Butler at Saint John’s (Interstat) — The Big East series finale between Butler and Saint John’s is set for Saturday afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium in New York.

Butler (18-32 overall) will face Saint John’s (29-24) in the third game of the four-game series. The Bulldogs and Red Storm split the first two contests: Saint John’s won 7-2 on Friday, while Butler took Thursday’s game 7-3.

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. The forecast calls for clouds and 64 degrees.

Butler looks to even the series behind a pitching staff that has struggled much of the season. A key arm to watch is right-hander Tre Benjamin. Benjamin, primarily a reliever, worked 2 scoreless innings in Friday’s loss, allowing no hits and striking out one. He had a rough outing May 10 against Xavier, giving up three runs without recording an out, but bounced back with 2⅔ shutout innings in a win over Seton Hall on May 2. Benjamin also posted scoreless appearances against Creighton (April 26) and Eastern Illinois (April 21). His ability to keep the Red Storm off balance will be critical for a Butler bullpen that has a 6.12 ERA this season.

Saint John’s counters with a potent offense led by third baseman Jayder Raifstanger. In Friday’s win, Raifstanger went 4-for-5 with a home run and six RBIs. He has been a consistent run producer, with multi-hit games in five of his last six contests, including a 3-for-3 performance April 28 against Hofstra that featured a home run and five RBIs. On the season, Raifstanger is hitting .347 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs. The Red Storm will look to him to continue his hot streak against a Butler pitching staff that has allowed 5.2 runs per game.

The series has been tight, with both teams trading wins. In Thursday’s Butler victory, the Bulldogs got a strong start from Jack Hagen (4 innings, 4 earned runs) and offense from Charlie Schebler, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI. But on Friday, Saint John’s starter Evan Chaffee dominated, allowing one earned run on five hits over six innings, striking out six.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 6-5 Saint John’s victory, reflecting the Red Storm’s edge in offensive firepower and home-field advantage. Butler will need Benjamin and the bullpen to contain Raifstanger and the Saint John’s lineup to force a series split.

The game will be streamed on FloBaseball.