April 23, 2008
OREM, Utah - After playing eight straight out on the road, Utah Valley returns to Brent Brown Ballpark for a five-game homestand beginning with Dixie State on Thursday at 7pm. The in-state foes will play a three-game series with the final two games scheduled as a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1pm.
The Wolverines (9-26-1) went 2-2 at the Northern Colorado Triangular last weekend, splitting two games with both Air Force and Northern Colorado. In the opening game on Friday against Air Force played at Northern Colorado's Jackson Field, Utah Valley scored five ninth-inning runs to force extra innings before the Falcons prevailed 8-7 in 10.
The following day, Utah Valley defeated Air Force 17-6, setting new season highs in both runs and hits (21). Later on the in the afternoon the Wolverines eclipsed that hit total by smacking out 22 hits in a 15-14 win over Northern Colorado. The Wolverines nearly blew a 13-run lead after the Bears scored 10 runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth before Jace Brinkerhoff got UNC's top hitter, Kevin Sandberg, to ground right back to the mound to end the game. The series finale saw Utah Valley nearly erase a nine-run deficit with three runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth before losing 13-11.
As a team, the Wolverines hit .425 to raise their season batting average from .251 to .275. Cole Anderson had a outstanding weekend as he hit .556 (10-for-18) with two doubles, a triple and five RBI. Eight players hit .400 or better including Kevin Arendse, who hit .429 with the first two home runs of his college career. Tyler Garretson, Josh Hinckley and Scott Croshaw also homered over the weekend.
Marcus Moore improved to 5-5 after allowing two runs in seven innings in the wild 15-14 game and Andy Jangard earned his first win after giving up four runs in seven innings in the win over Air Force.
Dixie State was swept over the weekend at Central Washington to drop to 21-19 on the year. The Rebels are led by Kyle Pratt's .420 batting average and 43 RBI while Mark Rose has 10 home runs and 42 batted in. Dixie is 2-0 this year and 3-2 all-time at the NCAA level against UV after winning a pair of 7-6 contests earlier this season in St. George.
Utah Valley will close out its five-game homestand with a doubleheader on Tuesday at Noon against Northwest Nazarene. The Wolverines will close out the week with their first-ever series against a Big 12 school when they travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma to face Oklahoma State, who is ranked #13 by Baseball America.
