JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — A tightly contested ASUN Conference series opens Friday when the North Florida Ospreys visit the Jacksonville Dolphins at John Sessions Stadium.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. under clear skies with a game-time temperature of 73 degrees.

The matchup features two teams seeking momentum, as both sit near .500 overall. North Florida (13-12) enters after taking two of three from Florida Gulf Coast last weekend, capped by a 6-4 win Sunday. Jacksonville (12-13) is coming off a 4-3 midweek victory over Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday.

A key player to watch for the Ospreys is reliever Devin Diggs. The right-hander has been effective in six of his last seven outings, including three scoreless innings with three strikeouts in Sunday’s win. Over his last seven appearances, he has allowed earned runs in only two.

Jacksonville will counter with reliever Dominic Pieto, who has also provided stability out of the bullpen. Pieto has not allowed an earned run in four of his last five appearances, including two scoreless frames in Tuesday’s victory.

In their last games, North Florida’s Matthew Farner provided the power with a home run and two RBIs against FGCU, while Jacksonville’s bullpen trio of Kyle Powers, Kyle Hopper and Pieto combined for 4.2 scoreless innings against Bethune-Cookman.

Projections for the series opener are split. The Interstat game simulator predicts a 5-3 victory for North Florida, while the same service’s ELO rating system gives Jacksonville a 58% probability to win.

This game begins a three-game weekend set between the in-state conference foes. The series continues Saturday and Sunday at Sessions Stadium before both teams turn to non-conference action next week.