SAN MARCOS, Texas – The second straight weekend at home will see No. 17 Texas State (32-10, 15-3) take on South Alabama (23-16, 9-9 Sun Belt) at Bobcat Ballpark. Friday's start time is slated to begin at 6 p.m. followed by a 2:30 p.m. contest on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday seeing first pitch at 11 a.m.
 
Friday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Brant Freeman and Ty Harrington on the call. All three contests can be caught on KTSW 89.9 FM and live stats will also be available.
 
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: TXST RHP Zeke Wood (4-1) vs. USA RHP Matt Boswell (5-2)
Saturday: TXST RHP Levi Wells (5-1) vs. USA TBA
Sunday: TXST TBA vs. USA TBA
 
RANKED!
For the seventh consecutive week, Texas State is ranked in at least five of the major polls. The Bobcats are seventh in Collegiate Baseball, 17th in D1Baseball, 18th in USA Today, 19th in Baseball America and 20th in NCBWA polls.
 
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
Dalton Shuffield enters the weekend just shy of hitting .400 with a .399 average. He leads the team with 63 hits, 54 runs, 15 doubles and five triples while hitting eight home runs and driving in 35. Justin Thompson is batting .348 with seven homers and 32 RBI while Ben McClain has increased his average to .307 and has plated 30 runs. John Wuthrich leads the Bobcats with 12 home runs and shares the team lead of 37 RBI with Jose Gonzalez.
 
Getting the ball on Friday will be Zeke Wood, who is 4-1 with a 2.38 ERA. He leads the nation allowing only 3.97 hits per nine innings and paces the Sun Belt with 67 strikeouts. Levi Wells brings a 5-1 record, 2.29 ERA and 51 strikeouts into Saturday's start. The starter for Sunday is to be announced.
 
Tristan Stivors, who was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, paces the Sun Belt Conference with nine saves. The senior right-hander is 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 20 appearances. Also coming out of the bullpen 20 times has been Triston Dixon, who leads TXST with seven victories and has struck out 46 in 43.2 innings.
 
ABOUT SOUTH ALABAMA
The Jaguars are coming off an 8-1 win on Tuesday at home over Tulane. Last weekend saw South Alabama get swept in Mobile against Georgia Southern. On the road, the Jaguars are 8-10 with a 3-6 mark in conference play.
 
Miles Simington ranks second in the Sun Belt with a .397 batting average. He also paces the team with 62 hits and 42 RBI while scoring 32 runs and hitting 10 doubles, five home runs and three triples. Hunter Stokes enters hitting .314 with a team-high 14 doubles. Santi Montiel paces the squad with eight homers and 32 runs scored. The left-handed hitting junior is batting .314 and plated 32 runs.
 
Getting the ball on Friday will be Matt Boswell. The right-hander comes in 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA and 66 strikeouts, second most in the conference, in 59.2 innings. He is holding opponents to a .211 batting average and sports a 0.97 WHIP. Both starting pitchers for Saturday and Sunday are still to be announced.
 
Earning a team best three saves has been Jackson Boyd (0-1, 3.00 ERA) and Grant Wood (0-1, 4.30 ERA). The duo along with Eli Runyan (0-1, 5.68 ERA) have come out of the bullpen 12 times. Eric Lin is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 25.2 innings over 11 relief appearances.
 
SERIES VS. JAGUARS
South Alabama leads the all-time series 15-6. Last season saw Texas State claim its first-ever series victory over the Jaguars after winning the first two games of the non-conference series. The Bobcats are 4-8 when hosting USA.
 
For all things Texas State baseball, be sure to follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.