AUBURN, Ala. (Interstat) — The Auburn Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks will settle a pivotal Southeastern Conference series Saturday at Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CDT under partly cloudy skies with temperatures near 73 degrees.

The series is tied after a split of the first two games. Auburn (21-9, 4-4 SEC) rode a dominant start from right-hander Andreas Alvarez to a 10-2 win Thursday, but Arkansas (20-12, 5-3) evened the set with a 3-2 victory Friday night.

Saturday’s matchup features a compelling contrast on the mound. Auburn will send Alvarez (4-0, 0.82 ERA) back to the hill on short rest following his Thursday performance, where he struck out 10 Razorbacks over six innings of one-run ball. The junior has been exceptional, allowing just one earned run over his last 23 innings pitched.

Arkansas will counter with right-handed reliever Gabe Gaeckle (2-2, 4.91 ERA), who is expected to serve as an opener. Gaeckle started against Auburn on Thursday, struggling through four innings and taking the loss. However, he fired five scoreless innings in a win at South Carolina on March 20, showcasing his high-ceiling potential.

The Tigers’ offense, which erupted for 10 runs Thursday, will look to rebound after being held to five hits Friday. Arkansas seeks more consistent production after scoring just five total runs in the series’ first two games.

Projections offer a split verdict. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a narrow 5-4 Auburn victory, while its ELO rating system gives Arkansas a 59.1% probability to win.

Following Saturday’s contest, Auburn hosts Jacksonville State on Tuesday before a series with Kentucky. Arkansas returns home to face Arkansas-Little Rock on Tuesday before traveling to Alabama.