Jackson State to seek revenge on the road against baseball rivals Alabama State

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Jackson State baseball team is set for a major Southwestern Athletic Conference rematch against the league’s second-best team in a prestigious matchup as the Tigers approach the midway point of SWAC play.

After winning ten straight games towards the beginning of the season, the Tigers have stumbled in conference play, winning just four of the twelve league games played, including being swept at their home stadium against this weekends opponent, Alabama State, in a three-game weekend series.

A big reason for the huge drop-off in wins can be circled back to the mound, where JSU pitchers are allowing 8.6 runs per game in conference games compared to allowing 6.2 runs in non-conference matchups.

Alabama State is currently 9-3 in SWAC play and has statistically the leagues best batting average of .314 and best pitching staff, who allow just 4.62 earned runs a game.

However, a series win against the Hornets could act as a massive springboard in the right direction for the Tigers, who will need to keep their bats hot to pull off an upset series win against their baseball rivals.

The two squads, emerging as the SWAC’s premier rivalry on the diamond, are the only two programs to go undefeated in conference play (Alabama State in 2016, Jackson State in 2021) and the only teams to win the Eastern Division title of the SWAC since 2012.

Game times are Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

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