NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Manhattan Jaspers and Iona Gaels, two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rivals separated by a narrow stretch of the Hudson River, meet Thursday at City Park in a series opener that carries postseason implications. Both teams enter the game with sub-.500 records but remain within striking distance of a berth in the MAAC tournament.

Manhattan (19-27) comes in riding a 11-1 blowout win Tuesday at Long Island, while Iona (17-27) was shut down 8-1 on the road Sunday at Siena. The Jaspers have won three of their past four games; the Gaels have dropped four of their last five.

First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon under cloudy skies with a forecast temperature of 68 degrees.

A key figure for Manhattan is first baseman Trevor Hansen, who has been a force at the plate over the past two weeks. In Tuesday’s win over Long Island, Hansen went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. Over his last 10 games, he has collected multiple hits four times and driven in at least one run in six contests. For the season, Hansen is hitting .310 with seven homers and 32 RBIs, leading the Jaspers in both categories.

Iona will counter with right-hander Justin Trinidad, a reliever who has been effective out of the bullpen despite the Gaels’ recent struggles. In his last three outings, Trinidad has allowed only one earned run over 8⅓ innings, striking out six while giving up just two hits. He tossed three scoreless innings in a loss at Siena on May 10 and struck out five over three hitless innings in a no-decision at Fairfield on April 25. Trinidad’s ERA sits at 3.12, and he is expected to see extended action Thursday as Iona looks to stabilize its pitching staff.

Manhattan’s offense has been potent recently, averaging 9.2 runs over its past five games. Shortstop Ryan Lordier drove in four runs Tuesday, going 4-for-5, and pitcher Trey Packen earned the win with four innings of one-run ball. The Jaspers’ pitching, however, has been inconsistent — they allowed 15 runs in a 10-inning loss to Niagara on May 8.

Iona’s bats have been quiet, scoring just one run in two of their last three games. Right-handers Brendan Callanan and Tyler Lender combined for four scoreless innings in the loss at Siena, but the lineup managed only three hits total.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 5-3 Manhattan victory.

The two teams will play again Friday and Saturday at City Park to complete the three-game series. Both enter the weekend needing wins: Manhattan sits sixth in the MAAC standings; Iona is eighth. The top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament.