SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL PREVIEW

PINE BLUFF, Ark. (Interstat) — The Texas Southern Tigers and the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions open a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference series Friday evening at Torii Hunter Baseball/Softball Complex, with rain in the forecast and both teams looking to build momentum.

First pitch is scheduled for Friday, April 17, 2026, under threatening skies and a game-time temperature of 84 degrees.

The visiting Tigers (15-12) enter having won four of their last five, including an 18-5 rout of Alcorn State last Sunday where they pounded out 17 hits. Third baseman Tanner Marek was central to that victory, going 3 for 5 with a home run and five RBIs. He leads a Texas Southern lineup that has averaged 9.4 runs over its last five conference games.

The Golden Lions (16-22) seek consistency after a 12-2, seven-inning loss at Arkansas on Tuesday. A key arm for UAPB is right-hander Jordan Medellin, who has shown swing-and-miss ability with 11 strikeouts over 7.1 innings in his last three relief appearances. However, his outings have been volatile, mixing scoreless frames with ones where he has struggled with command.

Texas Southern holds the statistical edge. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-5 Tigers victory, while its ELO rating system gives Texas Southern a 60.5% probability to win the series opener.

The teams will meet again Saturday and Sunday to conclude the series. Texas Southern visits Houston Christian next Wednesday, while UAPB travels to Central Arkansas.