PREVIEW: Portland Pilots at Pepperdine Waves

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — The Portland Pilots and Pepperdine Waves open a three-game West Coast Conference series Friday night at Eddy D. Field Stadium, with both teams looking to build momentum after lopsided results earlier this week.

Portland (25-20) enters the 6 p.m. first pitch with a steady hand on the mound. Right-hander Morgan Codron has been a reliable bullpen arm for the Pilots, most recently tossing 3.0 shutout innings of no-hit relief in Tuesday’s 6-4 extra-inning loss to Oregon State. Over his last two outings spanning 5.0 innings, Codron has allowed 0 earned runs on 0 hits with 4 strikeouts, showcasing his ability to miss bats in high-leverage situations. The Pilots split their last two series, taking 2 of 3 from San Diego at home before dropping two of three at Santa Clara.

Pepperdine (18-29) hopes to snap a skid after a 13-3 loss at UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday. Right-hander Jackson Pace provided one of the few bright spots for the Waves in that contest, working 2.0 scoreless innings of no-hit ball with a strikeout. Pace has been dependable of late, recording score outings in three of his last four appearances. The Waves return home after dropping 2 of 3 at San Francisco last weekend, salvaging a 4-0 win in the series finale.

Weather at game time calls for 76 degrees with clouds, offering pristine conditions for baseball in Malibu. The Waves’ offense will look to support Pace and the pitching staff against a Portland team that has scored at least 5 runs in four of its last six games.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday at the same time, with both teams fighting for positioning in the WCC standings. Portland then travels to Oregon State on Tuesday, while Pepperdine heads to Santa Clara next week.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-4 win for Pepperdine.