UC Riverside (15-33) at UC Santa Barbara (36-16)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — The Big West series between UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara continues Saturday with a doubleheader at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, scheduled for 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. First-pitch temperature is forecast at 62 degrees with clouds.

The Gauchos (36-16, 18-8 Big West) have already clinched the series after winning the first two games. They defeated the Highlanders 15-5 on Friday and 1-0 on Thursday. UC Santa Barbara enters with a 91.5 percent win probability per Interstat’s ELO system, which projects a 7-3 final score.

UC Riverside (15-33, 4-22) has lost seven of its last eight games and sits in last place in the conference standings.

Players to watch

UC Santa Barbara third baseman Xavier Esquer has been the catalyst for the Gauchos’ offense. In Friday’s win, he went 2-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Over his last 10 games, Esquer has three multi-hit performances, including a 3-for-5 game against Cal State Northridge on May 8. He also drove in three runs in a 18-1 win at Cal State Bakersfield on May 1.

UC Riverside right-handed pitcher Halen Jaden Guerrero has delivered mixed results recently. In Friday’s relief appearance against the Gauchos, he tossed 3.0 shutout innings, allowing no hits. However, in his previous three outings, he surrendered a combined 10 earned runs over 4.1 innings, including four earned runs against Cal State Bakersfield on April 26.

Recent trends

UC Santa Barbara’s offense has been prolific. The Gauchos have scored 10 or more runs in seven of their last 15 games, including a 19-9 win at Cal State Bakersfield on May 3 and an 18-1 victory in the series finale.

UC Riverside has struggled to produce runs. The Highlanders have been held to three or fewer runs in nine of their last 12 games. They have been shut out twice in that span, including Thursday’s 1-0 loss in the series opener.

Catcher Esteban Sepulveda provided one of the few bright spots for UC Riverside on Friday, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

The doubleheader marks the final two games of the three-game series.