Augusta GreenJackets fans will have the chance to give - and to receive - Saturday at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

The GreenJackets, in cooperation with the American Red Cross, will collect donations to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and the first 500 people who donate will receive a mini-bat. All of those who donate will be registered to win a GreenJackets home jersey at the end of the season.

The GreenJackets' final series of the regular season begins tonight with another giveaway - statues of former Augusta Pirate Moises Alou - and several possible implications.

Augusta is still be alive for the postseason, right fielder Brian Horwitz could still be leading the way for the South Atlantic League batting title and pitcher Jonathan Sanchez is two strikeouts behind for the league lead.

With Augusta's 8-7 victory over Columbus on Thursday night, the GreenJackets enter the five-game homestand still alive for a shot at a playoff berth.

Augusta is 3 games behind Kannapolis, which lost to Asheville 12-2 on Thursday.

Regardless of the playoff implications, Horwitz enters the series with a chance to give the GreenJackets back-to-back batting champions after Brandon Moss won it last year.

Horwitz, who was named the league's Player of the Month on Thursday after batting .402 with 11 doubles and 19 RBI in August, entered Thursday's game leading the league in batting at .338.

Greenville's John Otness, who dropped out of first with an 0-for-5 game Wednesday, was tied with Asheville's Matt Miller, who hasn't played since Aug. 25, for second with a .332 average.

Horwitz enters tonight riding a 22-game home hitting streak, during which he has batted .395 with 10 runs, 30 hits, seven doubles and 11 walks.

If Sanchez gets a final start for the GreenJackets, the left-hander will have a chance to overtake Delmarva's Kevin Hart for the league lead in strikeouts.

Hart has struck out 160 while Sanchez has 158, and both could start one more time before the season ends.

Sanchez has struck out 10 or more in two of his past three starts, and Hart has struck out eight in four of his past five strikeouts.

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.