WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — Monmouth hosts North Carolina A&T in a Colonial Athletic Association matchup Thursday evening at Monmouth Baseball Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature of 72 degrees.

The Hawks (27-20) enter the series with a winning record and momentum from a 18-10 victory at Hofstra on Sunday. Monmouth’s offense erupted for 18 runs on 17 hits, led by center fielder Colin Richter, who went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Richter, a key player to watch, has been inconsistent at the plate recently. Over his last 10 games, he has collected hits in four of those contests, including a three-hit performance April 22 against Seton Hall, but he is batting just .222 (6-for-27) over that stretch with two RBIs and one home run.

The Aggies (13-36) have struggled this season and are coming off a rare bright spot: a 7-2 win over UNC Wilmington on Sunday. Pitcher Angel Ortiz, a player to watch for North Carolina A&T, earned the victory, tossing 6 1/3 innings and allowing four hits with no earned runs and four strikeouts. The performance snapped a difficult stretch for Ortiz, who had surrendered 15 earned runs over his previous three starts (Interstat) — a span of 11 2/3 innings (Interstat) — including a May 3 outing against Campbell in which he gave up five earned runs in three innings. Ortiz’s inconsistency mirrors that of his team, which has lost 10 of its last 11 games.

Monmouth has won four of its last six contests, while North Carolina A&T has dropped nine of its last 10. The Hawks hold a significant edge in the Colonial standings. According to Interstat’s game simulator, Monmouth is projected to win 6-2.

The two teams will continue the three-game series Friday and Saturday at the same venue.