ST. PAUL, Minn. (Interstat) — Two Summit League teams with matching 10-win seasons meet Friday evening at Koch Diamond, where North Dakota State faces Saint Thomas (Minn.) in the opener of a weekend series.

The Bison (10-31) and Tommies (10-35) split the season series after Saint Thomas won 16-6 on Thursday, but the rematch offers a chance for the road team to even the ledger under clear skies with a forecast high of 78 degrees at first pitch.

North Dakota State sends right-hander Garrett Shupe to the mound. The junior has been the Bison’s most reliable arm of late, allowing one earned run in each of his past two outings — a six-inning victory against Saint Thomas on Thursday and a four-inning win over Northern Colorado on May 9. Shupe worked six innings, scattering seven hits with four strikeouts in Thursday’s loss, improving his recent run of quality starts.

Saint Thomas counters with Will Pierro, a right-hander who surrendered one earned run over 3⅓ innings in Thursday’s opposite-side matchup, striking out three without allowing a hit. Pierro has kept hitters off balance across multiple relief appearances, holding opponents scoreless in three of his past four outings, though his team lost four of those five games. His longest stretch came April 19 against Northern Colorado, when he threw 5⅔ shutout innings with four strikeouts.

Both clubs enter the series searching for consistency. North Dakota State won three of its previous six games before Thursday’s loss, including a 13-6 road win at Creighton on April 28. The Tommies have lost eight of their last nine, with the lone victory coming Thursday behind an offense that erupted for 16 runs.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is 4-3 in favor of North Dakota State, with an ELO-based win probability of 51.9 percent.

The series concludes with a Saturday matchup at the same venue. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.