MOBILE, Ala. — The South Alabama baseball team opens a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against Louisiana-Monroe at Eddie Stanky Field on Friday at 6:30 p.m., while two incoming members of the Jaguar soccer program have been called up by Estonia’s women’s national team for a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Baseball Hosts Louisiana-Monroe
Locke St. John (4-1) will make his 11th start of the season for South Alabama in Friday’s opener. Louisiana-Monroe will counter with Payton Coddou (0-2), who will be making just his third start of the year.
Game two is also set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, with Kevin Hill (2-5) making his ninth start. Hunter Soleymani (0-2) will start Sunday’s series finale.
South Alabama has lost three straight games and stands 17-23 overall and 7-10 in league play. The Jaguars are tied with Troy for sixth place in the Sun Belt, two games behind Western Kentucky and UT Arlington, who share fourth place at 9-9.
All three games will be broadcast on 105.5 FM WNSP and streamed at WNSP.com.
Softball Visits Western Kentucky
The 20th-ranked South Alabama softball team travels to Western Kentucky for a three-game series against the Hilltoppers. The Jaguars have lost seven of their last 12 games, including a midweek loss at LSU.
South Alabama has five games remaining in the regular season before the Sun Belt Conference Championship begins May 7.
Track and Field Closes Regular Season
The South Alabama men’s and women’s track and field teams will conclude the regular season at the 14th annual Coach “O” Invitational in Troy, Ala. Three Jaguars will compete Saturday at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.
The two-day meet in Troy begins at 3 p.m. Friday with the men’s and women’s hammer throw, long jump, pole vault and steeplechase, along with the women’s 10,000 meters. Saturday’s competition begins at 10 a.m., with running events starting at 11:30 a.m.
Soccer Signees Called Up by Estonia
South Alabama soccer signees Grete-Lilijane Kuppas and Tiina Trutsi have been named to the Estonian women’s national team for Saturday’s World Cup qualifying match against the Czech Republic.
Estonia has three points through three matches in UEFA Group 2. The Czech Republic sits one spot ahead with four points from four matches.
Trutsi plays for FC Flora Tallinn, has 15 international caps and was named Estonia’s Female Young Player of the Year in 2012. Kuppas has six caps and plays for Tammeka Tartu.
“It is a massive honor for both girls to represent their country,” South Alabama head coach Graham Winkworth said. “The World Cup is the biggest sporting event there is and so to have the opportunity to play in qualifiers is huge. I want to wish them the best of luck and hopefully they will get the right result.”
South Alabama went 14-6-1 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in Winkworth’s first season as head coach.
