UTAH VALLEY AT UTAH STATE
Wednesday, March 22, 2017  |  1 & 3 p.m. MT
Logan, Utah   |   LeRee & LeGrand Johnson Field
Live Video  |  Live Stats (Gm 1)  |  Live Stats (Gm 2)  |  UVU Match Notes

UTAH VALLEY AT IDAHO STATE
Thursday, March 23, 2017  |  12 & 2 p.m. MT
Pocatello, Idaho   |   Miller Ranch Stadium
Live Video  |  Live Stats
 

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WOLVERINES TRAVEL TO LOGAN & POCATELLO THIS WEEK
OREM, Utah – Fresh off of a 3-1 opening homestand last week, the Utah Valley University softball team will return to the road this week for a pair of midweek doubleheaders. UVU will first head to Logan for an in-state twin bill at Utah State on Wednesday, March 22 before closing the trip with two games at Idaho State in Pocatello on Thursday, March 23.
 
Wednesday's in-state games are slated to begin at 1 and 3 p.m. at USU's LaRee & LeGrand Johnson Field while Thursday's twin bill at ISU's Miller Ranch Stadium is set for noon and 2 p.m. Live stats will be available for all four games by visiting WolverineGreen.com, while live video will also be available for Wednesday's doubleheader on the Mountain West Network.
 
The Wolverines (7-10) will enter the week having won seven of their last nine ballgames after sweeping a doubleheader from Maine on March 14 and splitting two games against Wagner the following day. During the hot stretch, UVU also holds wins over Iowa State, Nevada and two over Saint Mary's.
 
Utah Valley's offense continued to thrive against Maine and Wagner last week, as it hit .381 with five home runs, 11 extra-base hits and 32 runs scored over the four games. The five homers gave UVU a total of 16 round trippers over its last eight contests, as the Wolverines previously clubbed out 11 in four games at the Nevada Classic March 10-11.
 
Freshman second baseman Lyndsay Steverson led UVU at the plate last week by hitting .538 with three home runs, two doubles, six RBIs and six runs scored en route to earning WAC Hitter of the Week honors on Monday. The weekly recognition marked Steverson's first of her career and Utah Valley's second in as many weeks, as senior third baseman Brittney Vansway was named the WAC Hitter of the Week the previous week.
 
With the three home runs last week, Steverson has now clubbed out eight round trippers over her past eight ballgames, which includes three two-homer games during the stretch. Her eighth home runs on the year are not only good enough to lead UVU but also the WAC. The Wolverine freshman will enter the week with a .368 batting average and a conference-leading .860 slugging percentage.
 
Fellow freshman Caragh Morris leads UVU and the WAC with a .417 batting average, while Vansway is right behind her with a .415 clip. Vansway also tops the league in RBIs with 31 and is second in the conference in home runs with six. Junior Lauren Frailey paces the Utah Valley pitching rotation with a 4-3 record and a 3.00 ERA.
 
ABOUT UTAH STATE
Utah State will enter Wednesday's action with an 18-6 overall record and a 2-1 start in Mountain West Conference action after taking two of three from UNLV at home over the weekend. The Aggies have also won seven of their last nine ballgames and previously pulled out a 6-2 victory over UVU at the Red Desert Classic in St. George on March 3. USU was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West this year after posting a 26-25 overall record and a 12-12 conference clip in 2016.
 
Victoria Saucedo paces the Aggie offense with a .416 average and seven home runs, while Riley Plogger holds a .394 batting clip and a team-high 20 RBIs. The one-two punch of April Brown and Kellie White lead USU from the circle, as Brown holds an 8-1 record and a 1.66 ERA while White is right behind her at 8-2 with a 1.77 earned run average.
 
Wednesday's opener will mark the 31st all-time meeting between UVU and USU. Utah State will enter the twin bill holding to a 20-10 series lead over the Wolverines and an 8-3 mark in Logan.
 
ABOUT IDAHO STATE
Idaho State will enter Thursday's action with a 6-12 record on the year. Thursday's doubleheader will mark has ISU's first home games of the season. The Bengals have not played since March 10-11 when then went 1-3 at the Oregon Invitational in Eugene. Idaho State was picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky this year after going 28-23 overall in 2016 and 12-6 in league play.
 
Kacie Burnett leads the Bengals and ranks second nationally with a .574 batting average and is tied for the team lead in home runs with one and RBIs with 15. Harley Wells fronts the pitching staff with a 2-1 record and a 3.42 ERA.
 
Thursday's first game will mark the 39th all-time meeting between UVU and ISU. The Wolverines will enter play holding to a 21-17 series lead, but the Bengals have won the last five meetings.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following this week's action, the Wolverines will open Western Athletic Conference play at the defending conference champion New Mexico State Aggies on March 31 and April 1 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The three-game series will open with a single game on Friday, March 31 at 6 p.m. at the NM State Softball Complex.