OREM, Utah – Fresh off of a five-game homestand, the Utah Valley University will hit the road for the first of two consecutive conference series away from home by heading to Riverside, California to face first-place California Baptist this Friday to Sunday, April 23-25. 
 
The four-game WAC series will take place at CBU's James Totman Stadium and will get underway on Friday at 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT. The two teams will then play a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT and the series will close on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT. All four games will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network and live stats will also be available by visiting CBULancers.com.
 
UVU will enter the series 7-27 overall record and a 5-15 league ledger. After taking one of four from Tarleton at home last weekend, the Wolverines then capped their homestand by suffering a 14-1 setback to in-state foe Utah at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday. 
 
Pacen Hayes led the Wolverines offensively against the Pac-12 Utes by going 2-for-4, while Kade Poulsen, Jeff Arens, Tavyn Lords and Andrew Hacker each added a hit apiece. The freshman Lords fronted the group by going 1-for-1 with a triple and two walks. In all, a season-high 25 different Wolverines appeared in Tuesday's ballgame, which included eight different pitchers.
 
After dropping the first three games to the Tarleton Texans last weekend, the UVU offense came alive in a series finale by banging out a season-high 15 hits and scoring eight runs en route to earning an 8-4 victory to salvage a game from the series last Sunday. A total of five Wolverines recorded multiple-hit outings in Sunday's finale led by three hits from both Mick Madsen and Trey Newman. Newman led the way by each going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a walk and three runs scored, while Madsen went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Garrett Broussard, Mitch Moralez and Ty Mead all added two-hits apiece on the day and Broussard fronted the group with a triple and two runs batted in.
 
UVU also got strong pitching performances from starter Mason Gray and reliever Dylan Cook en route to helping the Wolverines record the win last Sunday. The RHP Gray picked up the win to improve to 2-4 on the season after surrendering just three earned runs on five hits while striking out five over 5.0 innings of work. Cook then came on in the sixth and tossed a four scoreless innings of relief to earn his first career save. The southpaw reliever gave up just three hits while striking out one and walking just one.
 
Senior outfielder Alexander Marco, who had a two-homer game against Tarleton last weekend, leads UVU on the season with a .263 batting average, five home runs, and 15 doubles. He's also second on the club with 15 RBIs. His 15 doubles are good enough to lead the WAC and rank him in a tie for fourth in the nation in that category. Junior second baseman Moralez is next with a .263 average and also has five extra-base hits, 11 RBIs, and leads the team in runs scored with 15 and stolen bases with four. Senior first baseman Poulsen is right behind him with a .252 clip, three home runs, three doubles, 14 runs scored, and tops the team in RBIs with 17. Right-handers Bobby Voortmeyer and Mason Gray are currently UVU's top starting pitchers, as they are both 2-4 on the year and Voortmeyer will enter the series with a 4.32 ERA while Gray holds a 5.01 clip. Gray also leads the team in strikeouts with 45 Ks in 41.1 innings of work. Freshman RHP Carson Brown tops the UVU bullpen with a 2.53 ERA, while senior righty Spenser Triplett leads the way in saves with three.
 
LET'S TURN TWO
With 35 double plays turned on the season, the UVU defense is currently tied for second in the nation in that category. Utah Valley is also fifth nationally in double plays turned with a per game average of 1.03 per contest. The Wolverines turned an impressive tally of seven double plays in the four-game series against Tarleton, including a season-high four in the series finale on Sunday and then went on to turn three more double plays on Tuesday against Utah.
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS FOR THIS WEEKEND
Off of a solid outing last Friday against Tarleton, senior RHP and Preseason All-WAC selection Jesse Schmit (1-5, 8.39 ERA) will get the ball for the Wolverines on Friday and will face CBU lefty Chris Burica (5-3, 2.70 ERA). On Saturday, UVU will start a pair of righties in Nick Sims (1-4, 5.20 ERA) in the first game of the twin bill followed by Voortmeyer (2-4, 4.32 ERA) in the nightcap while RHP Bryan Pope (4-4, 4.53 ERA) and RHP Drew Necochea (2-0, 2.16 ERA) are scheduled to start for the Lancers. Gray (2-4, 4.32 ERA) will then get the ball for the Wolverines on Sunday and will face a yet-to-be-determined starter for CBU. 
 
ABOUT THE LANCERS
California Baptist will enter the weekend with a 21-11 overall record and currently atop the WAC standings with a 13-3 league record. CBU last split a four-game series at Dixie State last weekend in St. George, but prior to that had just one loss in league play after sweeping both Northern Colorado and Tarleton, and taking three of four from UT Rio Grande Valley. The Lancers also hold non-conference wins on the year over UC Davis (three), Pepperdine (two), Saint Mary's (one), California (one), and Cal State Fullerton (one). The Lancers, who earned a share of the WAC title in 2019 with a 19-8 conference record (35-20 overall that season), were picked to finish fifth in the WAC this year after going 7-8 in 2020.
 
Damon Keith leads CBU offensively on the season with a .358 batting average, eight home runs, eight doubles, 32 runs scored eight stolen bases and ranks third in RBIs with 20. His eight homers are good enough to tie him for the WAC lead. Connor Clift is next with a .310 average, while Preseason All-WAC honoree Chad Castillo holds a .306 clip, and John Glenn and Ulises Caballero are tied atop the squad in RBIs with 24. Necochea is CBU's top starting pitcher, as he holds a 2-0 record and 2.16 ERA. Friday's starter Burica is right behind him with a 5-3 record, a 2.70 ERA, two complete games, and a team-best 51 strikeouts in 63.1 innings pitched. Closer CJ Culpepper not only leads the Lancers but also the WAC with 10 saves. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. CBU
This weekend's series will mark just the second all-time series between the Wolverines and Lancers. CBU will enter the weekend with a 3-0 all-time advantage after sweeping the lone series in Riverside in 2019.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines will next return to the state of Utah to renew their rivalry with former Junior College foe Dixie State with four games in St. George next weekend (April 30-May 2). Following the series, UVU will return home to welcome neighboring rival BYU to town for a UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday, May 4 at UCCU Ballpark.