TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — Northern Illinois meets Coastal Carolina on Friday in an NCAA Division I Baseball Championship playoff game at Dick Howser Stadium, with the winner staying alive in the tournament.

The Huskies (35-17) and Chanticleers (37-21) both enter the double-elimination bracket on a high note. Northern Illinois won its final regular-season game 5-1 at Toledo on Saturday, while Coastal Carolina dropped a 5-4 decision to Louisiana-Lafayette on the same day but had won three of its previous four.

The pitching matchup features two relievers who have been dominant in recent outings. Northern Illinois right-hander Cooper Cohn is a player to watch after throwing four hitless, scoreless innings with five strikeouts against Toledo on May 23. He has not allowed an earned run in his past five appearances, spanning 11⅓ innings, and has surrendered only one hit over that stretch.

Coastal Carolina counters with right-hander Colby Richardson, who also tossed three hitless, scoreless innings with five strikeouts against Louisiana-Lafayette on May 22. Over his last four outings, Richardson has allowed one earned run in 7⅓ innings while striking out 12.

Both teams have balanced offenses. For Northern Illinois, first baseman Gavin Baldwin drove in three runs with a home run in the win over Toledo. Blake Gaskey also threw four innings of one-run ball in that game. The Huskies have won four of their last six.

Coastal Carolina’s lineup features third baseman Walker Mitchell, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI in the loss to Louisiana-Lafayette, and second baseman Blake Barthol, who had four hits in that game. The Chanticleers have dropped two of their last three but boast a deeper overall resume.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 6-4 victory for Northern Illinois.

First pitch is scheduled for a time to be determined. The weather forecast for game time was not immediately available. The winner advances in the tournament, while the loser faces an elimination game.