HONOLULU (Interstat) — A surging Hawaii squad looks to continue its best start in years when it hosts a struggling Cal Poly team to open a three-game Big West Conference series Friday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center.

The Warriors (8-2) have won eight of their last nine games, including a 6-0 shutout of Ball State on Sunday behind a dominant pitching performance. Cal Poly (5-7) seeks consistency after a 12-2 rout of Pepperdine on Tuesday snapped a five-game losing streak.

Hawaii will send right-hander Liam O’Brien to the mound. The senior is coming off a masterful outing on March 1, where he tossed eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out seven in a win over Ball State. He has been a cornerstone of a Warriors pitching staff that has propelled the team’s strong early record.

Cal Poly is expected to counter with right-hander Josh Morano. The junior showed his potential last time out, firing four scoreless innings with one hit and six strikeouts in relief against Pepperdine. However, his two prior appearances were rough, yielding seven earned runs over 3 2/3 combined innings against USC and Washington State. Which version of Morano shows up could dictate the Mustangs’ chances.

The Warriors’ offense is paced by shortstop Elijah Ickes, who went 3 for 4 with a home run in the recent win over Ball State. Cal Poly’s Gavin Spiridonoff, who had two hits and two RBIs Tuesday, will look to provide spark from the second base position.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 victory for Hawaii, giving the Warriors a 54.4 percent probability to win according to its ELO rating system.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday in Honolulu before both teams diverge in non-conference play. Hawaii visits Long Beach State next weekend, while Cal Poly returns home to host Fresno State and a series with Cal State Bakersfield.