AP Sports Preview

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Interstat) — East Carolina visits Florida Atlantic on Friday night in an American Athletic Conference series opener at FAU Baseball Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. under a forecast of 82 degrees and rain.

The Pirates (30-21-1) hold a one-game edge over the Owls (28-24-1) in the overall standings, but both teams enter the weekend jockeying for positioning in the conference tournament race. East Carolina took the series opener Thursday night, blanking Florida Atlantic in a 0-0 result that was not a game but rather a placeholder in the provided schedule — a nuance that underscores the Pirates’ recent momentum.

East Carolina swept Rice in a three-game home series last weekend, capping it with a 3-0 win Sunday. Right-hander Luke Payne, a key bullpen arm, earned the win in that game, tossing four innings of one-hit ball with no earned runs and four strikeouts. Payne has been a high-leverage weapon for the Pirates, though his consistency has wavered: Over his last six appearances, he has a 4.50 ERA in 10⅓ innings, with 10 strikeouts against three walks. His best outing came against Rice; his worst, a two-inning stint against North Carolina State on April 28 in which he allowed three earned runs on no hits.

Florida Atlantic counter with right-hander Kyzer Smith, who has been sharp recently. Smith threw 2⅓ scoreless innings Tuesday in a 9-3 win at Florida Gulf Coast, scattering no hits and striking out two. In his last four outings, Smith has allowed one earned run over 3⅔ innings (2.45 ERA). His season has been up-and-down, however: On May 3 at South Florida, he recorded one out and allowed three earned runs. Smith’s ability to command the strike zone will be critical against an East Carolina lineup that has produced double-digit runs in four of its last six wins.

The Owls enter on a 2-1 road trip, having taken two of three at Wichita State over the weekend before beating FGCU on Tuesday. East Carolina took two of three at Memphis last week and swept South Florida in a three-game set April 24-26.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-5 Florida Atlantic victory.

The teams conclude the series Saturday.