CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Interstat) — Texas A&M-Corpus Christi aims to continue its push above .500 when it hosts Houston Christian in a Southland Conference matchup Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Chapman Field.

The Islanders (22-22) enter the series finale after a Saturday contest against the Huskies. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi brings momentum from a 7-2 win at Texas State on Tuesday, April 28. Reliever Nathan Mueller has been a steady arm out of the bullpen; he threw 2 scoreless innings in that victory, allowing no hits and striking out one. Over his last five appearances, Mueller has posted a 2.57 ERA across 6 innings, with 8 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed in his past three outings.

Houston Christian (19-24) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 12-2 rout at Prairie View on Tuesday. Catcher Luke Bard led the way, going 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Bard has been streaky recently: he also had a 4-for-5, two-RBI performance at Northwestern State on April 12, but went hitless in three other starts during a rough stretch against Southeastern Louisiana. The Huskies will look for Bard to provide a spark against an Islanders pitching staff that held them scoreless in the series opener Saturday — though no details of that game were immediately available.

The Southland rivals have split their season series so far. An Interstat game simulator projects a 6-4 win for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which would improve the Islanders to 23-22 and push Houston Christian to 19-25.

Both teams are coming off strong midweek performances. The Islanders’ offense pounded out 12 hits at Texas State, with left fielder Will Stark leading the way (3-for-4, one RBI). On the mound, Mueller and Matthew Molina combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. The Huskies’ win at Prairie View featured a complete effort: Bard’s power, first baseman Katcher Halligan’s two-hit, three-RBI day, and 3 scoreless innings from pitcher Ben Smith.

Weather at game time is forecast to be partly cloudy with temperatures in the low 80s, providing ideal conditions for an afternoon of Southland baseball.

Looking ahead, Houston Christian returns home to host Lamar for a three-game series starting Thursday, May 7. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi travels to Houston on Tuesday, May 5, before heading to New Orleans for a weekend set against the Privateers.