With the first round of the state baseball playoffs approaching at the end of next week, a pair of top-ranked teams from Baldwin County will play a tune-up match this Thursday over the border into Florida on the big stage.

The Gulf Shores Dolphins and Bayside Academy Admirals both recently claimed their fourth consecutive area titles and will clash at the home of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos as part of their prep baseball series.

A junior varsity game at 4 p.m. will precede the 6 p.m. varsity contest. General admission tickets will be $8 and can be bought in advance here.

The Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, the Blue Wahoos will be out of town this week after the club’s best start to a season since 2021 following a weekend sweep of the Mississippi Braves. Five Florida high school baseball games have already been played in Pensacola this spring with another set for Tuesday.

Gulf Shores and Bayside Academy will serve as the first Alabamian representatives this spring where the Dolphins checked in at No. 23 in Prep Baseball Report’s fresh Power 25 rankings regardless of classification. Gulf Shores also started the week as the No. 1 team in Class 5A following a fourth straight regular-season area title.

Similarly, the Admirals have been featured in the top three of all seven weekly top-10 polls this season and was the No. 2 team in Class 4A to start this week following their fourth consecutive area championship.

Thursday will mark the fifth day of high school baseball played at Blue Wahoos Stadium which is the most in the history of the ballpark according to a Monday release.

"Gates will open at 3 p.m. on Thursday prior to the JV game," Monday's release reads. "A reminder that Blue Wahoos Stadium is a cashless venue and there is now electronic security entrances at the gates. The box office at Blue Wahoos Stadium will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday for purchases."