NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — South Florida visits Tulane on Saturday at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in a key American Athletic Conference matchup, with the Bulls seeking to build on their series-opening win Friday.

South Florida (29-18) holds a strong overall record but has been inconsistent in conference play. The Bulls dropped three of four at East Carolina in late April before splitting a home series with Florida Atlantic last weekend. Tulane (23-27) has lost four of its last five games, including a 13-6 defeat at LSU on Tuesday.

First pitch is scheduled for 70 degrees under cloudy skies.

Bulls reliever Landen Yorek is a player to watch after a strong outing Sunday against Florida Atlantic, when he tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Yorek has been erratic this season, allowing two earned runs in 0.1 innings at Stetson on April 21 and two earned runs in 1.2 innings at Florida State on April 29. His performance could be critical for a South Florida bullpen that has shown vulnerability.

For Tulane, designated hitter Jason Wachs provides a power threat. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI against LSU on Tuesday, though he had been in a prolonged slump before that game, going hitless in 12 at-bats over a three-game series at Charlotte earlier in the week. Wachs has shown the ability to carry an offense, as evidenced by his 2-for-4, home run, three-RBI performance against Texas-San Antonio on April 26.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-3 final in favor of South Florida. However, Interstat’s ELO system gives Tulane a 52.7 percent probability to win, reflecting the unpredictability of the series opener result.

The Bulls are coming off an 11-6 win Sunday over Florida Atlantic, keyed by Yorek’s relief appearance and a two-RBI game from shortstop Jevin Relaford. Tulane is looking to snap a three-game losing streak after being swept at Charlotte last weekend.

Both teams will play again Sunday in the series finale before heading into the final weeks of the regular season. South Florida hosts Wichita State next week, while Tulane travels to Rice.