Utah Valley vs. Grand Canyon
Friday-Saturday, April 22-23   |   12 & 2 p.m. MT on Fri. and 12 p.m. MT on Sat.
Orem, Utah   |   Wolverine Field
Live Video (Fri.)  |  WAC Digital Network (Sat.)  |  Live Stats  |  UVU Game Notes
 

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OREM, Utah – Fresh off of a 1-0 pitcher's duel setback to neighboring rival BYU on Wednesday afternoon, the Utah Valley University softball team will cap its home season by welcoming Western Athletic Conference foe Grand Canyon to town for a three-game league series beginning Friday at Wolverine Field.
 
With rain forecasted for Saturday, changes have been made to the series as it will now feature a doubleheader on Friday at noon and 2 p.m. while the series finale, Senior Day is currently set for 12 p.m. on Saturday.
 
A trio of seniors will be honored for their outstanding careers at Utah Valley prior to Saturday's game, as Tiani Hensley, Dynasty Lauvai and Morgan Smith will all play the final home games of their respective collegiate careers this weekend. Lauvai and Smith will each be capping their fourth season in a Wolverine uniform, while Hensley is concluding her second season at UVU after previously transferring following two years at the College of Southern Nevada.
 
The Wolverines will enter the final home series of the season with a 6-33 overall record and a 2-7 ledger in WAC play after finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 score to BYU on Wednesday at Wolverine Field. The Cougars managed to manufacture the lone run of the game in the first inning on a two-out RBI single from Libby Sugg.
 
UVU had its best chance to score in the sixth following a leadoff infield single from Kendall Ohman and a walk by Smith. Following a strike out and a sacrifice bunt, Brittney Vansway then drove what looked to be a go-ahead home run over the left field wall but the ball tailed just foul as she later flew out to center to end the threat.
 
Four Wolverine pitchers combined to limit the Cougar offense to just four hits in the game. The UVU pitching staff also did a nice job of stranding runners on the base paths, as BYU left eight runners on base in the contest.
 
Brianna Gatlin leads UVU on the season with a .320 batting average and 25 walks, while Vansway is right behind her with a .303 clip and a team-high 12 doubles, five home runs and 24 RBIs. Breezy Roth, who is batting .235, has been hot as of late as she'll enter the contest on a 15-game reached base safely streak. Makayla Shadle tops the Wolverine pitching staff with a 4.97 ERA and a 1-5 record.
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
GCU will come to Orem with a 29-15 overall record and a 4-5 clip in WAC play after dropping two of three to league-leading New Mexico State at home last weekend. Despite dropping the series to the Aggies, the Antelopes have won three of their last five ballgames and hold wins over Arkansas of the SEC, Colorado State and UNLV of the Mountain West, CSU Northridge and Hawaii of the Big West, and San Diego of the West Coast on the season. The Lopes were picked to take second in the WAC this year after going 9-6 in conference play a season ago.
 
Camree Wartman paces GCU with a .423 batting average, 16 doubles and six homers, while Sierra Smith is tied for the team lead with six home runs and leads the way in RBIs with 36. Taylor Nowlin fronts the Grand Canyon pitching staff with a 15-5 record and a 2.43 ERA.
 
Friday's series opener will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Antelopes. GCU holds a 6-0 series advantage after sweeping a three-game series in each of the past two seasons.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following this weekend's series, UVU will hit the road April 29-30 for its final league series of the season at Seattle U. After the three-game set at SU, UVU will close its regular season with a pair of non-conference doubleheaders at No. 5 Oregon and Portland State the following week.