RENO, Nev. (Interstat) — The Grand Canyon Antelopes visit the Nevada Wolf Pack in a Mountain West matchup Thursday afternoon at William Peccole Park. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. PT under clear skies, with temperatures expected at 71 degrees.

Grand Canyon (19-29) enters the three-game series after dropping a 11-9 decision to New Mexico on Sunday. Outfielder Tanner Johns went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs in that loss, continuing a power surge. Johns has homered in three of his past six games, going 8-for-21 with three home runs and five RBIs over that span. He is coming off a 1-for-4 outing Friday and an 0-for-3 day Saturday, but his ability to drive the ball makes him a focal point for the Antelopes’ lineup.

Nevada (21-24) returns home after a 12-4 loss at Southern California on Saturday. Pitcher Alessandro Castro started that game, throwing 5.0 innings of no-hit ball but allowing two earned runs with three strikeouts. Castro’s season has been inconsistent: he tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball against UNLV on April 26, but was tagged for seven earned runs in 4.0 innings at San Diego State on May 3. The right-hander will likely be available out of the bullpen or could start one of the weekend games.

The Wolf Pack have lost five straight, including a sweep at San Diego State and a three-game sweep at Southern California. Their last victory came April 26 against UNLV. Grand Canyon has split its past six games, taking two of three from New Mexico and dropping two of three at San Jose State.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 6-2 Grand Canyon victory.

This is the first of a three-game set. The teams play again Friday and Saturday, both at William Peccole Park.