AP Sports Preview: Loyola Marymount at Pacific

STOCKTON, Calif. (Interstat) — The Pacific Tigers host the Loyola Marymount Lions on Friday night at Klein Family Field in the opener of a three-game West Coast Conference series. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. under clear skies with a forecast of 77 degrees.

The Tigers (17-24 overall) enter the weekend looking to snap out of a slump after a 17-4 loss to Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday. Pacific did take two of three games at San Francisco last weekend. Third baseman Rylan Evans has been the team’s most consistent offensive threat. In Tuesday’s loss, Evans went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Over his last 10 games, he has three homers and eight RBIs, including multi-hit performances in five of those contests.

The Lions (12-34) are coming off a 10-0 shutout loss at UC San Diego on Tuesday. Loyola Marymount has dropped 10 of its last 11 games. Right-hander Jake Geis has been a bright spot out of the bullpen. In his last outing against the Tritons, Geis threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, allowing no hits. Over his past five appearances, he has a 4.26 ERA with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, though he has been touched for five hits and three earned runs in one outing against Pepperdine.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-2 victory for Pacific, but the same system’s ELO model gives Loyola Marymount a 63.6 percent probability to win — underscoring the unpredictability of a series between two teams near the bottom of the WCC standings.

The Lions have struggled mightily at the plate this season, averaging just 4.1 runs per game. Pacific counters with a lineup that has shown more pop, averaging 5.5 runs per contest. However, the Tigers’ pitching staff has a collective ERA of 6.87.

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m., both at Klein Family Field. Following this weekend, Loyola Marymount returns home to host UCLA on Tuesday, while Pacific welcomes California to Stockton.