COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — Alabama and South Carolina open a Southeastern Conference series Friday afternoon at Carolina Stadium, with the Crimson Tide looking to rebound from a midweek loss and the Gamecocks seeking to snap a four-game skid.

First pitch is scheduled for the evening, with the forecast calling for rain and 68 degrees.

Alabama (32-17) enters after a 6-1 loss at Troy on Tuesday. JT Blackwood tossed four hitless innings in that contest, striking out two, but the Crimson Tide have dropped three of their last five SEC games. Their most recent conference series was a win over Vanderbilt on April 30-May 2, taking two of three at home.

South Carolina (22-27) was swept last weekend at LSU, losing 7-0 on Sunday, 7-3 on Saturday and 6-1 on the front end of a Saturday doubleheader. The Gamecocks have lost four straight overall and are 1-7 in their last eight games since April 21.

Alabama’s JT Blackwood is a pitcher to watch. In his last three appearances, the right-hander has shown flashes of dominance (Interstat) — four hitless innings at Troy, three shutout frames with one unearned run in a win at UAB on April 14 (Interstat) — but also struggled during a 2.2-inning outing against UAB on April 21 in which he allowed five hits and one earned run.

South Carolina’s Alex Valentin has been inconsistent. The right-hander allowed three earned runs in four innings with six strikeouts in Sunday’s loss at LSU. He gave up four earned runs in two innings against Kentucky on April 26 but also threw five innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts against Mississippi State on April 19. He earned a win on April 11 at Missouri with four scoreless innings.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-3 Alabama victory.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday at Carolina Stadium. Alabama travels to Mississippi next week after this series, while South Carolina hosts Winthrop on Tuesday before a road series at Vanderbilt.