AUBURN, Ala. (Interstat) — The Auburn Tigers, seeking to rebound from a tough road trip, host the Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday to open a pivotal Southeastern Conference series at Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 76 degrees.

Auburn (20-8) returns home after dropping four straight on the road, including a three-game sweep at Alabama and a midweek loss at Georgia Tech. The Tigers were run-rule defeated 13-3 in eight innings by the Yellow Jackets on Tuesday.

Arkansas (19-11) arrives after a heartbreaking 15-14 loss in 10 innings at Missouri State on Tuesday, despite a potent offensive showing. The Razorbacks have lost four of their last five.

The matchup features two of the league’s top performers. Arkansas shortstop Camden Kozeal is a key catalyst, coming off a 2-for-5, five-RBI performance that included a home run against Missouri State. Over his last 10 games, Kozeal is batting .375 (15-for-40) with three home runs and 15 RBIs.

For Auburn, outfielder Bristol Carter looks to ignite the Tigers’ offense. He drove in two runs in the loss at Georgia Tech. Carter is 6-for-24 (.250) with six RBIs over his last 10 contests.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a narrow 5-4 victory for Arkansas, with its ELO rating system giving the Razorbacks a 59.9% probability to win the series opener.

The teams will meet again Friday and Saturday to conclude the series. Auburn will host Jacksonville State next Tuesday before a home series against Kentucky. Arkansas travels to face Alabama in a Thursday-Saturday series next week.