JACKSON, Miss. (Interstat) — A pivotal Southwestern Athletic Conference series opens Friday when the Jackson State Tigers host the Florida A&M Rattlers at Braddy Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature near 77 degrees.

The matchup features two teams looking to gain momentum in league play. Florida A&M (15-15) enters at .500 overall after a 12-2 midweek loss at Troy on Wednesday. The Rattlers, however, took three of four in their previous SWAC series at Prairie View, scoring 41 runs across those games.

Jackson State (12-17) is coming off a high-scoring 20-10 victory at Grambling last Friday but dropped the series. The Tigers have struggled for consistency, particularly on the mound, where they have allowed seven or more runs in 10 of their last 13 games.

A key player to watch for Florida A&M is reliever Ryan Young. Over his last six appearances, Young has been dominant, allowing just one earned run over 9.2 innings pitched for a 0.93 ERA in that stretch. He threw 1.1 scoreless innings in the loss to Troy.

Jackson State will look to right-hander Derek Arrocha to provide stability. Arrocha’s recent outings have been a mix of brilliance and struggle. He fired five no-hit innings with four strikeouts in a loss at Grambling on April 3, but was tagged for seven runs in five innings at Bethune-Cookman on March 28.

The Tigers’ offense showed explosive potential in the 20-run outburst against Grambling, led by Edwin Lemus Hudson and Pierre Cabral, who each homered and combined for eight RBIs. Containing that power will be a focus for the Rattlers’ staff.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Florida A&M is projected to win the opener 8-4.

The series continues with games on Saturday and Sunday in Jackson.