LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — San Diego State visits UNLV on Thursday night at Earl Wilson Stadium in a Mountain West baseball matchup that carries postseason implications for both teams.

The Aztecs (32-20) enter the series with a four-game winning streak after sweeping a home set against San Jose State over the weekend, capped by a 4-1 victory Sunday in which right-hander Aidan Russell threw four scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Russell has been dominant of late, allowing no hits and no earned runs over his last three appearances covering 10 2/3 innings. He has not surrendered a hit since April 20 against Seattle.

The Runnin Rebels (28-23) dropped a wild 14-13 decision at Fresno State on Sunday, their fourth loss in five games. Shortstop Drew Barragan homered and drove in four runs in that defeat. Barragan has been UNLV’s most consistent run producer, with four home runs and 11 RBIs over his last six games, including a two-homer, five-RBI outing against Milwaukee on May 3.

Thursday’s opener is the first of a three-game series. The forecast calls for 91 degrees and partly cloudy skies at first pitch.

San Diego State relies on a deep pitching staff. Russell, a reliever who has worked multiple innings, has compiled a 0.00 ERA across 11 2/3 innings in his past four appearances. The Aztecs’ offense has been steady, averaging 6.8 runs over their last six wins.

UNLV counters with a lineup that can erupt — the Rebels scored 17 runs in a win at Fresno State on May 9 — but has been inconsistent. Barragan, hitting .304 with six homers and 26 RBIs on the season, is the catalyst. The Rebels will need support from their bullpen, which has a 5.20 ERA in conference play.

Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-6 victory for San Diego State, while the site’s ELO system gives UNLV a 54.6 percent probability to win, suggesting a close contest.

Both teams are jockeying for position in the Mountain West standings. San Diego State sits third, two games behind the leader. UNLV is fifth, three games back.

The series continues Friday and Saturday at Earl Wilson Stadium, with the same starting times. San Diego State has won six of its last seven meetings with UNLV.