CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears play at home this weekend, hosting Northwestern State in a three-game Southland Conference series, but there is more at stake than just a series victory.

The Bears (18-22, 12-12) are currently in line for their first bid to the SLC Tournament, which takes the top eight teams in regular-season conference play. UCA sits in a fifth-place tie with McNeese State with three league series remaining. Northwestern State is just one game back, tied with Stephen F. Austin at 11-13.

The Bears, who will play two of the last three series at Bear Stadium, have won all four of their home conference series this season, beating Lamar, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nicholls State and UTSA.

The Bears, coming off a 2-1 series win over UTSA last weekend, are No. 2 in the conference in hitting (.285) and No. 4 in defense (.966 fielding percentage). The Demons (16-26, 11-13) are 10th in hitting (.253) and 12th in fielding (.957). UCA’s leading hitter is senior first baseman Bryan Willson, hitting .344, or seventh in the SLC.

The Bears have three players hitting better than Northwestern State’s top hitter. Sophomore center fielder Jonathan Davis is hitting .336 with a team-high 35 runs scored and team-high 17 stolen bases. Junior right fielder Forrestt Allday is at .333 with a league-high 48 walks, which ranks fourth in the nation. NSU’s top hitter is Drew Helenihi at .310 with 49 hits.

The Bears’ rotation is expected to be the same as all the SLC series this season, with junior lefty Jeffery Enloe throwing in Game 1 at 7 p.m. Saturday, junior righty Caleb McClanahan in Game 2 at 1 p.m. Sunday and senior righty Ryan Angus in Sunday’s second game of the doubleheader.

The game times were moved this weekend due to graduation ceremonies at both NSU and UCA.