PROVO, Utah (Interstat) — Utah visits BYU on Thursday afternoon at Larry H. Miller Field in a Big 12 baseball matchup, the first of a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for later in the day under clear skies and 52-degree temperatures.

The Utes (21-18) enter the series having lost three straight, including a 10-0 shutout at home against UCF on Saturday. Their most recent series win came two weeks ago against Texas Tech. BYU (22-21) also is coming off a loss, falling 10-3 at Grand Canyon on Monday. The Cougars had won four of five prior to that defeat.

Thursday’s game features a pair of pitchers looking for consistency. Utah right-hander Payton Riske has been erratic over his last four outings. He threw five innings of two-hit, one-run ball in a loss to UCF on April 25, but in his two prior starts he surrendered a combined 11 earned runs in 6⅓ innings against Arizona State and Kansas.

For BYU, reliever Brock Snow has been effective in limited appearances. He tossed a scoreless inning Tuesday at Grand Canyon, striking out two, and threw two shutout innings against Utah Tech on April 20.

The teams met once already this season, with BYU winning 6-5 on March 24 in Provo.

Both offenses have shown pop but also inconsistency. Utah has scored at least six runs in seven of its last eight wins, but the Utes have been held to two runs or fewer in four of their last seven losses. BYU has scored in double digits twice in the last three weeks but also was shut out in a seven-inning game against Arizona State on April 17.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 Utah victory, while the site’s ELO system gives BYU a 51.9% chance to win.

The series continues Friday and Saturday at Larry H. Miller Field.