OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team begins its post-Eric Madsen era this weekend in St. George as it will renew its rivalry with former Junior College foe Dixie State in the inaugural Old Hammer Rivalry series.
 
The four-game WAC series will run Friday to Sunday, April 30 to May 2, at Dixie State's Bruce Hurst Field in St. George. Friday's opener will take place at 6 p.m. followed by a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The weekend set will then close on Sunday at noon. 
 
All four games will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network and live audio will also be available for each game of the series on GoUVU.com. Live stats can also be followed by visiting DixieStateAthletics.com.
 
Madsen, who spent 18 years with UVU baseball and the last 13 seasons as the program's head coach, recently announced his resignation after compiling a 309-363 career record, a pair of 40-win seasons, and leading the program to its first NCAA Regional appearance in 2016. The Wolverines will now be led by longtime associate head coach David Carter, who was named the team's interim head coach on Tuesday. 
 
UVU will enter this weekend's series against the in-state Trailblazers with a 7-31 overall record and a 5-19 WAC clip after getting swept at first-place California Baptist last weekend in Riverside. The Lancers claimed the four contests by scores of 10-0, 7-3, 11-7 and 6-2 to sweep the weekend set. 
 
Trailing the second game of Saturday's doubleheader by a score of 8-0, Trey Newman helped jumpstart the Wolverine offense with a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 8-2. UVU later added four more runs in the sixth to pull with three at 9-6, but CBU responded with a pair of late runs to seal the victory. UVU then got a sixth-inning two-run home run from Alexander Marco in Sunday's finale, but the Lancers had a strong pitching performance from starter Matt Amrhein en route to recording the series sweep. 
 
Mitch Moralez and Alexander Marco led the Wolverines offensively at CBU by batting .273 and .272, respectively. The junior second baseman Moralez also added a pair of RBIs and two walks, while the senior outfielder Marco tallied a trio of extra-base hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Despite being tagged with losses, Nick Sims and Mason Gray led UVU's starting rotation on the weekend as Sims allowed just two earned runs and struck out six over 4.2 innings, while Gray too struck out six and surrendered four runs in five innings of work. 
 
Marco leads UVU on the season with a .268 average, 17 doubles, six home runs and is second on the team with 17 RBIs. His 17 doubles also lead the WAC and currently rank him tied for second nationally in that category. Moralez is next with a .264 clip and also had five extra-base hits, 15 runs scored, 13 RBIs and four stolen bases. Senior first baseman Kade Poulsen follows with a .246 average, seven extra-base knocks, and he leads the squad in both runs scored with 16 and RBIs with 18. Sophomore right-hander Gray is one of UVU's top starting pitchers with a 2-5 record, a 5.24 ERA and team-best 51 strikeouts in 46.1 innings of work.
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS FOR THIS WEEKEND
Senior right-hander and Preseason All-WAC honoree Jesse Schmit (1-6, 10.12 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday's opener for the Wolverines and will face DSU righty Dillon Holliday (3-1, 3.21 ERA). UVU is slated to start fellow right-handers Gray (2-5, 5.24 ERA) in Saturday's first game followed by Bobby Voortmeyer (2-5, 5.15 ERA) in the nightcap, while Dixie State will go with RHP Jimmy Borzone (2-4, 6.36 ERA) in the first game of the twin bill and RHP Brett Porthan (0-0, 7.27 ERA) in the second contest of the day. Both UVU and DSU have yet to announce a starting pitcher for Sunday's finale. 
 
LET'S TURN TWO
With 38 double plays turned on the season, the UVU defense is currently ranked third in the nation in that category. Utah Valley also ranks eighth nationally in double plays turned with a per game average of 0.95 per contest. The Wolverines turned an impressive tally of seven double plays in the four-game series against Tarleton two weeks ago, including a season-high four in the series finale that Sunday.
 
ABOUT DIXIE STATE
Dixie State, who is in its first year of competition at the NCAA Division I level as well as in the WAC, will enter the series with an 11-26 overall record and currently in sixth in the WAC standings with a 9-11 conference clip. The Trailblazers recently split a four-game series with the WAC-leading CBU Lancers at home before falling in a midweek contest to BYU and getting swept in a three-game non-conference series at San Diego State last week. After going 35-19 overall and 23-13 in the RMAC in 2019 as well as 15-3 in 2020, the Trailblazers were picked to finish eighth in the WAC this season. Dixie State also holds wins over WAC foes Tarleton (three), UT Rio Grande Valley (two), Sacramento State (one) and New Mexico State (one) as well as wins over in-state foes BYU and Utah on the year. 
 
Kaden Hollow fronts Dixie State with a .333 batting average, seven homers and 28 RBIs. He is also second on the club with nine doubles and 23 runs scored. Lane Pritchard is next with a .325 clip, while Jake Engel is hitting an even .300 and leads the way in doubles with 11 and runs scored with 25. He is also tied in homers with seven. Friday's scheduled starter Holliday leads DSU's pitching staff with a 3-1 record and a 3.21 ERA. Borzone, who tossed a seven-inning complete-game no-hitter earlier on season against Tarleton, leads the team in strikeouts with 51 in 46.2 innings.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. DIXIE STATE
Friday's opener will mark the ninth all-time meeting between UVU and DSU since the Wolverines have been at the NCAA Division I level. The series is currently tied at 4-4 but the two teams haven't met since 2008. Dixie State does hold a 2-0 advantage, however, with games played at Bruce Hurst Field with both being 7-6 Trailblazer victories in 2008. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The weekend's series will cap an eight-game road trip for UVU. The Wolverines will then return to Orem for its final homestand of the season beginning with a UCCU Crosstown Clash against BYU on Tuesday, May 4 at UCCU Ballpark. UVU will then welcome NM State to town next weekend for its final home series of the year.