SALT LAKE CITY (Interstat) — Utah hosts Baylor on Saturday in the second game of a Big 12 series, with the Utes looking to build on a narrow victory in the opener.

The Utes (26-22) edged the Bears (26-26) 8-7 on Thursday behind a strong relief outing from Demitri Diamant, who allowed two earned runs on two hits over 3 2/3 innings while striking out eight. A result from Friday’s game was not immediately available.

Saturday’s contest is scheduled for the afternoon and evening — likely a doubleheader — with the weather forecast unavailable. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 win for Utah, giving the Utes a 50.6 percent probability of victory.

Baylor enters the weekend having lost four of its last five games overall, including Thursday’s series opener. The Bears’ offense produced 11 hits in that loss, with shortstop Travis Sanders going 3-for-5 with a home run and an RBI, and right fielder Brady Janusek adding a homer and two RBIs.

A key arm for Baylor is reliever RJ Ruais, who has been used frequently in short outings. Over his last seven appearances, Ruais has logged a 1.97 ERA across 8 2/3 innings, allowing only four hits while striking out seven. He threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings against Utah on Thursday and has not surrendered an earned run in three of his last four outings.

For Utah, Diamant has emerged as a reliable bullpen option. In his past six appearances, the right-hander has a 1.93 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 14 2/3 innings. He worked three scoreless innings against TCU on May 9, allowing no hits and striking out four. First baseman Cameron Gurney and shortstop Matt Flaharty each drove in two runs in Thursday’s win.

Baylor’s recent stretch includes a 10-9 win over Texas Tech on May 2, but the Bears have since dropped series to UCF and Texas Tech, and a midweek game at Texas State.

Utah, meanwhile, has won three of its last four contests, including a 16-9 victory over Utah Tech on Tuesday. The Utes’ pitching staff has been solid, holding opponents to three runs or fewer in three of their last four wins.

Saturday’s game marks the third meeting between the two programs this season. Utah and Baylor are both vying for positioning in the Big 12 standings with the regular season winding down.