WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Interstat) — Murray State visits Purdue on Friday at Alexander Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. under a forecast of 58 degrees and rain.

The Racers (26-18) and Boilermakers (28-15) open a three-game weekend series. Purdue holds a 51.60 percent win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, though the same simulator projects a 7-6 victory for Murray State.

Right-hander Ethan Lyke is a player to watch for the Racers. In his most recent outing Tuesday against Memphis, Lyke threw 3⅔ innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out five in a 9-5 win. He has struggled with consistency, however, yielding four earned runs without recording an out in a loss at Mississippi on April 21, and allowing at least one earned run in five of his last six appearances.

For Purdue, left-hander Graham Kollen takes the spotlight. He pitched four innings Wednesday against Southern Indiana, allowing three hits and one earned run with two strikeouts in a 5-1 victory. Kollen has been effective in five of his last seven outings, including 2⅓ scoreless innings across two appearances against Ohio State last weekend. He did allow four hits and three earned runs without recording an out in a loss to Indiana State on April 21.

Murray State enters on a three-game winning streak after taking two of three at Southern Illinois last weekend and beating Memphis on Tuesday. Colby Ott went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the win over Memphis. The Racers have been inconsistent offensively, scoring 19 runs in their last three wins but being held to two or fewer runs in four of their previous seven losses.

Purdue dropped two of three at Southern California last weekend before bouncing back to beat Southern Indiana on Wednesday. Jackson Bessette went 3-for-4 with a home run and an RBI in that win. The Boilermakers have been strong at home, winning six of their last eight at Alexander Field.

After Friday’s opener, the series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.