CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Interstat) — Rain and temperatures in the upper 50s are in the forecast for Saturday evening when Northwestern visits Illinois in a Big Ten baseball matchup at Illinois Field.

The Wildcats enter at 20-25-1 overall, while the Fighting Illini sit at 23-23. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-4 Northwestern victory.

Northwestern right-hander Sam Hliboki is a reliever to watch. Over his last six appearances, Hliboki has logged a 3.15 ERA across 22 innings, striking out 18. In his most recent outing Tuesday against Illinois State, he tossed 5 innings, allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run with 3 strikeouts in a 7-1 win. He also threw 7 2/3 innings of 7-hit, 4-run ball against Illinois-Chicago on April 14.

Illinois right-hander Ike Young has been effective in relief. In his last appearance Wednesday against Bradley, Young went 3 innings, giving up 2 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 5 in a 10-2 victory. Over his past six outings, Young has a 5.79 ERA across 11 innings, but he struck out 3 in 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Iowa on May 1.

The series opener Friday ended in a shutout. Northwestern won Tuesday at home against Illinois State, 7-1, behind Hliboki’s start and a home run from third baseman Owen McElfatrick, who went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Illinois beat Bradley 10-2 on Wednesday, with relievers Sam Reed (2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K) and Olivier Martel (1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K) supporting Young.

Illinois’s recent results include a series loss at Iowa, where the Illini took the Sunday finale 6-2 after dropping the first two games. Nebraska swept a three-game set in Champaign from April 24-26, though Illinois won the finale 10-5.

Northwestern took two of three from Indiana last weekend, capping the series with a 9-6 win Sunday. The Wildcats also swept a midweek doubleheader against Milwaukee and Saint Thomas.

Both teams will conclude the series Sunday at Illinois Field. Northwestern then hosts Rutgers for three games beginning May 14. Illinois travels to Indiana for a three-game series starting the same day.