AMHERST, Mass. (Interstat) — A Mid-American Conference series begins Friday afternoon when Central Michigan visits Massachusetts at Earl Lorden Field. The Chippewas (19-28) and Minutemen (17-27) are scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch, with rain and a temperature of 56 degrees in the forecast.

Central Michigan enters having split its last four games, most recently a 12-11 win over Akron on Sunday. Left fielder Cole Prout went 4 for 5 with three RBIs in that victory and is batting .324 over his last seven contests, with multi-hit performances in five of those games. Prout also homered in a May 5 win over Oakland. The Chippewas’ offense has been inconsistent, scoring 12 runs in the series finale against Akron but managing only two runs in a loss to Northern Illinois on May 3.

Massachusetts dropped a 7-8 decision at Miami (Ohio) on Sunday, despite a strong outing from right-hander Sam Perry. Perry tossed four scoreless innings, allowing no hits while striking out five. Over his last three appearances — all starts — Perry has a 0.50 ERA across 18 innings, with 15 strikeouts and zero walks; he earned wins against Ohio (May 3) and Ball State (April 26) during that stretch. The Minutemen have lost three of their last four overall, with their sole win in that span coming in a 1-0 shutout of Ohio on May 3.

Both teams are near the bottom of the MAC standings. Central Michigan sits ninth with a 10-17 conference record; Massachusetts is 11th at 9-18. The series continues Saturday with a doubleheader.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Massachusetts is projected to win 4-3, but the ELO rating system gives Central Michigan a 59.7 percent probability of victory.

For Central Michigan, third baseman Bryson Webb (.300, 2 RBIs in Sunday’s win) and designated hitter Joey Milto (home run, three RBIs) are also threats at the plate. Massachusetts catcher Ryan Kolben went 3 for 4 with an RBI on Sunday and is hitting .284 for the season.

The game marks the first of a three-game set, with both teams scheduled to play again Saturday.