MESA, Ariz. (Interstat) — The Western Athletic Conference baseball championship begins Thursday with a matchup between seed California Baptist and seed Utah Tech at Hohokam Stadium. First pitch is set for the afternoon, with the winner advancing in the double-elimination tournament.

California Baptist (43-13) enters as the favorite, having won 11 of its past 13 games. The Lancers are led by first baseman Cole Howarth, who is batting .347 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs. Howarth went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs in California Baptist’s 9-8 win at UC Davis on May 15, and he has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games. He also homered in a 3-for-5 performance against UC Santa Barbara on May 11.

Utah Tech (32-21) counters with right-hander Tyler Ray, who tossed a complete-game shutout in his last outing, a 4-0 win over Texas-Arlington on May 20. Ray allowed four hits, struck out three and walked none over eight innings. However, his previous start against California Baptist on April 24 was less successful: he surrendered six earned runs on five hits over 5⅔ innings in a 7-3 loss. Overall, Ray has a 5.12 ERA this season with 72 strikeouts in 89 innings.

The teams met in a three-game series in late April at California Baptist. The Lancers won the opener 7-3, Utah Tech rebounded with a 10-1 victory on April 25, and California Baptist closed with a 6-0 shutout on April 26. The Lancers outscored the Trailblazers 14-13 in the series.

Utah Tech comes in with momentum after winning three straight, including a 22-12 slugfest victory over Abilene Christian on May 14. The Trailblazers are averaging 7.8 runs per game but have a team ERA of 5.67. Their offense is fueled by Miller Durham, who went 2 for 3 with an RBI in the Texas-Arlington win.

California Baptist’s pitching staff has a 3.85 ERA and has held opponents to a .239 batting average. The Lancers have relied on a deep bullpen; Andrew Rudd and Michael Malki combined for 3⅔ scoreless innings in the win at UC Davis.

The championship runs through Sunday, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.