MARION, Ill. (Interstat) — The Ohio Valley Conference baseball championship begins Saturday afternoon at Rent One Park, with seed SIU Edwardsville (33-23) facing seed Arkansas-Little Rock (33-26) in a first-round game.

The Cougars and Trojans split their four-game regular-season series, with SIUE winning three of four. The last meeting came Thursday, when the Cougars edged Arkansas-Little Rock 4-3 at home. SIUE also won 3-2 on April 12 and 6-2 on April 11 before the Trojans shut out the Cougars 3-0 on April 10.

SIU Edwardsville enters after a 3-2, 10-inning loss Friday to Eastern Illinois. Right-hander Tim Teixeira took a no-decision despite allowing two runs on five hits with one strikeout over seven innings. Teixeira has been a workhorse for the Cougars, posting a 0.00 ERA in a 4-0 win over Lindenwood on May 1 (6.2 IP, 2 H, 8 K) and a no-hit effort through seven innings in a 16-4 victory at Eastern Illinois on May 9, though he allowed three unearned runs. In his past five outings, he has logged at least five innings each time.

Arkansas-Little Rock arrives after a 7-2 win Friday over Southern Indiana. Right-hander Brody Bunting earned the victory with eight innings of one-run ball, scattering six hits and striking out six. Bunting’s only other recent appearance was a brief 1.2-inning relief outing May 16 against Southeast Missouri State, where he allowed no runs on two hits. He will likely start Saturday for the Trojans, who are making their first OVC tournament appearance since 2022.

Both teams are seeking their first tournament win. SIUE, which won the regular-season title in 2023, has lost four of its past six games. Arkansas-Little Rock has won three of its last four.

The Cougars’ offense has been powered by first baseman Ryan Niedzwiedz, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday’s loss. The Trojans rely on left fielder Blake Simpson, who drove in two runs in Friday’s win.

First pitch is scheduled for late afternoon, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s championship round. The loser will play an elimination game later Saturday evening.