Utah Valley (0-0) at Wichita State (0-0)
Friday, Feb. 17 - Sunday, Feb. 19 | 2pm, 1pm, Noon MT
Wichita, Kansas | Eck Stadium
TV/VIDEO: ESPN3.com | Audio/Stats: GoShockers.com
Series History: First Meeting | UVU Series Notes
THE SERIES
Utah Valley opens the 2017 season at Wichita State. It's the first meeting between the schools and the first of two series against Missouri Valley Conference programs for the Wolverines. The series begins on Friday at 3 p.m. CT/2 p.m. MT from Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. All three games during the series can be seen on ESPN3.com or the Watch ESPN app.
OF NOTE
Utah Valley University begins its 14th season at the NCAA Division I level in 2017 and is coming off of its first NCAA Regional appearance after winning the 2016 WAC Tournament. The Wolverines participated in the Baton Rouge Regional at LSU, falling to the fifth-ranked Tigers, 7-1, and Southeastern Louisiana, 3-2. UVU finished 37-23 a season ago.
THE OPPONENT
Wichita State, is picked fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference coaches poll. The Shockers are tied with another UVU opponent, Indiana State, in the poll. Luke Ritter and Alec Bohm were both named to the Preseason All-MVC Team. Bohm hit .303 with six home runs while Ritter batted .272 and hit three homers. Friday starter, Willie Schwanke, led the team with a 3.40 ERA in 2016. The Shockers were 21-37 in 2016.
PITCHING PROBABLES
Game 1:
Jackson Cofer (LHP, 0-0, 0.00) vs Willie Schwanke (RHP, 0-0, 0.00)
Game 2:
Jake Mayer (RHP, 0-0, 0.00) vs Cody Tyler (LHP, 0-0, 0.00)
Game 3:
Kaden Schmitt (RHP, 0-0, 0.00) vs Connor Lungwitz (RHP, 0-0, 0.00)
2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Coming off an historic 2016 that saw the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance, Utah Valley University baseball is set to begin its 14th season at the NCAA Division I level in 2017.
UVU swept through the 2016 WAC Tournament en route to a berth in the Baton Rouge Regional at LSU. Despite losing to the fifth-ranked Tigers (7-1) and Southeastern Louisiana (3-2) during the rain-filled weekend, the experience invaluable.
"Guys that were here last year know how much work it took and how tough it is to get there, but also how great that reward is," said Madsen.
Utah Valley opens the season at Wichita State with three games against the Missouri Valley Conference program. The Wolverines play their first seven games on the road before the first home series, beginning on Friday, March 3 in the first of four games against Indiana State University, who are also out of the MVC.
Madsen has big holes to fill after losing a sizable chunk of its offensive production, its Friday starter, and the team's closer off of last year's championship team. Utah Valley lost five of its everyday players from a season ago due to graduation, including 75 percent of its 40-home run total. Over half those came from the duo of Craig Brinkerhoff (11) and Mark Krueger (7).
Of the five All-WAC players, only one -- Jake Mayer -- returns. Krueger, Greyson Bogden and Danny Beddes were all first-team All-WAC as seniors in 2016. Brinkerhoff, who was also the WAC Tournament MVP, joined Mayer on the second team.
Also among last year's position players who were seniors were Jordan Schlehuber, who started 55 games and batted .292, and Spencer Gothberg, who started 59 of the team's 60 contest and had five home runs and 34 RBIs. That crop of seniors helped the team finish 37-23, marking it's most wins since the 2012 season of 47 victories.
The returning leading power threat is senior catcher/DH Zac Willis, who had six home runs, 11 doubles and four triples while driving in 36 runs as a junior. Among those returning who saw significant time in 2016 are Justin Erlandson, (.302 BA), Trevor Howell (.297 BA, 13 doubles), and Stone Ramsey (.324 BA). Jake Atkinson returns and will likely again platoon behind the plate with Willis while sophomore Paul Estrada, who saw some action at second last year, will spend time at shortstop.
