OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team will open a five-game in five-day Colorado road swing with a WAC series at Northern Colorado this Friday to Sunday (April 5-7) at UNC's Jackson Field. The Wolverines will then cap the trip with a pair on non-conference midweek games at Air Force on Monday and Tuesday (April 8-9) at AFA's Falcon Field.
 
Game times for this weekend's WAC series at Northern Colorado will be 2 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday, and noon on Sunday, while Monday and Tuesday's contests at Air Force are scheduled for 3 p.m. on Monday and 1 p.m. on Tuesday. All three games at UNC will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network, while Monday and Tuesday's non-conference contests at AFA will be on the Mountain West Network. Live stats will also be available for all five games by visiting GoUVU.com.
 
UVU will enter the trip with a 5-22 overall record and a 2-4 WAC clip after dropping four games at home last week. After dropping a 12-9 contest to Pac-12 foe Oregon on March 27, the Wolverines were then swept by the two-time defending WAC champion Grand Canyon Lopes over the weekend, 9-4, 11-4 and 14-4. 
 
Despite getting swept by GCU, the Wolverines had a chance to win both Friday and Sunday's ballgames. In the series opener on Friday, UVU held a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning but GCU responded late to claim the 9-4 victory. Pacen Hayes then hit his third home run of the series on Sunday with a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth, but the Lopes responded with a 10-run ninth frame to go on to record the sweep and pull out a 14-4 victory in the series finale. 
 
Hayes led UVU at the plate in the series by belting out three home runs and driving in six runs. He also hit .429 for the weekend. Mick Madsen was next by batting .375 with a pair of runs scored, while Alexander Marco followed with a .364 clip, a home run, a double and three RBIs. Starters Walker Ramsey and Jake Carr too both pitched well on the weekend for Utah Valley, as they each gave the Wolverines a chance to win. Ramsey went 7.0 innings in Sunday's finale and allowed just two earned runs while striking out five while Carr gave up four runs while fanning three in 6.0 innings.
 
On the season, Marco leads the Wolverines offensively with a .347 average, five home runs, 22 RBIs and 10 doubles. Ryan Eastburn follows with a .324 clip and Michael Beltran is next with a .317 average, nine extra-base hits and a team-high 19 runs scored. Paxton Schultz fronts the Wolverines pitching staff with a 1-3 record, a 4.47 ERA and 43 strikeouts. 
 
Carr is scheduled to pitch game one on Friday, Schultz in game two on Saturday and Ramsey in Sunday's finale. Starters for Monday and Tuesday's games at Air Force are yet-to-be-announced. 
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Northern Colorado, who is a WAC baseball affiliate, is 6-18 on the season and off to a 2-4 start in WAC play. The Bears snapped a five-game skid with a 5-4 midweek victory over Air Force in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon in Greeley. In conference play, UNC won two of three over Chicago State at home before getting swept at UT Rio Grande Valley last weekend. The Bears were picked to finish eighth in the WAC this season after going 29-24 a season ago and 11-13 in league play. 
 
Jake Gitter leads UNC offensively on the season with a .354 average and 10 extra-base hits, while Jack Pauley is next with a .312 clip and 15 RBIs. Friday's probable starter Issac Bracken leads Northern Colorado from the mound with a 1-2 record, 5.28 ERA and 25 strikeouts. 
 
Friday's opener will mark the 56th all-time meeting between UVU and UNC, as Utah Valley has faced Northern Colorado more than any other opponent at the NCAA Division I level. UVU will enter play holding to a 36-19 all-time advantage after taking two of three in Orem last season. The Wolverines also hold a 15-12 series advantage in Greeley as well as a 21-10 lead in conference contests. 
 
Air Force will enter the weekend with a 12-13 overall record and a 4-3 mark in Mountain West play. Despite falling to UNC on Tuesday, the Falcons previously took two of three from Nevada last weekend in Reno. AFA has won three of its last five games after previously having dropped six straight. Air Force will first host UNLV for a three-game conference series this weekend before hosting UVU on Monday and Tuesday. The Falcons were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West this season after going 24-30 overall and 12-17 in league play last year. 
 
Alexander Pup leads AFA at the plate on the year with a .307 average, while Ashton Easley is hitting .306 and Nic Ready is batting .305 with three home runs and a team-best 17 RBIs. Matt Hargreaves paces Air Force on the mound with a 2-0 record and a 1.26 ERA.
 
Monday's opener will mark the 17th all-time meeting between UVU and AFA, as the two are currently tied at eight wins apiece. A season ago, the Wolverines and Falcons split a pair of midweek games in early April in Orem. UVU also holds a 2-1 all-time advantage in Colorado Springs. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following the trip, the Wolverines will return home to host WAC foe Chicago State at UCCU Ballpark next weekend (April 12-14). The series will open on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m.