LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama baseball team returns to Gulf South Conference East Division action as UWA (21-15, 2-7) hosts North Alabama in a vital intra-divisional three-game series. The two in-state squads open the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 17 beginning at 3:00 p.m. 

The three game set will be broadcasted on ESPN 104.9 FM and at www.uwaathletics.com. Live stats and live video will also be available on UWA's official athletic website.

The Tigers enter the weekend series looking to keep its GSC Baseball Tournament hopes alive. UWA currently sits in a tie for fifth in the division with West Georgia. The Red and White trail UNA (22-19, 4-5) by two games and UAH (23-13, 3-6) by a game with two weekend series remaining on the slate. The Tigers close out the regular season at UWG (12-34, 2-7) next weekend.

The Red and White enter the series with it's instate foe holding a 67-65-2 record. The Tigers are 18-9 under UWA Head Coach Gary Rundles and have claimed three of the last four series against the Lions. UNA's last series win over UWA was 2006. The two squads split the 2009 set.

UWA recorded two wins during the week with a 14-0 win over Concordia College of Selma on Monday and 2-0, rain shortened outing at William Carey on Wednesday. The Tigers logged 17 hits in 12 innings of action with 14 RBI.

Kevin Deese leads the Tigers offensive as the Fosters, Ala.-junior leads the team in hits (45), RBI (34), doubles (12), triples (3) and homeruns (7). Fellow junior Brian Simone is batting .345 on the season with 29 runs scored, both tops of the team. The Amherstburg, Ontario-native also leads the team with 27 walks. Senior Douglas Frazier paces the Red and White at the plate in conference play. The Northport, Ala.-native is batting .429. Frazier is tied for the team lead in doubles (2) and homeruns (1) in GSC action and ranks fourth in RBI (4). A trio of hurlers has recorded 30-plus strikeouts. Cory Lopez (Walker, La.) has tallied a team-best 50 punch outs. Colter Millican (Brighton, Tenn.) and Kasey Nafzger (Westerville, Ohio) has posted 36 and 32 strikeouts respectively.

UNA enters the weekend set on a two-game win streak after the Lions picked up a 14-7 win at Martin Methodist on Wednesday. The Purple and Gold dropped its last GSC series to Valdosta State. The Lions claimed the opening game, 8-7, and then dropped the final two games of the series by a combined score of 25-5. Chase Porch leads UNA at the plate with a .381 batting average. Porch leads the team in RBI (31) and is ranked fifth in the GSC in stolen bases with 20. Will Rankin and Mitch Handley have each fanned 40-plus batters. Rankin has a team-best mark of 45 followed by Handley with 43.

Prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m., series finale West Alabama will honor 13 seniors.