HEMPSTEAD, Texas (Interstat) — Prairie View faces Mississippi Valley State on Thursday afternoon in a Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball game at Tankersley Field. First pitch is set for the afternoon with clear skies and a temperature of 82 degrees.

The Panthers (9-34 overall) host the Delta Devils (12-33 overall) to open a three-game series. Both teams have struggled this season, sitting near the bottom of the SWAC standings. Prairie View enters after a dominant 11-1 win at Alcorn State on May 8, while Mississippi Valley State dropped its last game 7-1 to Jackson State on Sunday.

Prairie View’s Isaac Herrera is a pitcher to watch. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings against Alcorn State, allowing no hits and striking out seven. In his last four appearances spanning 14 2/3 innings, Herrera has surrendered five earned runs while striking out 12. He also worked a scoreless inning against Texas A&M on May 5.

Mississippi Valley State’s Camden Farmer also factors prominently into the series after tossing three innings in Sunday’s loss, allowing three hits and one earned run. Over his last 10 appearances, the reliever has posted a 4.50 ERA with one strikeout across 10 1/3 innings. Farmer recorded scoreless outings in seven of those appearances, though he has not thrown more than three innings in any game this season.

A game simulation by Interstat projects a 4-1 Prairie View victory.

The two teams meet again Friday and Saturday at Tankersley Field to complete the series. Both squads are looking to improve their positioning in the SWAC standings. Prairie View has alternated wins and losses in its last five games, while Mississippi Valley State has lost 10 of its last 11.