AP Sports Preview

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — UC Santa Barbara, riding a four-game winning streak, visits Cal State Northridge on Friday night at Matador Field for the opener of a pivotal Big West series.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under clear skies with a temperature of 77 degrees.

The Gauchos (31-15) enter with momentum after a 13-3 rout of Pepperdine on Tuesday. Center fielder Rowan Kelly went 4-for-4 with a home run and an RBI in that game. Over his last 10 contests, Kelly is hitting .350 with nine RBIs, including a 4-for-6, three-RBI performance at Cal State Bakersfield on May 3.

Cal State Northridge (24-23) dropped a 9-7, 11-inning decision to California Baptist on Tuesday. Third baseman Kyle Panganiban led the Matadors in that game, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Panganiban has recorded an RBI in three of his last four games and is hitting .333 in that span.

The Matadors have lost five of their last seven, while the Gauchos have won nine of their last 11.

UC Santa Barbara took two of three at Cal State Bakersfield last weekend, outscoring the Roadrunners 41-13. The Gauchos also swept UC Irvine in a two-game set April 19-20.

Cal State Northridge dropped three of four at Oregon State last weekend, though the Matadors won the series opener 8-6 in 10 innings.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-3 victory for UC Santa Barbara, with the Gauchos holding a 72.3% win probability per the ELO system.

The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday. Following this weekend, UC Santa Barbara hosts UC Riverside for a three-game set, while Cal State Northridge travels to Hawaii for a series starting May 17.