Preview: UC Davis at UC Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — Coming off a strong pitching performance to open the series, the UC Davis Aggies look to secure a road series win against the struggling UC Riverside Highlanders in a Big West Conference matchup Saturday evening at Riverside Sports Complex.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature near 66 degrees.

The Aggies (6-7) took the series opener 4-2 on Friday afternoon behind a dominant outing from starter Noel Valdez, who pitched six no-hit innings with five strikeouts. UC Davis will aim to build on that momentum against a Highlanders squad mired in an eight-game losing streak, having fallen to 3-11 overall.

A key matchup will feature Valdez, a player to watch for UC Davis, against UC Riverside’s Lucas Bonham. Valdez has been stellar in his last three starts, allowing just four hits over 17 innings while striking out 17. Bonham, the Highlanders’ third baseman, provided nearly all of Riverside’s offense Friday, going 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in the loss.

The Highlanders’ bullpen, which used five pitchers in the opener, will need to contain an Aggies lineup that has shown recent potency. UC Davis has won four of its last seven.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a narrow 4-3 victory for the visiting Aggies.

Following Saturday’s contest, the series concludes Sunday afternoon. UC Davis then hosts UC Santa Barbara for a three-game set next weekend, while UC Riverside travels to face UNLV on Tuesday before a home series against San Francisco.