Two series featuring teams from the top five and three more featuring teams trying to qualify for the conference tournament highlight this week's Sun Belt schedule.  As it stands right now, only three games separate first from fifth place, and two games separate fifth from ninth.

There's still a lot to be decided.  In fact, going into this weekend, only South Alabama has qualified for the tournament.  The Jaguars and Cajuns series will be covered in a separate story tomorrow.

Here's what's going on in the rest of the league.  Georgia Southern (16-11) has the bye this week and plays at Clemson.

GEORGIA STATE (14-8) AT TROY (14-10)----A couple of weeks ago, there was a question whether anyone would catch the Panthers, who were sitting alone atop the standings with a 13-3 record.  But then they went to Mobile and scored just three runs in three games.  They came home with their feelings hurt and their confidence waning and lost two of three to Texas State, a team that was playing some of the league's worst baseball going in.  The Panthers now will try to hold on to second place against Troy, which missed a big opportunity to move up last week, dropping two of three to ULM.  Warning to the Panthers...Troy has won six in a row at home in league play.  A Troy series win could possibly make this a preview of a first round game in the league tournament.  Both of these teams have a tough series next week.

ARKANSAS STATE (7-16) AT TEXAS STATE (12-12)---The Bobcats certainly didn't look like the worst hitting team in the Sun Belt last weekend in their series at Georgia State.  Instead, the Bobcats played like many thought they would all along.  At 12-12 and with both remaining series at home, they are in pretty good shape.  But here comes a hungry Arkansas State team with their backs to the wall  This team has been the toughest to figure out of any team in the league.  No one thought they'd be in this situation.  Yet, a series win here puts them back in the conversation with a series at home against slumping UALR next weekend.  They aren't out of it, and they know it.  Texas State had better be ready.

APPALACHIAN STATE (7-19) AT UT ARLINGTON (11-13)---UTA really helped themselves last weekend with that sweep over UALR and they don't play any of the contenders the next two weeks.  They have a one game lead over ninth place ULM and lead UALR by 1/2 game.  But nothing in this league is for certain, including this series where they have to face one of the more talented arms in the league in SBC Pitcher of the Week Taylor Thurber.  The Mountaineers aren't going to quit.

ULM (10-14) AT UALR (10-13)---It wasn't that long ago that the Trojans were sitting at 10-6 in the league, their best start in their Sun Belt history.  But the Trojans are reeling now.  They've lost seven straight league games and have dropped 15 of their last 19 overall.  ULM had a huge series win against a red hot Troy team last week, but they still find themselves on the outside looking in.  With Louisiana coming to Warhawk Field next week, this is a must-win series for the Warhawks.  The question will get answered this weekend...do the Trojans have anything left in the tank or are they....well....UALR.

 

 

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