MONTGOMERY, Ala. - South Alabama (16-8, 3-3 SBC) travels to the Capital City for the second time this season to take on No. 5 Auburn (19-4, 4-2 SEC) at Riverwalk Stadium on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT.


SERIES HISTORY
The Jaguars and the Tigers share one of the most historic in-state rivalries in the country, with 81 games played between them dating back to 1968. While the Tigers lead the last 10 match-ups 7-3, the Jaguars have an all-time series advantage of 50-31. The previous four contests have been played in Montgomery with the 2026 meeting following suit, where Auburn has left the state capitol victorious in all four. Then-No. 11 Auburn took the 2025 meeting by a 13-5 final score.


SCOUTING THE TIGERS
The Auburn Tigers ranked No. 5 (D1Baseball) after dropping their first series of the season when they hosted No. 2 Texas at home this past weekend. The Tigers have earned a top-5 style start to the year highlighted by a 12-game win streak which spanned from Feb. 28 to March 20. Non-conference sweeps over Youngstown State and Winthrop at home set momentum for its first SEC series of the season when it swept Missouri on the road, and a top-5 matchup with No. 3 Georgia Tech saw an impressive 9-2 midweek win. Auburn also competed in the 2026 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, where it swept its three games, first over Kansas State, then over No. 9 Florida State and No. 15 Louisville, totaling a 4-2 record against ranked opponents- excluding a series victory over now No. 24 Nebraska. Auburn is 4-1 in midweek contests and while have yet to play a Sun Belt team, collected victories over Jaguar similar opponents in West Georgia and UAB. The Tigers are slated with Alabama on the road after facing the Jags.


PITCHING PROBABLES & LIVE ACTION OUTLETS
Tuesday: Jags Radio Network
South Alabama - Hayden O'Dell LHP (1-0, 4.74 ERA)
Auburn - Andreas Alvarez, RHP (3-1, 1.09 ERA)


PRIMARY THREADS

• The Jaguars are coming off a 3-1 week which started with a win vs. Alabama on Tuesday night, and was its first since 2024 over the in-state foe. The Jags kept the momentum and took two of three hosting ULM opening up with a walk-off win on Friday, followed by a rubber game victory Sunday afternoon by way of a Jaguar offensive onslaught, 16-4 in 7 innings.
• Brennon Wright leads the sticks in hits (36) and batting average (.414), and Blake Guerin crushed three homers over the weekend vs. ULM for the team lead in both the long ball (8) and RBI (28). Guerin ranks second in the Sun Belt in the homer category after the weekend series, while Wright still leads the conference in on-base percentage (.541)
• Hayden O'Dell made his fifth midweek start when Alabama came to town Tuesday night. The senior went 5.0 innings with 7 K's for the no decision, only allowing two runs before the Jags pulled away late for a 6-3 victory. At Riverwalk Stadium vs. UAB, he tallied a career high 8 K's in a season-high 5.2 innings pitched (March 3). The Jags are 5-0 when O'Dell takes the mound.
• Third baseman mainstay Stewart Puckett increased his hit streak to a team-best 8 games after the ULM series and included a round tripper in the Friday night contest.
• Pitchers Daniel Gonzalez (9) Hayden O'Dell (8) and Mitchell Heer (11) have all set career-highs in the strikeout column this season.

FOLLOW THE JAGS
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