FRESNO, Calif. (Interstat) — The San Diego State Aztecs and Fresno State Bulldogs meet Saturday at Selland Arena in a Mountain West Conference matchup, with the visitor riding a strong surge and the home team desperate to reverse its slide.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. under clear skies and a temperature of 76 degrees.

San Diego State (23-18 overall) enters after a 4-3 win at Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. The Aztecs, who won Friday’s series opener by an undisclosed score, hold a significant edge in the standings and in current form. Fresno State (12-25) is coming off a 5-2 win at Long Beach State on Tuesday, but that victory snapped a five-game losing streak. The Bulldogs have lost 11 of their last 14.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-3 San Diego State victory.

Players to watch

San Diego State: Right-handed pitcher Carson Johnson has been dominant in relief over his last four appearances. In that span, spanning 11 innings, he has allowed one earned run, two hits and struck out 11. On April 21 against Cal State Northridge, he threw three scoreless innings, striking out one. On April 14 against UC San Diego, he threw five innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs with five strikeouts. In a 1-0 win over UC Riverside on April 7, he tossed two hitless innings with three strikeouts.

Johnson’s recent run has helped anchor a bullpen that has been a key factor in San Diego State winning five of its last six games.

Fresno State: Right-handed pitcher Erik Rico has shown flashes of brilliance for a struggling Bulldogs staff. On April 21 at Long Beach State, he threw five innings, allowing no hits and one earned run with four strikeouts in a 5-2 win. On April 12 at Air Force, he tossed 4 1/3 hitless innings with three strikeouts. However, Rico has also endured rough outings, including allowing two earned runs in one inning against San Jose State on April 18.

First baseman Griffen Sotomayor was productive in Tuesday’s win, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Series and outlook

The two teams conclude their three-game series Sunday. San Diego State has won seven of its last nine and is looking to build momentum ahead of a Tuesday home game against Cal State Fullerton. Fresno State, which has lost 10 of its last 13 at home, will try to split the series before traveling to Cal State Northridge on Wednesday.