KENNESAW, Ga. (Interstat) — Jacksonville State and Dallas Baptist meet Saturday afternoon at Fred Stillwell Stadium in a neutral-site matchup with postseason implications for both clubs.

The Gamecocks (44-13) enter as one of the nation’s top teams, riding a 12-11 win over Western Kentucky on Friday. The Patriots (32-25) dropped an 8-9 decision at Missouri State the same day, despite a dominant start from right-hander Ryan Borberg.

Borberg, a pitcher to watch for Dallas Baptist, threw 7⅓ innings against the Bears, allowing no hits but four earned runs with five strikeouts. His season has been erratic: He took a loss in a 4-5 defeat to Louisiana Tech on May 2 (3⅓ IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 K) and earned a win against Western Kentucky on May 9 (5⅓ IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 5 K). In his only previous outing against Jacksonville State this season, he surrendered six hits and five earned runs over two innings in a 10-6 win for the Patriots on May 15.

For Jacksonville State, third baseman Trey King has been a consistent run producer. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs in Friday’s slugfest against Western Kentucky. King also recorded two hits and two RBIs in a 9-3 win at Middle Tennessee on May 21. In the three-game series at Dallas Baptist from May 14-16, King managed just three hits in 12 at-bats with two RBIs, but his team pounded 13 runs in the series finale.

The head-to-head history this season favors Dallas Baptist, which won two of three meetings in Dallas from May 14-16. The Patriots took the opener 13-3 and the second game 10-6 before Jacksonville State responded with a dominant 13-4 victory on May 16.

Jacksonville State’s five-run seventh inning in Friday’s win over Western Kentucky highlighted its offensive depth. Cooper Blauser went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Brady Thomas added a home run and two RBIs. The Gamecocks have won seven of their last nine.

Dallas Baptist’s offense was paced Friday by Brooks Sartain (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs) and Jake Bennett (2-for-2, HR, 2 RBIs), but the bullpen could not hold a late lead.

Saturday’s game offers both teams a chance to build momentum entering conference tournament play. First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon.