Preview: Charleston Southern at Georgia State

DECATUR, Ga. (Interstat) — Two teams riding opposite momentum trends will meet Friday when the Charleston Southern Buccaneers visit the Georgia State Panthers at the Georgia State Baseball Complex.

First pitch is scheduled for Friday, March 6, 2026, under forecast cloudy skies and 77-degree temperatures.

The Buccaneers (10-2) arrive with one of the region’s hottest records but are looking to rebound from a midweek 4-1 loss at South Carolina. Their strength has been a potent offense, scoring in double digits in six of their wins. However, their two losses came in one-run and extra-inning games where the bullpen faltered late.

A key figure for Charleston Southern will be pitcher Zach Stichweh. The right-hander has been dominant in stretches, most recently tossing three perfect innings of relief with four strikeouts against the Gamecocks. His role, whether as a starter or high-leverage reliever, will be pivotal.

Georgia State (9-5) seeks consistency after splitting a four-game series at Belmont and falling 4-1 to Georgia Tech on Tuesday. The Panthers have shown both explosive offense, including an 18-run outburst against Bellarmine, and pitching vulnerability.

The Panthers will look to starter Cole Roberts to set the tone. Roberts has been effective, allowing just three hits over five innings against Georgia Tech last time out. He also threw four hitless innings in a win over the same Yellow Jackets earlier this season.

Statistical projections present a clash of analytics. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a high-scoring affair with an 8-6 victory for Charleston Southern. Conversely, the same service’s ELO rating system gives Georgia State a 60.10% probability to win.

This contest opens a three-game weekend series between the schools. They will meet again Saturday and Sunday in Decatur before each embarks on its respective conference schedule.