OREM, Utah – Fresh off of a series split in its final home series against New Mexico State over the weekend, the Utah Valley University baseball team will head to Salt Lake City to face in-state foe Utah on Wednesday evening at Smith's Ballpark.
 
The non-conference midweek contest, which will mark UVU's final ballgame to be contested in the state of Utah in 2021, will begin at 6 p.m. at Smith's Ballpark. It will be streamed live on the Utah Live Stream on Pac-12.com and live audio will also be available with Jordan Bianucci on the call on GoUVU.com. Live Stats can also be followed on Wednesday by visiting UtahUtes.com.
 
The Wolverines will enter Wednesday's midweek ballgame with a 9-38 overall record and a 7-25 WAC record after splitting a four-game series against the defending WAC champion New Mexico State Aggies at home over the weekend. The Aggies took the first game, 6-3, before UVU responded to take the first game of Saturday's twin bill, 4-2, behind a complete-game gem from Mason Gray. NM State then claimed the nightcap, 10-7, but UVU responded to earn a come-from-behind 7-5 victory in Sunday's finale to split the series. 
 
In UVU's 4-2 victory, Gray tossed in first career complete-game in which he went the full 7.0 innings in the scheduled seven-inning contest and allowed just two runs while striking out six. He also retired the side in order in each of the sixth and seventh frames, which included a pair of strikeouts in the seventh. The Wolverine offense also belted out a trio of home runs in the contest with a two-run shot from Mitch Moralez and solo shots from both Alexander Marco and Jake Plecas. 
 
Then in Utah Valley's 7-5 come-from-behind win in Sunday's finale, the senior Marco delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh and Drew Sims and Plecas also drove in runs in the four-run seventh to give UVU a late 7-4 advantage. The Aggies later managed to push a run across in the eighth, but senior Spenser Triplett did what he needed to do to record a six-out save—his team-high fourth save of the season—to help the Wolverines hold on to the victory and split the series on senior weekend at UCCU Ballpark. On Saturday, seniors Marco, Kade Poulsen, Jesse Schmit and Triplett were all honored as part of UVU's Senior Day.
 
UVU belted out a total of seven home runs over the four-game series against NM State and Marco and Plecas led the way by each homering twice. Moralez, Mick Madsen and Kyle Coburn also homered for the Wolverines last weekend. 
 
Freshman Tavyn Lords led UVU in the NM State series by batting .667 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored, while Morlez hit .429 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs, and Madsen batted .333 with a double, a homer, three runs scored and an RBI. The senior Poulsen also had a big senior weekend by extending his current hitting streak to 10 games after hitting .313 in the series with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Gray led the UVU starting rotation with his complete-game victory, while Logan Petet and Blake Zeleny each tossed scoreless relief appearances, and Triplett earned the save on Sunday.
 
Poulsen leads UVU on the season with a .286 batting average and 24 runs scored. He is also second in RBIs (21), doubles (7) and homers (4). Moralez is next with a .278 average and a team-best five stolen bases, while Marco follows with a .263 clip and leads the team in RBIs (24), doubles (20) and homers (9). His 20 doubles are also good enough to lead the WAC and rank him second in the nation in that category. Marco is also tied for second in the conference with his nine home runs. Nick Sims leads UVU's starting staff with a 4.93 ERA, while Gray is tops on the team in wins with three and strikeouts with 57 in 56.0 innings of work. 
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS ON WEDNESDAY
Utah Valley will start the senior right-hander Triplett for the first time this season on the mound against Utah. It will mark Triplett's team-leading 18th appearance and he'll enter with a 1-3 record, a 6.36 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. Utah will go with right-hander David Watson (2-6, 5.70 ERA). 
 
ABOUT UTAH
The Utes will enter Wednesday with a 13-26 overall record and a 5-16 Pac-12 clip. Utah recently swept WAC foe Northern Colorado in a three-game non-conference series at Lindquist Field in Ogden over the weekend, but prior to that got swept at No. 10 Arizona. Utah holds its conference wins on the year over Arizona State, Washington State, No. 21 Oregon State, California and Stanford. It also holds non-conference wins over BYU (two), Cal State Fullerton, Dixie State and UVU after previously defeating the Wolverines at UCCU Ballpark, 14-1, on April 20. The Utes were picked to finish 11th in the Pac-12 this season after going 6-7 in 2020 and 16-33 overall and 6-24 in league play in 2019.
 
Matt Richardson leads the Utes offensively on the year with a .364 batting average and is second on the team in doubles (8), RBIs (23) and runs scored (25). Rykker Tom is next with a .357 clip, while Jayden Kiernan follows with a .324 clip. Christopher Rowan Jr. fronts the team in home runs with six while Shea Kramer leads the way in RBIs with 25. Watson is the team's top starting pitcher with a pair of wins and a 5.70 ERA while Justin Kelly leads the way in strikeouts with 49 in 59.2 innings of work.  
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UTAH
Tuesday's ballgame will mark the 56th all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Utes. Utah will enter play with a 32-24 all-time advantage and having won five of the last six meetings. The Utes also hold a 15-10 advantage with games played in Salt Lake City. UVU's last win in Salt Lake came on March 22, 2017 in a 9-7 victory at Smith's Ballpark. 
 
LET'S TURN TWO
With 42 double plays turned on the season, the UVU defense is currently tied for fourth in the nation in that category. Utah Valley also ranks 17th nationally in double plays turned with a per game average of 0.89 per contest. The Wolverines turned an impressive tally of seven double plays in the four-game series against Tarleton a few of weeks ago, including a season-high four in the series finale on April 18.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines will next hit the road for a three-game non-conference series at the New Mexico Lobos this weekend in Albuquerque. The series will run Friday to Sunday, May 14-16, at UNM's Santa Ana Star Field. Following the series, UVU will head to the Pacific Northwest for its final conference series of the season at Seattle U the following Thursday to Saturday in Bellevue, Wash.