CONWAY, Ark. (Interstat) — The Central Arkansas Bears look to continue their winning momentum at home when they host the Bellarmine Knights in an ASUN Conference series opener Friday at Bear Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under clear skies with a game-time temperature near 78 degrees.

The Bears (11-10) enter with a winning record, having taken two of three last weekend at Eastern Kentucky before a narrow 5-4 midweek loss at Louisiana Tech on Tuesday. In that contest, reliever Jacob Pannell logged 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on no hits with six strikeouts. Outfielder Zeb Allen provided the offense with a two-run homer.

Bellarmine (6-13) snapped a three-game skid with a 3-2 home win over Southern Indiana on Wednesday. Reliever Drew Jennings earned the win with two scoreless innings, part of a strong recent stretch. Over his last four appearances, spanning 5 1/3 innings, Jennings has allowed just one hit and zero earned runs while striking out seven.

The Knights, however, have struggled for consistency, particularly on the road where they are 1-7 this season. Their offense will need to solve a Central Arkansas pitching staff that has shown flashes, including a notable 5-4 road win at Vanderbilt earlier this month.

Central Arkansas holds the historical edge in the brief series, but the teams have not met since the 2023 ASUN tournament.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Friday’s contest projects to be a tight one, with a predicted final score of Central Arkansas 5, Bellarmine 4.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday at Bear Stadium.