SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — California Baptist visits UC Santa Barbara on Monday afternoon in a key Big West Conference matchup at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. The Lancers (39-13) and Gauchos (34-15) take the field under cloudy skies with a temperature of 57 degrees.

California Baptist looks to rebound from a 19-2 loss to Sacramento State on Sunday, its most lopsided defeat of the season. The Lancers have won seven of their last 10 games. UC Santa Barbara enters on a four-game winning streak after a 4-2 victory at Cal State Northridge on Sunday.

Luis Becerra is a player to watch for California Baptist. The senior right-handed reliever has not allowed an earned run in his last 16 2/3 innings across seven appearances, striking out 26. He worked 3 2/3 hitless innings with seven strikeouts against Sacramento State on Sunday. He also threw three scoreless innings with seven strikeouts against the Hornets on May 8 and tossed two shutout innings against Cal State Northridge on May 5. His only recent hiccup came against UC Santa Barbara on April 20, when he allowed three earned runs in two innings.

Kellan Montgomery is a key player for UC Santa Barbara. The junior right-hander threw five hitless innings with two strikeouts against Cal State Northridge on Sunday, allowing one unearned run. He also tossed four scoreless innings at UC Irvine on April 19. However, he struggled against Cal State Fullerton on April 26, giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

The teams have split two prior meetings this season, with UC Santa Barbara winning the most recent matchup 11-6 on April 20. The Gauchos had 14 hits in that game.

Other productive players from Sunday’s games: For California Baptist, designated hitter Cole Hansen went 1 for 4 with an RBI, and reliever John Carlson threw a third of an inning. For UC Santa Barbara, reliever Cole Tryba tossed four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, and second baseman William Vasseur went 3 for 5 with two RBIs.

Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-6 victory for California Baptist. Both teams face important series next week: California Baptist travels to UC Davis for a three-game set beginning Wednesday, while UC Santa Barbara hosts UC Riverside for three games starting Thursday.