Hawaii Looks to Continue Winning Ways Against Struggling Long Beach State

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — The Hawaii Warriors aim to build on their strong early-season record when they open a three-game Big West Conference series against the struggling Long Beach State Dirtbags on Friday at Blair Field.

Hawaii (8-5) enters the weekend series having won six of its last nine games, though it is coming off a series loss at home to Cal Poly. The Warriors’ offense will look to catcher Jake Redding to provide a spark. Redding drove in three runs in Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the Mustangs, accounting for all of Hawaii’s scoring in that contest.

Long Beach State (4-12) seeks to halt a five-game skid and find consistency after a difficult start to the season. The Dirtbags’ bullpen has been a rare bright spot, with reliever Joey Iglesias turning in back-to-back scoreless outings. Iglesias pitched 2 2/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts in Tuesday’s 6-1 loss at Southern California.

The series opener marks the start of conference play for both teams. Hawaii has shown a balanced attack early, while Long Beach State has been outscored 102-70 overall this season.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Hawaii is projected to win Friday’s contest by a score of 5-2.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT. The series continues Saturday and Sunday at Blair Field.