PREVIEW: Arkansas faces Auburn in regular-season finale

HOOVER, Ala. (Interstat) — Two top-10 teams meet Saturday when Arkansas (38-19) faces Auburn (38-18) at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in a pivotal regular-season finale.

Both teams enter with identical 38-win totals and strong SEC credentials. Arkansas carries a three-game winning streak after Friday’s 8-1 victory at Texas, while Auburn comes off a 7-0 shutout at Texas A&M.

Arkansas shortstop Camden Kozeal has been the Razorbacks’ most dangerous hitter. In Friday’s win, he went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs. Over his last 10 games, Kozeal has six homers and 17 RBIs, with multi-hit performances in six of those contests. He is hitting .320 on the season.

Auburn counters with right-handed pitcher Andreas Alvarez, who threw five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in Friday’s win over Texas A&M. Alvarez has been dominant in three of his last four starts, allowing zero hits in two of those outings. However, he struggled against Georgia on May 15, giving up eight earned runs in 4⅓ innings.

The teams met in early April, with Auburn winning two of three at home. The Tigers took the series opener 10-2, then lost 3-2 before bouncing back with an 8-3 victory. Arkansas’ pitching staff that series allowed 20 runs in three games.

Arkansas’ offense has been explosive lately, scoring 40 runs in its last four wins. The Razorbacks beat Kentucky 16-12 on May 16 and swept Oklahoma at home earlier in May. Their pitching staff also impressed Friday, with Gabe Gaeckle throwing six shutout innings and Steele Eaves adding 2⅓ scoreless frames.

Auburn’s lineup features first baseman Ethin Bingaman, who homered in Friday’s win. The Tigers have won four of their last five, with their only loss coming at LSU.

Saturday’s game carries significant postseason implications. Both teams are vying for seeding in the upcoming SEC tournament. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT. Arkansas will start its ace, while Auburn has not announced a starter opposite Alvarez.