 10.

Olivia Branstetter (.276) extended her reached-base-safely streak to a career high seven games on Tuesday night, and the freshman second on the team with 13 RBI, and leads the team in hit by pitch (6). Branstetter is tied for fourth in the SBC in the category and tied for 34th nationally.

Gabby Stagner currently leads the team with a .345 batting average and her .759 slugging percentage is second-best in the Sun Belt. Stagner is tied for third in the league in home runs (7), tied for sixth in doubles (9) and tied for the SBC lead in triples with three, while she sits just outside the Top 10 in RBI (25). Of the junior's team-high 30 hits on the year with 19 of those going for extra bases.

Mackenzie Brasher (.298) ranks second on the team at the plate, and leads the team in runs scored (22) and stolen bases (17). Brasher's 17 steals are tied with ULM's Lourdes Bacon for the conference lead in the category, while she is ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The senior outfielder became the program's career stolen base leader on Tuesday night as she recorded the 76th of her career.

Brasher leads the team with eight multi-hit games, while Stagner is right behind her with seven. Stagner also has five multi-RBI efforts to lead the club.

Sasha Willems has had a hit in each of her last four outings, raising her batting average to .283

TEXAS STATE SERIES
Site: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

South Alabama JAGUARS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SA: -- | DI: -- | RPI: 41
Record: 17-12-1, 3-3 SBC

Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .252 / .376 / .317
Team ERA: 2.92

Texas State BOBCATS
NFCA: RV | USA: 23 | SA: 17 | DI: 23 | RPI: 9
Record: 27-7, 5-1 SBC

Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .291/ .428 / .353
Team ERA: 1.59

SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: March 28, 2024 | 6 p.m.
Game 2: March 29, 2024 | 6 p.m.
Game 3: March 30, 2024 | 1 p.m.

SERIES INFORMATION
Overall: TXST leads 18-10
In Mobile: TXST leads 7-3
In San Marcos: TXST leads 9-6
At Neutral Site: TXST leads 2-1
Current Streak: USA 1

NOTES
• South Alabama and Texas State have met 28 previous times in the all-time series with the Bobcats holding a 19-9 series advantage
• Last season, the Jaguars won the regular-season series, taking two of three in San Marcos, and have won seven of the last 10 series meetings
• Head coach Becky Clark is one win shy of reaching 550 for her career at South Alabama
• Mackenzie Brasher has started 140-straight games for South Alabama, which is one shy of tying Brittany Fowler (141) for eighth-longest stretch
• Brasher (197) is three hits shy of becoming the fifth player in program history to record 200 hits in their career, where she will join Todd (231), Brittany Fowler (213, 2010-13), Emily Messer (208, 2013-16) and Blair Johnson (203, 2012-15)
• Stagner (28) is three doubles shy of moving into a tie for eighth all-time in the career category at South - Amanda Minahan (31, 2014-17)
• Stagner (50 – 28-3-19) is also four extra-base hits away from moving into ninth place
• Lackie (795) is five strikeouts from becoming just the second Jaguar pitcher to reach 800 strikeouts for her career

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