AP Sports Preview

STATESBORO, Ga. (Interstat) — Georgia State and Georgia Southern will conclude their Sun Belt series Saturday with a doubleheader at J.I. Clements Stadium, starting with an afternoon game and concluding with an evening contest after Friday’s series opener was postponed due to weather.

The Panthers (22-26, 8-15 Sun Belt) bring a three-game losing streak into the matchup. Georgia Southern (14-35, 5-18) has lost four of its last five.

A bright spot for Georgia State has been first baseman Hunter Carlson. Over his last 10 games, Carlson is batting .273 with two home runs and nine RBIs. He delivered a standout performance Tuesday at Kennesaw State, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in a 10-9, 11-inning loss. Carlson also homered and drove in three runs April 17 at Coastal Carolina.

For Georgia Southern, reliever Jax Lewis has emerged as a reliable arm out of the bullpen. In his most recent outing Wednesday against Mercer, Lewis tossed four innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts. Over his last five appearances spanning 9 1/3 innings, Lewis has surrendered just one earned run.

Both teams are desperate for wins to gain momentum ahead of the final stretch of the regular season.

Georgia State is reeling from a tough stretch that included a series sweep at Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend and a walk-off loss to Kennesaw State. The Panthers fell 4-3 and 5-1 in the first two games at Lafayette before dropping the series finale 14-1.

Georgia Southern has struggled to generate consistent offense all season. The Eagles have lost five of their last six series and are coming off a 10-7 loss to Mercer on Wednesday. They dropped two of three at home to Coastal Carolina last weekend.

The two teams met just once in 2025, with Georgia Southern winning the single contest.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 4-3 victory for Georgia Southern, which would snap a six-game losing streak for the Eagles at home against Sun Belt opponents.

After Saturday, Georgia State hosts Appalachian State for a three-game series starting May 14. Georgia Southern travels to Southern Mississippi for a three-game set beginning May 14.

Temperatures at first pitch are expected in the low 80s.