KENNESAW, Ga. (Interstat) — The 2026 Conference USA Baseball Championship opens Wednesday with a first-round matchup between seed Sam Houston and seed Louisiana Tech at a neutral site in Kennesaw, Ga. First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon/evening window.

Sam Houston (24-32) enters the tournament as the lower seed after a .429 regular season. The Bearkats will look to ride the momentum of their most recent outing — a 6-0 shutout of Louisiana Tech on May 16 in Ruston, La., that snapped a five-game losing streak in head-to-head matchups dating back to the 2024 season.

Right-hander Zachery Alarid is a player to watch for Sam Houston. In that May 16 victory, Alarid tossed six scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. The performance continued a mixed stretch for the pitcher, who also logged two scoreless innings in a loss to Houston Christian on May 12 but allowed one earned run in 2 2/3 innings in a loss at Kennesaw State on May 3. Alarid’s ability to replicate his dominance against the Bulldogs could be key for the Bearkats.

Catcher Wes Baker also starred in the May 16 win, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Pitcher Gabriel Winans added three scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts.

Louisiana Tech (33-23) finished the regular season with the second-best record in CUSA play. The Bulldogs took two of three games from Sam Houston in their final regular-season series, winning 8-2 on May 15 and 2-1 on May 14 before falling 6-0 in the finale.

Right-hander Luke Cooley is a key arm for Louisiana Tech. In his most recent start — the May 16 loss to Sam Houston — Cooley allowed five hits and three earned runs over five innings with three strikeouts. He had stronger outings earlier in the month, throwing four innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts in a 12-1 win over Northwestern State on May 5. Cooley’s command will be tested again by a Bearkats lineup that has shown flashes of production, including a 13-run outburst against Delaware on May 8.

Louisiana Tech’s bullpen could be a factor. Luke Nichols (two scoreless innings on May 16) and Connor Nation (one perfect inning with a strikeout) are among the relievers who have performed well recently.

The winner of Wednesday’s game advances in the double-elimination tournament. The loser falls into the elimination bracket, with the next game scheduled for Thursday. Sam Houston is slated to face Liberty on Thursday, while Louisiana Tech’s next opponent after this game would be Liberty on Friday, depending on results.