BASEBALL PREVIEW

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — Monmouth hosts North Carolina A&T on Saturday at Monmouth Baseball Field, with the teams set to complete a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series that began with a split Thursday and Friday.

First pitch is scheduled for the evening. The forecast calls for 63-degree temperatures and cloudy skies.

Monmouth (28-21, 14-12 CAA) enters with a stronger overall record and has won four of its last six games. North Carolina A&T (14-37, 5-18) has lost 10 of its last 12 and sits near the bottom of the league standings.

Luis Gomez, the Aggies’ catcher, has been one of their few consistent offensive threats. In Friday’s 10-9 win over the Hawks, Gomez went 1 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. Over his last eight games, he has recorded a hit in six of them, including a 2-for-4, two-RBI performance at Winthrop on April 28, and a 1-for-3 outing at Campbell on May 1. He also drove in two runs against UNC Wilmington on May 9.

Monmouth’s RJ Mustaro, a right fielder, has been a key run producer. In Friday’s six-run loss, Mustaro went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. On Sunday at Hofstra, he had two hits and drove in four runs. He also drove in a run against Northeastern on May 3 and hit safely in three consecutive games from May 1-3.

The teams have split the first two games of this series. Thursday saw the Hawks win 14-4, with Mustaro going 1 for 3 and the Monmouth offense breaking open a close game late. Friday’s contest was decided when the Aggies rallied to win 10-9, with Gomez leading the way and pitchers Diego Barrett (3.1 IP, 2 ER) and Gavin Sentell (5.2 IP, 5 ER) combining to hold the Hawks at bay.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-2 Monmouth victory, and its ELO system gives the Hawks a 65.2 percent probability of winning.