Preview: UC Riverside at Cal State Fullerton

FULLERTON, Calif. (Interstat) — The Cal State Fullerton Titans will look to improve their position in the Big West Conference when they host the UC Riverside Highlanders in the second game of a series Friday evening at Goodwin Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT under cloudy skies with temperatures around 63 degrees.

The Titans (11-14) enter the contest after a tough 10-inning, 6-5 loss at Hawaii on March 29. They will rely on right-hander Jayden Harper, who delivered five hitless innings of relief in that defeat, allowing two earned runs with four strikeouts. On the season, Harper has a 2.45 ERA over 18.1 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts.

The Highlanders (8-19) are seeking to rebound from a 12-8 loss to Cal Poly on Sunday and an 8-0 defeat to these same Titans on Thursday. Offensive catalyst Miles Scott will be a key figure for Riverside. The outfielder is coming off a 3-for-3 performance with a home run and three RBIs in that Cal Poly game. Over his last 10 contests, Scott is batting .350 (7-for-20) with a homer and seven RBIs.

According to Interstat, the Titans are heavy favorites with an 80.7% probability to win. Their game simulator projects a 5-4 Fullerton victory.

The series concludes Saturday afternoon in Fullerton.