Maplesville will host J.U. Blacksher in the third round of the state baseball playoffs.

Both teams will play a best-of-three series with two games on Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

If necessary, a third game will be played on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Red Devils (23-5) have yet to lose through the first two rounds of the postseason. They have won each game by more than five runs and shut out the opponent in three of the four contests.

J.U. Blacksher (21-10) has produced double-digit runs in each of the postseason games that it has played.

With both teams showcasing near-flawless performances to open the playoffs at the plate and on the mound, the series appears to be evenly matched on many fronts.

Maplesville’s lineup is getting hot at the right time and is deep with the ability to come alive at any at point.

The unknown entering the series for both teams is how they will handle the first sign of adversity, after such commanding victories to this point in the postseason.

Whichever team strikes first in Game 1 may have the advantage in setting the tone for the entire series.

The winner of the series will advance to the semifinals and face the winner of the series between Ragland and Brantley.

The semifinals will be played May 13-14 while the finals are set for May 18-19.