LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — A stark contrast in early-season fortunes will be on display Friday when the unbeaten Oregon Ducks face the struggling Arizona Wildcats in a neutral-site game at T-Mobile Arena.

Oregon (8-0) enters as one of the nation’s hottest teams, fresh off a four-game sweep of Youngstown State in which it outscored the Penguins 43-7. The Ducks’ offense has been relentless, averaging over 11 runs per game.

Third baseman Drew Smith has been a key catalyst. He is riding a hot streak, going 5-for-10 with a home run and seven RBIs over his last four games. In Sunday’s 15-6 win, Smith went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs.

Arizona (1-7) seeks to halt a four-game skid after being swept by Connecticut last weekend. The Wildcats’ only win came in the middle game of that series, a 5-4 victory on Feb. 21. Offensive consistency has been an issue, as the team has scored three or fewer runs in five of its eight games.

A player to watch for the Wildcats is right-hander Corey Kling, who has worked out of the bullpen in his last two appearances. On Sunday, he provided 2 2/3 innings of relief, allowing one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts in an 11-2 loss to Connecticut.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-1 Oregon victory, a reflection of the teams’ divergent paths thus far.

The game is part of a weekend event in Las Vegas. Arizona will face Vanderbilt on Saturday, while Oregon takes on UC Irvine. On Sunday, the Wildcats play UC Irvine and the Ducks meet Vanderbilt.

For Oregon, the matchup begins a challenging stretch that includes a midweek rivalry game against Oregon State next Tuesday before a road series at Purdue. Arizona continues its extended early-season road swing, with its next home game not until March 3 against Grand Canyon.