SAN MARCOS, Texas - South Alabama (27-18, 11-10 SBC) gears up for a conference weekend set on the road at Texas State (27-18, 10-11 SBC) as the Sun Belt standings continue to tighten.

With forecasted inclement weather showing in the midst of Friday's 6:30 p.m. series opener, the start time is subject to change. There is a possibility of a Saturday doubleheader which would shift the originally scheduled 2:30 p.m. first pitch on Saturday, while the series finale has been moved up to 11:30 a.m. (CT).

South Alabama stands alone in fifth place in the Sun Belt standings, just a game behind fourth place Troy and two back of second-place Southern Miss and App State. Texas State shares a five-way tie one game behind the Jaguars in sixth place.


SERIES HISTORY
Former longtime members of the Southland Conference, the program joined the Sun Belt Conference for its inaugural season in 2014. Since that year, the Bobcats have met the Jaguars 33 times on the diamond, where South Alabama holds the all-time advantage 22-11. The Jags last traveled to San Marcos in the 2024 season when it took two of three after winning both the Friday and Saturday contests. The most recent meeting between the two squads occurred in Mobile in 2025 that saw a run-rule rubber match victory in favor of the Jaguars. South Alabama holds a three consecutive series win streak over Texas State, all in two out of three fashion. It is the final meeting South Alabama will have with Texas State as a conference series before the Bobcats depart for the Pac-12 Conference after this season.


SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Texas State sits in a five-way tie for sixth place in the Sun Belt standings after dropping seven of its last nine conference games. After the Bobcats were swept by ULM to open conference play, the program turned it around rapidly and completed back-to-back sweeps over then-No. 25 Louisiana and Georgia State. A tough last few weeks started with a marathon rubber match it dropped to the Troy Trojans in 11 innings, followed by getting swept by then-No. 22 Southern Miss and fell in two of three to No. 9 Coastal. An RPI of 41 lands the squad at third in the Sun Belt in the category fueled by a #24 strength of schedule and a 10-1 Quad 2 record. 81 homers thus far in the 2026 campaign is on pace to break its previous program record of 87 set in the 2022 season.


PITCHING PROBABLES & LIVE ACTION OUTLETS
Friday: ESPN+, Jags Radio Network
South Alabama - Mitchell Heer, RHP (4-2, 4.65 ERA)
Texas State - Wade Cooper, RHP (4-2, 4.50 ERA)

Saturday: ESPN+, Jags Radio Network
South Alabama - Ryland Bozenhard, RHP (2-2, 5.86 ERA)
Texas State - Cade Smith, RHP (3-1, 3.13 ERA)

Sunday: ESPN+, Jags Radio Network
South Alabama - Daniel Gonzalez, RHP (4-2, 3.49 ERA)
Southern Miss - TBA


PRIMARY THREADS

• A 2-2 week 11 opened with a midweek victory over Lamar, before dropping Friday and Saturday games to No. 18 Southern Miss. South Alabama salvaged the series with a Sunday victory fueled by Stewart Puckett's first career multi-HR game and a Daniel Gonzalez Quality Start. Its second-to-last four-game week of the season started with a midweek victory over New Orleans as the Jags head into a weekend set at Texas State.
• Situational and timely hitting has been effective, where we've seen 16 sacrifice fly's and 38 sac bunts (3rd in SBC) as a team. Brennon Wright leads the sticks in hits (62) and batting average (.356), and Blake Guerin crushed a homer on Saturday against Southern Miss for his Sun Belt-best 14th of the season.

QUALITY WORK
The Jags are a combined 15-6 on Friday's and Sunday's this season, fueled by a combined seven Quality Starts between starters Mitchell Heer and Daniel Gonzalez, who have been the mainstays in the front and backend of weekend series' this year.


SHUT DOWN STEVENS
Zach Stevens has been lights out in relief in his junior season. He has allowed just five earned runs across 31.1 IP thus far and currently leads the team in wins (5). Set a single-season career high in strikeouts after surpassing the 30 mark, and currently has 38 punchouts.


CONFERENCE KILLER
Third baseman Stewart Puckett brings in an impressive .346 batting average across 21 conference games with a team-best 14 extra-base hits that include six homers, a triple, and seven doubles. The Florida native recorded his first career multi-HR game in Sunday's victory over No. 18 Southern Miss, with his second homer of the day being the go-ahead two-run shot to give the Jags the lead in the eighth they would hang onto.


FOLLOW THE JAGS
For complete coverage of University South Alabama baseball, follow the Jaguars on social media @SouthAlabamaBSB (Twitter), /SouthAlabamaAthletics (Facebook), @southalabamabsb on Instagram, or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at USAJaguars.com.