SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Interstat) — Cal Poly looks to continue its strong season when it hosts Long Beach State in a Big West conference matchup Friday at Robin Baggett Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., with clear skies and a temperature of 64 degrees expected.

The Mustangs enter with a 30-21 overall record, while the Dirtbags are 17-32. Cal Poly has won seven of its last 10 games, including a 15-10 victory at Fresno State on Tuesday. Long Beach State has lost four straight, most recently an 8-4 defeat to Oregon State on Sunday.

Cal Poly’s Jake Downing has been a key offensive force. The second baseman is batting .429 (6-for-14) over his past four games, with a home run and eight RBIs. In Tuesday’s win at Fresno State, he went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Downing also had multi-hit games in consecutive wins at Cal State Fullerton last weekend, going 2-for-4 and 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the latter.

For Long Beach State, center fielder Justin Roulston provides pop in the lineup. He went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in the loss to Oregon State on Sunday, and also homered in a win over UC San Diego on May 3. However, he has struggled in other recent outings, going 0-for-3 and 0-for-1 in two of his last three games.

The teams played Thursday, with Cal Poly winning 3-0. The Mustangs also swept a three-game series at Cal State Fullerton last weekend, taking two of three. Long Beach State, meanwhile, was swept at home by Oregon State.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 Cal Poly victory, and its ELO system gives the Mustangs a 72% probability of winning.

Both teams will play again Saturday at the same venue, then continue their series.

Cal Poly leads the all-time series but the Dirtbags have historically been competitive in San Luis Obispo. Long Beach State will need strong starting pitching and timely hitting to slow down a Cal Poly offense that averages 6.8 runs per game.

The Mustangs’ pitching staff has a 4.12 ERA, while Long Beach State’s is 5.89. The Dirtbags have lost 10 of their last 12 games and face an uphill climb against a confident Cal Poly squad playing at home.

Friday’s game is the first of a three-game set that could have implications for the Big West standings, with the Mustangs trying to secure a top spot while the Dirtbags look to play spoiler.