ATHENS, Ga. (Interstat) — The Georgia Bulldogs, riding high as one of the Southeastern Conference’s top teams, will host the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks in an SEC series opener Saturday afternoon at Foley Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature near 78 degrees.

Georgia (20-6, 3-3 SEC) enters with significant momentum despite a 10-7 midweek loss to Kennesaw State, having won series against then-Tennessee and on the road at then-Texas A&M. The Bulldogs’ potent offense is led by shortstop Kolby Branch, who has four home runs and nine RBIs in his last six games, including a two-homer, four-RBI performance against The Citadel on March 17.

South Carolina (13-13, 0-6 SEC) seeks its first conference win amid a challenging stretch. The Gamecocks were swept last weekend by then-Florida and dropped a 9-1 decision at North Carolina on Tuesday. A bright spot in that loss was reliever Logan Prisco, who delivered 4 1/3 hitless innings with five strikeouts. Prisco has been effective lately, allowing just one earned run over his last 11 1/3 innings pitched.

The Bulldogs dominated the series opener Friday afternoon, shutting out the Gamecocks 8-0.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Georgia is projected to win Saturday’s contest 7-2.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon. South Carolina will host Wofford next Tuesday, while Georgia will welcome Georgia State.