Predicting the outcome of the annual clash between state baseball powers Barbe and Sam Houston is about as hard as predicting the weather.

Over the last seven seasons, the Bucs and Broncos have split 14 regular-season games.

In 2024, both protected their home field. The Bucs won 8-0, while Sam Houston took the second game 4-2 in Moss Bluff.

While Sam Houston (21-4, 7-1 District 3-5A) has had success against the Bucs (22- 4, 8-0), the rest of District 3-5A has not. Barbe is 84-8 against the rest of the current district members since 2017.

“No one else has done that to us in the district,” Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini said. “It has been a great rivalry.

“It is going to be a great game. To me, it is the best rivalry right now in the state of Louisiana. You don’t know who is going to win, so that is what makes it exciting.”

The game was originally scheduled to be played at Sam Houston High School but was moved to Barbe at 1 p.m. Saturday because of the threat of rain. The ability to drain water off the outfield more quickly was cited by both coaches as the reason the game moved. The game could start as late as 2 p.m. to work around the rain. If the game can’t be played, it will be rescheduled for next week. The second game will be played at Sam Houston at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Barbe is ranked No. 5 in the Non-select Division I power ratings, while Sam Houston is right behind at No. 6.

Barbe is on a 16-game win streak after shutting out Acadiana 9-0 on Thursday.

The Bucs’ pitching staff has allowed two runs in the last eight games.

“We are playing extremely well right now, but you are only as good as the next game and the last one,” Cecchini said. “We feel very confident. We respect everyone and fear no one.

“It is the key to every situation we play in. It all begins with pitching. They have to throw strikes and get ahead in the count. We have to make all the routine plays. Offensively, we have to get on base, move runners over and bring runners in. It is that simple. It is easy to say but tougher to do.”

Sam Houston has won 10 of its last 11 games. The Broncos outscored Carencro 27-3 in two games earlier this week.

Expected starters on the mound will be Owen Galley for Sam Houston and Lawton Littleton (5-1) for Barbe.

“We have to have good, quality at-bats against Littleton,” Sam Houston head coach Chad Hebert said. “We have to try to run his pitch count up a little bit. We can’t sit there and let Littleton punch guys out.”

Nine of the last 16 meetings have been decided by three runs or fewer.

“There haven’t been very many blowouts,” Hebert said. “It is just who limits the mistakes. Normally the team that gives up less free passes, walks and errors is normally the team that is going to come out ahead in these types of games.”