SAN JOSE, Calif. (Interstat) — San Jose State hosts Mountain West rival Fresno State on Thursday, May 14, in the opener of a three-game series at Municipal Stadium. The Spartans (21-26-1) look to build on recent success against the Bulldogs (14-35-1), having won both meetings in Fresno on April 17-18, 10-2 and 6-3.

San Jose State comes off a 4-1 loss at San Diego State on Sunday, but the Spartans’ pitching staff has shown resilience. Right-hander Dylan Smith (2-4) is expected to start Thursday after a dominant complete-game win over Grand Canyon on May 3, when he allowed one earned run on seven hits with five strikeouts over nine innings. Smith’s last outing was a rocky 4-inning start at San Diego State (0 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 strikeouts), but he has the ability to keep a struggling Fresno State offense in check.

The Bulldogs have lost six of their last seven, including a 15-10 defeat to Cal Poly on Tuesday. Second baseman Owen Faust continued his hot hitting in that game, going 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI. Over his last 10 games, Faust is 10-for-34 (.294) with three homers and eight RBIs, including a 3-for-4, two-homer, five-RBI performance in a 14-13 win over UNLV on May 10. However, consistency has been an issue: he went 0-for-3 in a 17-1 loss to UNLV on May 9.

Fresno State’s pitching has been a major concern. The Bulldogs have allowed 10 or more runs in four of their last five games, and their staff ERA sits above 8.00. Wyatt Thornbury made a brief appearance Tuesday, retiring one batter without allowing a run.

San Jose State’s offense will look to exploit those struggles. The Spartans scored 10 runs in both of their April wins over Fresno State, and their lineup features several players who contributed in the series, though specific names were not provided.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 4-2 victory for San Jose State.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. PT. The series continues Friday and Saturday, both at 2 p.m., before Fresno State returns home to host Sacramento State next week. For San Jose State, the Spartans will travel to Nevada for a three-game set starting May 21.