SUWON, South Korea (Interstat) — The KT Wiz host the Hanwha Eagles on Friday evening at Suwon Baseball Stadium, with first pitch scheduled under cloudy skies and 82-degree heat.

KT (24-14) enters with the league’s best record, winning eight of its past 10. Hanwha (18-21) sits four games below .500 but arrives after a 10-1 rout of Kiwoom on Thursday — a series victory that snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Wiz swept the Eagles in a three-game set April 1-3 in Daejeon, outscoring Hanwha 36-23. Friday’s game opens a three-game weekend series.

Players to Watch

Hanwha catcher Heo In-seo has been the Eagles’ most consistent hitter. Over his past 10 games, Heo is batting .405 (15-for-37) with four home runs and 15 RBIs. He went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in Thursday’s win at Kiwoom. Heo has driven in at least two runs in six of his past eight contests, including a three-hit, one-homer, three-RBI game May 2 at Samsung.

KT first baseman Sam Hilliard provides similar power from the other dugout. In his last 10 games, Hilliard is hitting .324 (11-for-34) with four homers and 12 RBIs. He homered and drove in four runs in Thursday’s 16-10 loss to Shinsegae. Hilliard has multiple RBIs in four of his past seven games, including a 4-for-5, two-homer, three-RBI performance May 9 at Kiwoom.

Series Context

Friday’s matchup begins a pivotal stretch for both clubs. Following this series, Hanwha returns home for three games against Lotte, then hosts Doosan for three. KT travels to Samsung for three games before a home series against NC.

The Eagles’ pitching staff stabilized Thursday behind starter Jeong Woo-joo, who allowed one earned run over four innings. The bullpen threw four scoreless frames. Hanwha’s offense has scored double-digit runs in six of its past 12 games.

KT’s pitching remains a concern after allowing 16 runs Thursday. The Wiz have surrendered 10 or more runs in three of their past five games. But their lineup — led by Hilliard, catcher Jang Sung-woo and third baseman Heo Kyoung-min — has scored 18 or more twice in that span.

Projection

Interstat’s game simulator forecasts a 5-4 KT victory, with the Wiz holding a 55 percent win probability according to the ELO system.