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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Interstat) — Coastal Carolina meets Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday evening at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium in a pivotal non-conference matchup between two of the Sun Belt’s top teams.

The Chanticleers enter with a 37-20 record. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 35-22. First pitch is scheduled under partly cloudy skies, with temperatures in the mid-80s.

This is the fifth meeting between the clubs in nine days. Louisiana-Lafayette won a wild 12-11 decision Wednesday at Coastal Carolina, and the Ragin’ Cajuns took two of three last weekend in Lafayette. Coastal Carolina’s lone win in the stretch came via a 6-0 shutout May 15 at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Coastal Carolina right-hander Darin Horn is a player to watch. The junior has been erratic in May. He threw five innings of two-hit ball with eight strikeouts in Thursday’s 8-2 win over Appalachian State. But in Wednesday’s loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns, he allowed one earned run on three hits in 2/3 of an inning. Horn’s best outing of the season came May 15 against Louisiana-Lafayette, when he tossed five scoreless, hitless innings with nine strikeouts in a 6-0 win.

Horn has a 3-2 record in his last seven appearances. He has 26 strikeouts over 23 innings in that span.

For Louisiana-Lafayette, left-hander Ty Roman has been dominant. The junior threw 6 1/3 hitless innings with eight strikeouts in Thursday’s 3-4 loss at Texas State. He earned the win May 16 against Coastal Carolina, allowing one earned run on three hits over five innings with three strikeouts. Roman has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts.

Roman’s command has been sharp recently. He has 26 strikeouts and six walks in his last five appearances covering 25 2/3 innings.

The Ragin’ Cajuns rely on power from first baseman Lee Amedee, who homered Thursday at Texas State.

Coastal Carolina designated hitter Trace Mazon III went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in Thursday’s win over Appalachian State.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 6-4 Louisiana-Lafayette victory. Interstat’s ELO system gives Coastal Carolina a 67.3 percent probability to win.

The game marks a neutral-site meeting in Montgomery, a venue that has hosted Sun Belt tournament games. Neither team holds a distinct advantage in the setting.

The Ragin’ Cajuns have won four of the last five meetings, including Wednesday’s slugfest. The Chanticleers have not beaten Louisiana-Lafayette since the May 15 shutout.

Friday’s outcome could affect postseason positioning. Both teams are expected to qualify for the Sun Belt tournament, which begins later this month. A win would give either club momentum heading into the final week of the regular season.