West Liberty, W.Va. — The West Liberty University baseball team returns to Kovalick Field this weekend for a four-game home series against Salem University. The Hilltoppers and Tigers will face off in doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday, with first pitches scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day.

West Liberty (17-21, 8-11 MEC) is looking to bounce back after a tough 10-0 loss at Slippery Rock on Wednesday. Salem (18-17) also enters the weekend looking to regain momentum, having dropped two straight, including a 9-5 setback at California (Pa.) on the same day.

The Hilltoppers are 3-1 at home this season, while the Tigers have been solid on the road with a 10-7 mark. Salem won three of the four matchups between the two programs last season.

Offensively, West Liberty is hitting .280 as a team, while opponents are batting .318 against them. The Hilltoppers' team ERA sits at 7.57.

Individually, Will Balgo leads the way at the plate with a .354 batting average. Ryan Talbert (.308) and Adam Och (.305) are also hitting above .300. William Glick leads the team with 33 RBIs, followed by Talbert (28), Kobe Hill (23), and Noah Mildren (21).

On the mound, Ethan Conley leads the starting rotation with a 5.82 ERA, closely followed by Tyler Skeen at 5.88. Skeen also leads the staff with 40 strikeouts.

Salem comes into the series with a team batting average of .281, while opponents are hitting .287 against them. Jose Lojo is pacing the Tigers at the plate with a .385 average, and Reese Rinna leads the team with 31 RBIs.

On the mound, Sam Schmitt has been outstanding, boasting a 1.17 ERA and a team-high 64 strikeouts.