STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Two of the nation’s hottest teams will clash Tuesday when the Mississippi State Bulldogs host the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in a high-stakes midweek nonconference showdown at Dudy Noble Field.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. under clear skies with temperatures near 70 degrees.

The Bulldogs (20-4), riding a five-game winning streak, are fresh off a dominant series sweep of Vanderbilt, capped by a 17-7 rout Sunday. First baseman Reed Stallman powered that victory, going 4 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs. He leads a potent Mississippi State lineup that has averaged over eight runs per game during its streak.

The Golden Eagles (19-5) arrive after taking two of three from Troy, including a 5-4 win Sunday. Southern Miss holds a recent edge in the series, having edged Mississippi State 7-6 in Hattiesburg on March 3.

A key figure for the Golden Eagles will be reliever Camden Sunstrom. The right-hander has been exceptional lately, tossing four scoreless innings in Sunday’s win. Over his last five appearances, he has allowed just one earned run in 13 innings, striking out 10.

Mississippi State will counter with a bullpen game, seeking to contain a Southern Miss offense that features Davis Gillespie, who homered Sunday.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, this tightly contested in-state rivalry is projected to be another one-run affair, favoring Mississippi State 7-6.

Both teams are using the game as a final tune-up before pivotal conference series this weekend. The Bulldogs open Southeastern Conference play on the road at Ole Miss, while the Golden Eagles host Appalachian State to begin Sun Belt Conference action.