Preview: San Jose State Spartans at UNLV Runnin’ Rebels

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, holding the better overall record, will host the San Jose State Spartans to open a three-game Mountain West series on Friday at Earl Wilson Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature near 90 degrees.

UNLV (15-10) enters having lost three of its last four, including a 12-11 home defeat to Arizona State on Monday. The Rebels’ offense has been potent but inconsistent, scoring 11 or more runs in three of their last six games while also being held to one run in a loss to Utah Tech.

San Jose State (11-12) arrives after an offensive explosion, routing Santa Clara 18-6 on Tuesday. The Spartans have shown a knack for close victories, winning four one-run games since March 10, including two extra-inning contests.

A key matchup will feature two of the conference’s top hitters. San Jose State center fielder Brent Cota is coming off a dominant performance, going 3 for 4 with a home run and five RBIs against Santa Clara. He has two homers and eight RBIs in his last seven games.

For UNLV, second baseman Marcos Rosales provides power in the middle of the lineup. He drove in four runs on a homer in the loss to Arizona State and has three multi-hit games in his last seven appearances.

On the mound, the Spartans will look to build on a strong recent outing from Peter Herrick, who threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief Tuesday. UNLV’s Colton Sundloff also provided solid relief this week, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless frames against the Sun Devils.

Statistical projections present a split verdict. The Interstat game simulator predicts a narrow 7-6 victory for San Jose State, while the same service’s ELO rating system gives UNLV a 59.7% probability to win.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday in Las Vegas before both teams embark on midweek non-conference games Monday.