By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
North Alabama baseball fans are in for a rare in-state matchup as Jacksonville State and Alabama A&M face off March 18 at Toyota Field.
The non-conference contest is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., bringing together two programs that last met on the diamond 11 years ago. The Rocket City Trash Pandas announced tickets are now available online, by phone, or at the Wicks Family Foundation Box Office at Toyota Field.
Jacksonville State, now a member of Conference USA, leads the all-time series against Southwestern Athletic Conference member Alabama A&M, 11-2. The matchup will mark the Gamecocks’ first baseball appearance at Toyota Field, though the program previously competed at the Madison venue in football in 2022 before a crowd of more than 10,000 fans.
The Gamecocks enter the season riding momentum from a dramatic turnaround campaign in 2025, improving their win total by nearly 20 games and advancing to the Conference USA Championship Game for the first time since 2019. As the No. 4 seed, Jacksonville State won four games in four days, including a sweep of top-seeded Dallas Baptist in tournament play.
Alabama A&M is no stranger to Toyota Field, having split two games against Alabama State at the ballpark in 2021. The Bulldogs are also slated to return in 2026 for the Global Baseball Series.
Toyota Field will continue its busy spring schedule when Alabama hosts Austin Peay on March 24. The Trash Pandas open their sixth season April 3.