NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in Missouri Valley Conference play will meet Friday when the Evansville Purple Aces visit the Belmont Bruins at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature of 81 degrees.

Both teams enter with identical 13-win records overall, though Evansville (13-21) holds a slightly better winning percentage than Belmont (13-24). The series opens a pivotal three-game weekend set for each squad.

The Purple Aces are coming off a 6-8 midweek loss at Indiana on Wednesday. Catcher Spike Magill powered the offense in that defeat, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Magill, a key player to watch for Evansville, has shown recent pop, driving in four runs over his last five games.

Evansville had won four of its previous five games before the Indiana loss, including a conference series victory over Southern Illinois last weekend.

The Bruins look to rebound from a draining 10-8, 13-inning loss to Middle Tennessee on Tuesday. In that game, reliever Lake Morris turned in a strong performance, allowing one earned run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six. Morris, a player to watch for Belmont, will look to build on that long outing after some shorter, rougher appearances in recent weeks.

Belmont’s offense was fueled by Jake Maddox and Michael Sprockett in the loss, with each hitting a home run.

According to Interstat, Evansville holds a narrow edge as the projected favorite. The game simulator predicts a 5-3 Purple Aces victory, while the ELO rating system gives Evansville a 52.2% probability to win.

Following this series, Evansville will travel to face Southern Indiana before a conference series at Indiana State. Belmont will hit the road for a midweek game at Tennessee-Martin before a Valley series at Valparaiso.