WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Interstat) — Two of the Big Ten’s hottest teams will open a weekend series Friday evening when the Oregon Ducks visit the Purdue Boilermakers at Alexander Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with temperatures near 59 degrees.

Oregon (10-2) enters with the conference’s best record but is looking to rebound from a 10-6 home loss to rival Oregon State on Tuesday. The Ducks had won seven of eight prior to that defeat. Purdue (8-3) has won five of its last six, including an 18-1 rout of Marist last Sunday.

The matchup features two of the league’s most potent lineups. A key player to watch for Oregon is right fielder Angel Laya, who is batting .375 with three home runs and 11 RBIs over his last 10 games. He went 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs in the loss to Oregon State.

Purdue counters with Sergio DeCello, who delivered a historic performance off the bench against Marist, going 3 for 3 with a grand slam and six RBIs. The Boilermakers’ offense is averaging 9.2 runs per game during its recent surge.

On the mound, Oregon’s Hudson Carvalho and Leo Uelmen provided scoreless relief against Oregon State and could be key factors. Purdue’s Jarvis Evans turned in a strong start last weekend, striking out eight over 4 1/3 innings.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a high-scoring affair, predicting an 8-7 Oregon victory. Its ELO rating system gives the Ducks a 71.6% probability to win the series opener.

The teams will meet again Saturday and Sunday to conclude the three-game set.