AP Sports Preview

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Southern California looks to build on a series-opening victory Saturday when it hosts Purdue in a Big Ten matchup at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. with clear skies and a temperature of 68 degrees.

The Trojans (31-11) enter with the conference’s best record, riding momentum from a 9-2 win at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday. Southern California won Friday’s series opener against the Boilermakers 5-0.

Purdue (27-12) dropped its most recent contest 6-5 to Indiana State on Tuesday.

Players to watch:

For Purdue, right-handed pitcher Joe Trenerry has been effective in recent outings. In his last appearance Tuesday against Indiana State, he tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Over his previous four appearances spanning 5 2/3 innings, the reliever allowed two earned runs while striking out four.

For Southern California, two-way player Diego Velazquez impressed Tuesday against Cal State Fullerton, throwing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. The right-hander also contributes at the plate; he went 1 for 3 with an RBI against Iowa on April 10.

The Interstat game simulator projects an 8-4 victory for Purdue.

Following Saturday’s game, the teams close the three-game series Sunday. Purdue then hosts Southern Indiana on Wednesday before a three-game set against Murray State. Southern California travels to UC Irvine on Tuesday before hosting Rutgers for a weekend series.