OREM, Utah – After spending the past two weeks on the road, the Utah Valley University baseball team returns to Orem this weekend for its final home WAC series of the season when it welcomes first-place Sacramento State to town. 
 
The three-day league series will run Friday to Sunday, May 10-12, at UCCU Ballpark. Friday's opener is set for a 6 p.m. start, while Saturday will begin at 2 p.m. and first pitch on Sunday is scheduled for noon. All three games will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network and live audio as well as live stats will also be available by visiting GoUVU.com.
 
Saturday's contest will mark Senior Day for Utah Valley, as the Wolverines will honor nine departing seniors prior to Saturday's matinee. The following individuals will be honored prior to Saturday's game: Michael Beltran (CF), Jake Carr (RHP), Ryan Eastburn (DH/LF), Paul Estrada (3B), Kody Hall (2B), Kohl Hostert (RHP), Trevor Howell (SS), Fabian Palacios (RHP) and Walker Ramsey (RHP). 
 
UVU will enter the series with an 11-35 overall record and currently fighting to make the WAC Baseball Tournament, as it sits in a three-way tie for sixth in the conference standings with a 7-14 league clip. The top six teams other than California Baptist – who is currently transitioning from Division II to Division I and ineligible for postseason play – will qualify for the WAC Tournament. To view the current tightly-contested standings, visit WACSports.com. 
 
The Wolverines will also look to snap a five-game skid on Friday after dropping the final two games at CSU Bakersfield and then getting swept at new WAC foe California Baptist last weekend. 
 
In last weekend's series at CBU, the Lancers took the contests by scores of 9-2, 2-0 and 10-0. In the opener, a seventh-inning grand slam by CBU's Ryan Mota was the difference as the Lancers went on to claim 9-2 victory. UVU then had its best chance to win on Saturday as Paxton Schultz struck out 10 and allowed just two runs on five hits over 7.0 solid inning of work, but the Wolverines found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-0 pitcher's duel. The Lancers would then go on to sweep the series behind a 10-0 run-rule shutout on Sunday.
 
The senior second baseman Hall led the Wolverines offensively in the series by hitting an even .400 with a pair of walks while the senior shortstop Howell recorded two hits and drove in two runs. Junior right-hander Schultz led UVU on the mound by recorded double digits in strikeouts in his start for the second time on the season and surrendered just two runs over 7.0 innings.  
 
Prior to the five-game skid, Utah Valley had won three of four games with wins over New Mexico State, in-state and Pac-12 foe Utah, and CSU Bakersfield.
 
The senior outfielder Beltran leads the Wolverines offensively on the year with a .328 average, 36 runs scored and 28 walks. Fellow senior outfielder Eastburn is next with a .321 clip and a team-high .446 on-base percentage, while junior outfielder Alexander Marco follows with a .314 average and team-leading tallies of 12 doubles, six homers and 35 RBIs. Schultz leads the UVU pitching staff with a 4.37 ERA and 74 strikeouts. His 74 strikeouts are good enough to rank him third in the WAC. 
 
Senior right-handers Carr and Ramsey are scheduled to start on the mound on Friday and Sunday, respectively, while Schultz will get the ball for the Wolverines on Saturday. 
 
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
Sacramento State just notched its eighth consecutive 30-win season on Tuesday with a win over Nevada and is currently 30-18 on the year and in a three-way tie for first in the WAC standings with a 15-6 conference clip. The WAC baseball affiliate Hornets have won three straight games after taking the final two games at Northern Colorado last weekend followed by a 4-3 midweek victory over Nevada. Sac State holds WAC series victories on the year over UT Rio Grande Valley, California Baptist, Seattle U and Northern Colorado as well as sweeps over CSU Bakersfield and Chicago State. The Hornets were picked to finish third in the WAC this season after going 35-25 and tying for second in league play in 2018 with a 17-7 clip. 
 
Reigning All-WAC Second Team honoree Matt Smith leads the Hornets offensively with a .319 average and 35 runs scored, while Dawsen Bacho follows with a .286 clip, 16 extra-base hits and 37 RBIs. Right-hander Scott Randall anchors the Sac State pitching staff with a 6-1 record and a 2.52 ERA. Randall is slated to pitch the series opener on Friday. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SAC STATE
Friday's series opener will mark the 42nd all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Hornets. Sac State will enter play holding to a 25-16 all-time advantage after having won five of the last six meetings and sweeping the series in Sacramento last May. UVU does hold a 5-4 advantage with games played at UCCU Ballpark in Orem, however.
 
ON DECK FOR UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines will conclude a four-game homestand by hosting Pac-12 foe Washington State in UVU's 2019 home finale on Tuesday, May 14 at 6 p.m. at UCCU Ballpark. Following the ballgame, the Wolverines will then close their regular season with three games at fellow first-place UT Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas, on May 16-18.