Youngstown -- Youngstown State opens up a big three-game series with in-state and Horizon League rival Cleveland State on Friday at 6 p.m. at The Pipe Yard in Lorain, Ohio. The squads will also play a doubleheader on Saturday as they look to move up in the league standings.

The Penguins currently sit a game behind league-leading Wright State with a record of 8-5, and the Vikings are in fourth place with a 7-6 in conference games.

YSU and Cleveland State have played at least once every year since 1961, and only one game separates the all-time record with Cleveland State holding a slim 67-66 advantage. The schools have also ousted each other from the Horizon League tournament the past two seasons.

YSU has won three straight games against Horizon League opponents and led Penn State 4-0 before falling in the 13th inning on Wednesday. As a team, the Penguins are batting .318 in 19 games this month and are averaging 7.3 runs per game. Individually, eight different players are batting at least .300 this month.

Senior right-hander Chuck Schiffhauer will get the start against the Vikings in game one while sophomores Corey Vukovic and Aaron Swenson will pitch on Saturday. Schiffhauer leads the Horizon League with his 2.81 ERA, and Vukovic is 2-1 in four starts. Swenson is 3-0 against league opponents with three complete-game victories.

The Vikings have already surpassed their win total from last season and had won four straight contests before losing to Mount Vernon Nazarene on Wednesday. As a team, Cleveland State is batting .284 and has hit 34 home runs. Four starters are hitting at least .300, including a .349 clip from freshman outfielder Adam Keideman. Senior infielder Alex Kerins is batting .329 with nine home runs and 41 RBIs.

Junior Josh Hungerman will start game one on Friday for CSU while juniors Brian Long and Sam Suitca will start on Saturday. Hungerman is 3-2 with a 4.93 ERA, Long is 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA and Suitca is 1-5 with a 5.05 ERA.