FLORENCE, Ala. (March 9, 2026) – The University of North Alabama baseball team hosts in-state opponent Jacksonville State on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium.
  
Live stats will be available via StatBroadcast. This midweek game with Jacksonville State will not be streamed.

North Alabama vs. Jacksonville State
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
3 p.m.
Live Stats
 

NOTES
  
THE RUNDOWN: North Alabama traveled for what was most likely the toughest week of the season as the Lions saw SEC foe Ole Miss in Oxford and now-No. 6 Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. The Lions held a 4-1 lead over the Rebels at Swayze Field heading into the sixth inning before a 70-minute weather delay stopped play; UNA fell 8-5 in the Wednesday midweek matchup. North Alabama then journeyed to Pete Taylor Park for a matchup with the best mid-major team in the country in Southern Miss. The first game saw a lead for the Lions in the first inning while the second game saw a 2-1 deficit late into the eighth inning of game two before falling. Prior to these four road games, the Lions had only made one trip outside of Florence, Ala. when they went to Birmingham to play Samford at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 46th all-time meeting between the two programs since 1984. According to available records, this rivalry dates all the way back to 1949 under then head coach Eddie Flowers who claimed the inaugural win, 8-4. The Lions have amassed 14 wins since 1984 with their longtime Gulf South Conference rivals; a break in play occurred from 1993 until 2019. The one win against the Gamecocks during the Division I era came under then-head coach Mike Keehn, 2-1, while both were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The two teams have not competed since the 2023 season — the first year of current head coach Jad Prachniak. 

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS: Jacksonville State is no slouch as the team enters the Tuesday contest with a 13-3 record for the season. The Gamecocks have lost just one game since opening weekend which came against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 6-5. This will be JSU's fifth game on the road this season; besides Alabama, the Gamecocks played Memphis on the road and earned a weekend sweep. Jacksonville State earned a fourth-place position in the Conference-USA preseason polls while catcher Grayson Ashe, starting pitcher Steven Cash and reliever Jackson Sleeper were selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME: On Friday, March 6 against No. 10 Southern Miss, left fielder Nash Rippen hit the first inside the park home run for North Alabama since Drew Hudson in 2022. In that game, Hudson secured the feat against Austin Peay on March 2 in Florence, Ala.; Tate Mathis also had an inside the park home run against Northwestern State in 2020. 
 
FIND THE NUMBER: The Lions have been providing more bats to the lineup this season leading to their best start since 2018. In four games this season, UNA has earned 10 or more hits in said contests — all four were wins. Those four games came against SIUE, Murray State, Saint Louis and Southern Indiana; the Saint Louis and Murray State games both were run rule wins that totaled 14 and 11 hits respectively. On Saturday, the Lions earned nine hits against No. 10 Southern Miss where the team led for a portion of the game before falling in Hattiesburg.
 
WIN AT HOME: North Alabama has seven wins through the first 16 games of the 2026 season. All seven of their wins have come when playing on the turf of Mike D, Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium. Their five road games came against Samford (lead in the eighth inning), Ole Miss (led until a weather delay) and a weekend series No. 10 Southern Miss (led in two of the three games). During the time at "the Mike," North Alabama has run ruled two opponents and claimed two series victories over SIUE and Saint Louis, with SLU being their first sweep of the 2026 season. As Jacksonville State arrives on Tuesday, this will mark UNA's 12th game at home through the first 17 and the first home game since March 1.
 
THINGS TO KNOW: For more things to know on the opening of Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium, click here.
 
UP NEXT: After the midweek game against Jacksonville State, the Lions get their second road weekend series to start ASUN Conference play with Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn. at Dugan Field beginning Friday, March 13 at 3 p.m.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.