BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Interstat) — UC Santa Barbara faces Cal State Bakersfield on Friday at Hardt Field in the opener of a three-game Big West series.

The Gauchos enter with a 27-15 overall record, while the Roadrunners sit at 19-24. Despite the discrepancy in the standings, the matchup is expected to be close. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 UC Santa Barbara victory.

UC Santa Barbara is coming off a lopsided 15-3 loss to UCLA on Tuesday. The bright spot for the Gauchos was right fielder Noah Karliner, who went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs. Karliner has been an inconsistent but dangerous bat; he also drove in a run against California Baptist on April 20 and went 1-for-1 against UCLA on April 14. However, he has struggled in other recent contests, going hitless in games against Cal State Fullerton on April 24 and 25, and UC Irvine on April 18.

Cal State Bakersfield, conversely, is riding momentum after a 17-4 rout of Pacific on Tuesday. Third baseman Dusty Vela powered the offense, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Vela has been exceptionally hot, collecting multiple hits and RBIs in recent wins over UC Riverside, including a 2-for-2, one-RBI performance on April 25 and a 1-for-1, two-RBI outing on April 26. He also had a solid 2-for-5 showing against Fresno State on April 14.

The Gauchos’ recent form has been mixed. They took two of three from UC Irvine on the road April 17-19 and split a four-game set with Cal State Fullerton, winning the opener 8-3 on April 24 before dropping the next two. A potential pitching advantage for UC Santa Barbara could come from Chase Hoover, who threw 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief against UCLA.

The Roadrunners have been streaky. They swept UC Riverside in a three-game series last weekend, outscoring the Highlanders 29-12, but had previously lost two of three to Hawaii. First baseman Devon Wilkes (3-for-5, two RBIs against Pacific) and right fielder Yahir Acevedo (home run, four RBIs against Pacific) also pose threats.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday, both at Hardt Field, before both teams resume conference play against Cal State Northridge and UC San Diego, respectively.