EUGENE, Ore. (Interstat) — The Oregon State Beavers, armed with a 43-12 record and a dominant regular season, open the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on Friday afternoon against in-state rival Washington State, which enters the tournament as a decided underdog.

The Beavers (43-12) earned the overall seed and are playing the Cougars (30-26) in a regional at PK Park. Oregon State took two of three from Washington State in an April series, including an 18-0 rout on April 6, but dropped a 7-6 decision the next day.

Washington State arrives after a split doubleheader at San Diego State on May 24, winning the nightcap 14-4 behind a 3-for-3, one-home run, four-RBI performance from right fielder Max Hartman. Hartman, a key bat in the Cougars lineup, has been streaky: he went 0-for-4 in the doubleheader’s first game, but has hit safely in seven of his last 10 contests, including three-hit efforts in four of those games.

Oregon State counters with right-hander Trey Morris, who has been sharp in his past three starts. On May 16 against Air Force, Morris threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out six. In his previous outing, he worked six scoreless innings at Long Beach State, fanning nine. Morris owns a 2.67 ERA over his last 18 innings.

The Beavers won their regular-season finale 8-1 over Air Force on May 16. Left fielder Josh Proctor drove in four runs with a home run and a single, while reliever AJ Hutcheson fanned three in 1 1/3 innings.

Oregon State’s offense ranks among the nation’s best, averaging 8.4 runs per game. The Cougars, meanwhile, have relied on timely hitting to survive a 6-4 stretch over their last 10 games. Washington State’s Scott Rienguette gave the bullpen a lift May 24, tossing 3 2/3 hitless innings with six strikeouts.

The two teams split their regular-season series, with Oregon State winning 18-0 and Washington State taking the 7-6 decision. Friday’s game is a single-elimination opener; the winner moves to the regional winners bracket, while the loser faces elimination.

A computer simulation by Interstat projects a 7-5 Oregon State victory.

First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon. No weather concerns were reported.