NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — A pivotal early Southeastern Conference series opens Friday when the LSU Tigers visit the Vanderbilt Commodores at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium.

First pitch for the opener is set for 7 p.m. EDT under clear skies with temperatures near 48 degrees.

LSU (13-5) enters with momentum after an 8-4 midweek win over Creighton. The Tigers’ offense is powered by right fielder Jake Brown, who homered and drove in two in that victory. Brown is coming off a historic performance on March 6, when he went 4-for-5 with three home runs and six RBIs in a 15-4 rout of Sacramento State.

Vanderbilt (11-7) is also riding high off a potent offensive display, having defeated Indiana State 14-6 on Tuesday. Left fielder Mike Mancini led that charge, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Mancini has homered in two of his last four games.

The matchup features two teams looking to establish consistency in conference play. LSU’s season has been marked by explosive wins, like the 15-4 victory over Sacramento State, and puzzling losses, including a series defeat at the hands of the same Hornets squad. Vanderbilt has shown similar flashes, following a 15-3 win over Evansville with a 1-5 stretch before righting the ship this past week.

According to Interstat, the game projects as a tight contest. Their simulator predicts a 6-5 LSU victory, while their ELO rating system gives the Tigers a 53.2% probability to win.

The weekend set continues Saturday and Sunday in Nashville.