The Wolverines do return five of their top seven arms in terms of innings pitched, but will have to overcome the loss of their careers win leader (Beddes) and saves leader (Kyle Valgardson). In 102.2 innings pitched, Beddes struck out 99 batters and amassed nine wins and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 15th round. Valgardson went 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA and didn't allow an earned run in his final 15 appearances, spanning 25 innings.
Returners on the mound are led by left-hander Jackson Cofer, who will start the season opener at Wichita State. Over the last six starts of his sophomore campaign, Cofer went 4-2 with a 1.69 ERA. He was named to the WAC All-Tournament Team after lasting into the eighth inning of a win over New Mexico State in the tournament quarterfinal. He finished with a 6-5 with a 3.79 ERA, which was best among Wolverine starting pitchers and ninth in the WAC.
Also returning, in likely a more permanent starting role, is Jake Mayer, who was second team All-WAC after a conference season that saw him go 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA. His league ERA ranked third among all WAC starting pitchers. Kaden Schmitt also returns after finishing his sophomore season with the best start of his career. He pitched 7.0 shutout innings in the WAC Tournament Championship win over Seattle U.
Senior southpaw Patrick Wolfe, who made 12 starts and had 18 appearances, will be used primarily out of the bullpen and, along with senior right-hander Eric Olguin, could figure into the closer role. Another senior, Logan Hold, will serve in a similar role, as a set-up man in the late innings. Hold allowed earned runs in just two of his 23 appearances and finished 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA and one save, and didn't allow a run over his final nine appearances. Other bullpen arms returning are Marco Briones, Matt Davidson and Jason Jourdan.
"Dave Carter (associate head coach) has done a great job with the staff. I think each year the depth has gotten better and better and last season our staff carried us during parts of the season," said Madsen.
Utah Valley has 18 players on its roster who didn't play a season ago, 16 of which are newcomers to the program. With only Howell, Erlandson, and the platoon of Atkinson/Willis returning as starting position players, recruiting coordinator and assistant coach Derek Amicone has filled the vacancies with a mix of junior college transfers and high school players.
"I think we've got a real talented group," Madsen said. "With so many new players we'll need guys to step up and be leaders. Offensively, we just don't have many guys with Division I experience, but Derek has done a great job of bringing excellent talent into the program."
On the infield, freshman Kade Poulsen (Maple Mountain HS) and junior college transfer Trevor Peterson (Salt Lake CC) are favorites to get the nod on the corners a third and first, respectively. With Howell returning to second and the opening the Bogden left behind at shortstop, both sophomore Paul Estrada and freshman Nick Simmons have seen the reps at that spot.
In the outfield, Madsen pointed to at least six that could see time. With Erlandson the only returner, JC transfers Callahan Moltzan (Scottsdale CC) and Jackson Overlund (Cochise College) along with freshmen Jake Berry (Acalanes HS, CA), Travis Parker (Grandview HS, CO), and Ben Atkinson (Cottonwood HS) are the remaining five. Peterson could also move around defensively and see time in the outfield as a talented utility player.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Paxton Schultz (Orem HS) has been impressive and may work himself into the rotation, according to Madsen. Other newcomers on the mound include Cole Fivecoat (Taylorsville HS), Ondrej Sebek (College of San Mateo), and 2016 redshirts, Oregon transfer Kohl Hostert (Bonneville HS, ID) and Trevor Bowers (Marsh Valley HS, ID).
UVU was picked to finish fifth by the WAC coaches and still received two first-place votes, showing that the regular season could be up for grabs by any number of teams. The Wolverines were not represented on the Preseason All-WAC Team.
"A lot is unknown right now," said Madsen. "We've lost so much that it's going to be difficult to repeat but the guys are committed and they want to win and continue to move the program forward. There's a lot of motivation to exceed expectations others have of us."
