PHOENIX (Interstat) — The Arizona State Sun Devils look to build on their strong early-season form when they host the struggling Loyola Marymount Lions in the second game of a weekend series Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MST. The Sun Devils (8-4) took the series opener Friday, shutting out the Lions 5-0.

Arizona State holds a clear advantage in the standings, while Loyola Marymount seeks to snap a skid that has seen them lose 10 of their last 12 games, dropping their record to 5-10. The Lions are coming off an 11-1 road loss to UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, though starter Alec Johnson turned in five hitless innings in that defeat.

Johnson, a key player to watch for LMU, has been a bright spot with a mixed recent ledger. He followed that strong outing against UCSB with a one-inning, three-run relief appearance in a 15-4 loss to Wake Forest on Feb. 28. Prior to that, he fired five scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a 5-3, 11-inning loss to UCSB on Feb. 24.

For Arizona State, reliever Taylor Penn is a name to monitor. Penn was dominant in his last appearance, striking out four over two perfect innings in a 9-3 loss at Texas A&M on March 1. He has allowed just two hits over his last three outings, spanning 5 1/3 innings.

The Lions’ offense will aim to rebound after being blanked Friday. Second baseman Andrew Mhoon, who homered in Tuesday’s loss at UCSB, will be relied upon to spark the lineup.

The Sun Devils’ offense, which produced 16 runs in a win over Saint John’s on Feb. 22, is projected to find success again. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 Arizona State victory, with its ELO rating system giving the Sun Devils a 73.4% probability to win.

Following Saturday’s contest, the series concludes Sunday afternoon before both teams embark on busy stretches. Loyola Marymount heads into a midweek game against California Baptist and a road series at Abilene Christian. Arizona State prepares for a rivalry midweek matchup with Arizona before a home series against Texas Christian.