The Owls (16-15, 5-1 Atlantic 10 Conference) kick off a tough conference week Tuesday when they host St. Joseph’s (21-3, 6-0 A-10) in a double-header.

The battle features two of the top hitting teams in the conference—St. Joe’s with .296 (3rd) and Temple with .295 (4th).

The differences between the two squads end there. The Hawks boast the best pitching rotation in the A-10, with a 1.78 earned run average, nearly a full run better than George Washington in second. Temple, meanwhile, is second-to-last with a 5.85 team ERA. The Hawks have allowed just 44 earned with 170 hits while the Owls have surrendered 163 earned and 272 hits.

But the Owls hold the advantage in team defense, with the top-ranked fielding percentage, .966 and 12 double-plays turned. The Hawks are ninth with a .952 fielding percentage and have only turned four double-plays.

The game also sports several of the top hitters in the conference. Junior catcher Stephanie Pasquale is hitting a conference-leading .485 with 47 runs batted in for Temple. St. Joe’s, meanwhile, has three of the top seven hitters in terms of average, led by freshman infielder Sarah Yoos, third in the A-10 with a .409 average.

The first half of the double-header is set for 3 p.m.