MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Interstat) — American Athletic Conference play resumes Friday at the Great American Pyramid when the Memphis Tigers host the Florida Atlantic Owls in the opener of a three-game series.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature of 72 degrees forecast.

The matchup features two teams looking to gain momentum in conference play. Florida Atlantic (15-17) arrives after dropping three straight to UAB last weekend, including a 10-4 loss on Saturday. Memphis (10-21) seeks to rebound from a 12-2 midweek road loss at Arkansas State on Tuesday.

A key player to watch for the visiting Owls is pitcher Garrett Grant. The right-hander delivered his strongest outing of the season last Saturday, allowing one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts over five innings in a no-decision against UAB. His recent performances, however, have been inconsistent, including a tough start at Rice on March 29 where he surrendered six earned runs without recording a hit over three innings.

For the Tigers, reliever Logan Rushing has been a bright spot. He pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts in Tuesday’s loss at Arkansas State. Over his last four appearances spanning 7.1 innings, Rushing has allowed just one earned run.

Statistical projections for the contest are split. The Interstat game simulator predicts a 4-2 victory for Memphis. Conversely, the same service’s ELO rating system gives Florida Atlantic a 64.9% probability to win.

Following this series, Florida Atlantic will host Florida Gulf Coast next Tuesday before a conference series against Tulane. Memphis will host Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday before hitting the road for a conference series at Rice.