OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team will step out of conference play this weekend to take on the New Mexico Lobos in Albuquerque Friday to Sunday in a three-game series.
 
UVU's final non-conference series of the season will be contested at UNM's Santa Ana Star Field and will begin on Friday at 6 p.m. MT. The weekend set will then continue on Saturday at 6 p.m. and will conclude on Sunday at noon. 
 
All three games will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and live stats will also be available by visiting GoLobos.com. 
 
The Wolverines will enter the weekend with a 9-39 overall record and a 7-25 WAC clip after splitting a four-game league series against New Mexico State in UVU's final home series of the 2021 season last weekend. Following the series split against the Aggies, Utah Valley then dropped a midweek slugfest to in-state foe Utah on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City by a score of 10-9. 
 
UVU opened up an early 6-1 lead on Wednesday against the Utes thanks in large part to five quick RBIs from sophomore outfielder Jake Plecas. Plecas first started the scoring with his third home run in UVU's last four games with a second-inning three-run bomb to left center. He then followed it up with a two-run single in the third and Mick Madsen added an RBI single to give the Wolverines the early 6-1 advantage. The Utes chipped away at the deficit from there, as they added a run in the bottom of the third and four more in the fourth to tie the contest at 6-6. Madsen and Tavyn Lords then combined to drive in three more runs for UVU in the fifth thanks to back-to-back doubles to give the Wolverines a 9-6 lead. But back struck Utah with two in the last of the fifth, along with single runs in the sixth and seventh to take the late 10-9 advantage. The Utes would go on to hold the lead from there en route to earning the come-from-behind victory.
 
The Wolverines and Utes combined to slug-out 26 total hits and score 19 runs in the contest. Four Wolverines finished with multiple hits in the ballgame and Madsen led the way by going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, while Plecas went 2-for-4 with 5 RBIs and a run scored. Brandon Luna and Tavyn Lords also each added 2-for-4 outings for UVU. 
 
A total of six pitchers appeared in Wednesday's ballgame for UVU and Dylan Cook led the way by not allowing a hit or a run over the final inning and a third. The team's normal closer Spenser Triplett also pitched well by allowing just one run on two hits over 2.0 innings in his first start of the season.
 
Senior Kade Poulsen leads UVU on the season with .283 batting average and 25 runs scored. He is also second on the club in doubles (7), homers (4) and RBIs (21). Mitch Moralez is next, as he's batting .276 and has a team-best five stolen bases, while Madsen follows with a .269 clip. Alexander Marco, who is hitting .262, leads the team in homers with nine, doubles with 21 and RBIs with 24. His 21 doubles are also good enough lead the WAC and rank him second in the nation in that category, while he is also tied for second in the WAC with his nine home runs. Reliever Dylan Cook leads the Wolverine pitching staff in ERA on the season with a 3.98 average, while Nick Sims has the best ERA from UVU's starting rotation with a 4.93 clip. Mason Gray tops the team in wins with three and also strikeouts with 57 over 56.0 innings of work. 
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS
Senior right-hander Jesse Schmit (1-7, 9.54 ERA) will get the ball for UVU in Friday's series opener, and will face UNM righty Nathaniel Garley (0-4, 6.58 ERA). The righty Gray (3-5, 5.30 ERA) will then go for the Wolverines on Saturday and will face-off against UNM RHP Justin Armbruester (3-2, 3.97 ERA). Utah Valley second-year freshman RHP Sims (1-6, 4.93 ERA) will then pitch for UVU on Sunday and will face fellow right-hander Aaron Makil (0-2, 9.75 ERA). 
 
ABOUT NEW MEXICO
The Lobos will also enter the weekend with just nine wins on the season, as UNM holds a 9-23 overall record and currently sits in sixth place in the Mountain West standings with a 6-15 conference record. New Mexico has dropped eight straight games after getting swept by both Air Force and Fresno State and falling to both Texas Tech and Washington in non-league competition. UNM's last win came on April 25 in a 5-3 extra-inning win over the Washington Huskies. The Lobos were picked to tie for third in the Mountain West this season after going 14-4 last year and 23-28-1 overall and placing seventh in the MW standings with a 11-16-1 conference mark in 2019. 
 
Kyler Castillo leads UNM on the season with a .389 average, 11 doubles and 25 RBIs. He is also second on the club in homers with six. Mack Chambers is next with a .375 average, six homers, 11 doubles and 19 RBIs. Jack Silverman paces the Lobos in homers with seven. Reliever Cody Dye leads New Mexico with a 2.87 ERA, while Saturday's scheduled starter Armbruester is UNM's top starter with a 3-2 record, a 3.97 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 59.0 innings or work.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NEW MEXICO
Friday's opener will mark just the sixth all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Lobos on the diamond. UNM will enter holding to a 4-1 advantage and all five previous meetings have been played in Albuquerque. UVU's lone win came in the second-to-last meeting between the two clubs in a 12-8 victory in a midweek contest on May 5, 2014. 
 
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 19th nationally in double plays turned with a per game average of 0.88 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
Following the series, UVU will head to the Pacific Northwest for a big final WAC series of the season May 20-22 at Seattle U. Both Utah Valley and Seattle U are currently battling for a spot for the 2021 WAC Baseball Tournament that will be held May 26-30 in Mesa, Ariz. The crucial four-game WAC series will begin Thursday, May 20 at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue, Wash.