JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State will close out a stretch of playing seven-of-its-last-eight games on the road with a Tuesday trip to Auburn to face the Tigers.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from Plainsman Park on the AU campus. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
The Gamecocks will be looking to snap a five-game losing skid after a tough opening weekend of Conference USA action against Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana. AU has also struggled out of the games to start Southeastern Conference play after being swept at Vanderbilt and dropping a series to top-ranked Arkansas last weekend on the Plains of Auburn.
Tuesday's meeting with Auburn will be the 35th meeting all-time between the two in-state programs. The Tigers hold a 19-15 lead in the series, including wins in four-of-the-last five meetings. Auburn posted a 6-3 win over Jax State in the lone meeting between the two programs in 2023. The Gamecocks' trip to Auburn last season was canceled due to weather. The Gamecocks posted a 5-2 win over the Tigers at Plainsman Park during the 2022 season.
While the campus of Jax State was on Spring Break last week, the Gamecocks traveled to Carbondale, Illinois for the final non-conference weekend series and hosted Samford during the midweek before opening conference play over the seven-game stretch. Junior
Drew Collins hit .375 during the week off of classes with nine hits, including a pair of doubles and a home run. He collected multiple hits in three games, including two three-hit outings versus SIU in the series opener and in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader with LA Tech. On the season, the Oregon, Ohio native and transfer from Oakland University, is a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen bases and the CUSA leader in stolen bases.
The home run ball has keyed the Jax State offense this season with 32 home runs in 23 games so far this season and ranks in the top third of the league heading into the week. Dallas Baptist and FIU rank 1-2 in home run totals with 47 and 33 respectively. Junior
Brennen Norton has tallied a league-best 10 home runs this season. The Cullman, Alabama third baseman hit a pair of home runs in the CUSA opener on Saturday against the Bulldogs. Sophomore
Caleb Johnson ranks second on the club with six home runs in 23 games this season. The shortstop from Phenix City, Alabama has reached base in all 23 games this season and has a streak of 28 consecutive games reaching base that dates back to the last five games of the 2023 season.
Sophomore catcher
Bear Madliak saw an 11-game hitting streak snapped last weekend against LA Tech, but he kept a string of 14 straight games of reaching base alive last weekend as the Carrollton, Georgia product found a way on base in all three games last weekend.
The Gamecocks will send junior
Colby Morse to the mound against the Tigers. Morse, from Harrisburg, Illinois, will be making his first start if the season after making eight appearances out of the bullpen previously. Morse picked up his first win as a Gamecock on March 13 against UAB in relief. He pitched 2.1 innings against the Blazers in 14-3 run-rule win for Jax State.
Following the Auburn contest, the Gamecocks will be able to put away the travel bags until a trip to Liberty in the second weekend of April. Jax State will play eight straight home games on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium beginning Thursday night. Jax State will host Western Kentucky in the first-ever CUSA weekend series in Jacksonville. The series begins on Thursday due to the Easter holiday weekend. The WKU series will start at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and conclude on Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch. The Gamecocks will open the month of April on Wednesday, April 3 against Troy before opening a CUSA series with FIU on April 5.
Tickets for all home games are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
