March 8, 2007
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This Week's Action
Utah Valley (4-8) will be in Las Cruces, New Mexico this week to take on New Mexico State (7-10) in a three-game series Friday through Sunday. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6pm MT while Saturday and Sunday start times are both 1pm MT.
In order, righthanders Bryan Smith (0-2, 4.05), Kyle Kasper (2-0, 3.00) and Jace Brinkerhoff (1-2, 4.50) are the probable starters for the Wolverines while the Aggies will counter with Brian Gausman (2-1, 4.13), Anthony Arrieta (1-0, 2.11) and Noah Garza (1-1, 5.87). Arrieta is the lone lefty expected to start on the hill this weekend.
After starting the season 0-5, Utah Valley is 4-3 in its last seven games. Last weekend the team went 2-2 at the Banana Belt Tournament in Lewiston, Idaho.
After falling 17-7 to Washington State and 6-5 to Gonzaga, the Wolverines defeated Air Force 7-3 and scored a blowout win over Southern Utah 17-2.
The Utah Valley pitching staff struggled with its control at Washington State, walking 14 batters and hitting three others in suffering the defeat.
Against Gonzaga, UV held a 5-4 lead before the Bulldogs pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth and held the Wolverines scoreless in the ninth to hold on for the win.
In the win over Air Force, freshman Brinkerhoff threw the first complete game of his career in just his third collegiate start. The former Spanish Fork High pitcher struck out seven while allowing three runs on six hits in the game. He was a double threat for the Wolverines, also going 4-for-10 at the plate during the tournament.
Against Southern Utah, Utah Valley held a 4-1 lead before exploding for a seven-run sixth inning and a six-run seventh to take a 17-1 lead. In the game five players had at least three hits led by a perfect 4-for-4 day from Eli Slesk.
Gonzaga won the tournament after going a perfect 4-0, edging host Lewis-Clark State on the final day. Lewis-Clark and Washington State both finished 3-1 while Air Force and Southern Utah were both 0-4.
Utah Valley will play at Gonzaga in a three-game series at the end of March and will also face Air Force and Southern Utah again in series later on in the season.
Slesk is leading the Wolverines with a .347 average while Dan Bulow is batting .326 with a home run, five doubles and 13 runs batted in.
Scouting the Aggies
New Mexico State is 7-10 after going 1-2 last weekend in a tournament at Dallas Baptist University.
The Aggies lost to host Dallas Baptist 6-2 and Texas Arlington 9-8 before beating Northwestern 11-6.
NMSU has played two opponents so far this season that the Wolverines will face later in the season. The Aggies lost two out of three to both Northern Colorado and Utah.
The Aggies are the first of two WAC schools the Wolverines will face in the next two weeks with UV traveling to Nevada next weekend.
New Mexico State has hit 15 home runs so far this season compared to just two from Utah Valley. Joseph Scaperotta has hammered four so far while boasting a .421 average with 27 RBI, eight doubles and two triples.
Leo Aguirre is batting at a .393 clip with two homers and 18 runs batted in.
As a team the Aggies are batting .317 while the pitching staff is holding opponents to a .287 average.
Utah Valley State College to Become Utah Valley University
On July 1, 2008, Utah Valley State College will officially become Utah Valley University. A bill to transform Utah Valley State College into a master's degree university passed out of the Legislature with a unanimous vote last week in the House and concurring vote in the Senate.
The bill now awaits the Governor Jon Hunstman, Jr.'s signature. Governor Huntsman will be on the Utah Valley campus on March 19th for the bill signing.
On Deck
Utah Valley will play the first of three games this season against neighboring school BYU on Tuesday at 5pm in Provo. The Wolverines will then travel to Reno for a four-game series at Nevada beginning on Friday, March 16th.
