Sun Belt Showdown Set for Saturday in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, La. (Interstat) — A pivotal early-season Sun Belt Conference series continues Saturday as the South Alabama Jaguars visit the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns at M.L. Tigue Moore Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under clear skies with a game-time temperature near 70 degrees.

The matchup features two of the league’s top teams. Louisiana-Lafayette (13-4, 1-0 Sun Belt) took the series opener 1-0 on Friday night. South Alabama (12-5, 0-1) will look to even the set behind a surging bullpen arm.

A player to watch for the Jaguars is right-hander Max Miller. The reliever has been dominant in two of his last three outings, including 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in a midweek win over Southeastern Louisiana. On Feb. 21, he fired five hitless innings at College of Charleston.

The Ragin’ Cajuns counter with their own key reliever in Parker Smith. The right-hander has been a steady force, allowing no earned runs in four of his last five appearances. He worked three innings of one-hit ball in Tuesday’s 11-7 win over Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

South Alabama’s offense, which erupted for 10 runs on Wednesday, was silenced Friday. They will need to reignite against a Louisiana-Lafayette squad that has won 10 of its last 12 games.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, this contest projects as a high-scoring affair, with a predicted final of South Alabama 8, Louisiana-Lafayette 7.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon.