GEORGIA STATE (27-28, 14-16) vs #8 SOUTHERN MISS (40-14, 22-8)
May 20| 5:00 PM ET | ESPN+ | DABOS Park

Georgia State continues postseason play Wednesday as the Panthers open the double-elimination portion of the Sun Belt Championship against No. 8 Southern Miss at DABOS Park in Montgomery, Ala. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

The Panthers enter the matchup as the No. 9 seed after advancing past No. 8 seed Old Dominion in the opening round. Southern Miss is the No. 1 seed in the tournament after winning the Sun Belt regular season title with a 22-8 conference record.

Georgia State will send right-hander Will Bartkoski to the mound, while Southern Miss will start left-hander Grayden Harris, the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year.

Probable Pitching Matchup

Georgia State: #25 RHP Will Bartkoski (5-2, 3.69 ERA)
Southern Miss: #16 LHP Grayden Harris (8-1, 3.10 ERA)

Panthers Coming Off Historic Win

Georgia State opened the Sun Belt Championship with a 17-1 win over Old Dominion on Tuesday.

The victory marked the largest margin of victory in a postseason game in program history, surpassing the previous mark set in a 17-5 win over Charlotte in 1980. The Panthers also tied the program record for most runs scored in a postseason game.

Every Panther in the starting lineup recorded a hit, scored a run, and drove in a run in the victory. Georgia State finished with 17 runs on 17 hits, including six doubles, a triple, and a home run. Cole Roberts earned the win after allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts in seven innings. Adam Haber led the offense with four hits, two doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored. Hunter Carlson went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI, while Nick Garagozzo added three hits, three RBI, and his first home run of the season.

Panthers at the Plate

Georgia State is hitting .266 as a team with 342 runs, 482 hits, and 36 home runs.

John Beverley leads the Panthers with a .367 batting average, 73 hits, and 35 stolen bases. Beverley is tied for the Sun Belt lead in stolen bases and ranks among the national leaders. Wills Maginnis is hitting .301 with a team-high eight home runs, 42 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. Maginnis was named First-Team All-Sun Belt at third base.

Hunter Carlson leads the team with 48 RBI and has added seven home runs, while Cole Griffith is hitting .306 with 11 doubles, three home runs, and 27 RBI. Adam Haber enters hitting .313 with 24 RBI, and Wesley Bass is hitting .300 with a .422 on-base percentage.

Panthers on the Mound

Georgia State enters the game with a 6.09 team ERA and 434 strikeouts.

Bartkoski is scheduled to start for the Panthers after serving as one of Georgia State's top arms throughout the season. The right-hander owns a team-best 3.69 ERA with a 5-2 record, four saves, and 50 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. Bartkoski was named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week earlier this season after throwing 8.0 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and striking out 10.

Michael Caruso leads the Panthers with seven wins and 62 strikeouts, while Roberts has added 59 strikeouts after his complete-game win over Old Dominion.

Scouting Southern Miss

Southern Miss enters the matchup at 40-14 overall and 22-8 in Sun Belt play. The Golden Eagles are the No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt Championship and are ranked No. 8 nationally by D1Baseball, NCBWA, and Baseball America.

The Golden Eagles have won nine straight games and closed the regular season with sweeps of ULM, James Madison, and Georgia Southern. Southern Miss is hitting .285 as a team with 350 runs and 74 home runs.

Davis Gillespie leads the team with a .324 batting average, while Kyle Morrison is hitting .322 with a team-high 15 home runs. Matthew Russo is hitting .313 with 10 home runs and a team-best 50 RBI, and Joey Urban has added a .312 average, 13 home runs, and 60 runs scored.

On the mound, Southern Miss owns a 3.55 team ERA with 554 strikeouts. Harris leads the staff with 93 strikeouts and enters with an 8-1 record and 3.10 ERA. The left-hander was named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year and was one of five Golden Eagles named First-Team All-Sun Belt, joining Camden Clark, Russo, Morrison, and Gillespie.

Series History / Outlook

The all-time series between Georgia State and Southern Miss is tied 4-4. Last season, Southern Miss took two of three games from the Panthers in Hattiesburg.

The matchup opens double-elimination play for Georgia State. The Panthers will look to carry momentum from Tuesday's record-setting win into a matchup with the tournament's top seed and one of the top teams in the country.