OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University baseball will look to lock up a spot to next week's WAC Baseball Tournament in a crucial final four-game league series of the 2021 regular season this weekend at Seattle University. 
 
The final four-game WAC series for both teams will be played Thursday to Saturday, May 20-22, at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue, Wash. The series will get underway on Thursday at 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT and will continue with a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT. The two teams will then conclude the decisive series on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT. 
 
All four games of this weekend's WAC series at SU will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network. Live stats will also be available throughout the weekend by visiting SeattleStats.com.
 
UVU, SU and Northern Colorado will all enter the weekend battling for the final two spots for next week's WAC Tournament, as all three teams will enter tied in the win column with seven conference victories apiece. UVU will go head-to-head against Seattle, while Northern Colorado will play a four-game series at Dixie State. One of the three teams will be left out of the WAC Tournament, as the top six postseason eligible schools will make the WAC Tournament (California Baptist, Dixie State and Tarleton are all currently ineligible for postseason play). The 2021 WAC Baseball Tournament will take place May 26-30 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz. To view the current WAC standings, visit WACSports.com.
 
The Wolverines will enter their final series of the regular season with a 9-42 overall record and a 7-25 league record. UVU played four non-conference games last week and dropped all four, as in-state foe Utah came from behind to top Utah Valley, 10-9, last Wednesday and then UVU got swept in a three-game non-conference series at New Mexico. The Mountain West Lobos claimed the three games by scores of 9-4, 16-2 and 14-6 in Albuquerque. Prior to last week's action, UVU split its final home series against conference foe New Mexico State on May 7-9 at UCCU Ballpark. 
 
Jake Plecas homered for the fourth time in UVU's last five games in Friday's opener at New Mexico. He also had a five-RBI game during the stretch, as he belted out a three-run home run last week against Utah as well as a two-run single. Plecas hit .385 during the five-game stretch (5-for-12) with 12 RBIs, four home runs, three walks and four runs scored. Senior Kade Poulsen has also been hot for UVU as of late, as he had a team-best 12-game hitting streak come to a close at New Mexico last weekend. During Poulsen's 12-game hitting streak that spanned from April 25 to May 14, he hit .375 (18-for-48) with five multiple-hit games, five extra-base hits, nine runs scored and three RBIs. 
 
During the UNM series, Mick Madsen led UVU by batting .385 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Senior Alexander Marco was next by hitting .300 with a double and a run scored, while Pacen Hayes and Trey Newman batted .500 and .333, respectively, in limited at-bats in the series. On the mound, Blake Zeleny and Dawson Day led the Wolverines by each tossing scoreless relief outings, while Dylan Cook also had a strong appearance by surrendering just one run over 2.1 innings of work. 
 
Poulsen leads UVU on the season with a .281 batting average, 25 runs scored, and is also tied for the team-lead in RBIs with 24. He also has 13 extra-base hits. Madsen is next with a .279 average, while Mitch Moralez follows with a .270 clip. Marco is hitting .264 and tops the team in doubles with 22, home runs with nine, and is tied for the team-lead in RBIs with 24. Marco's 22 doubles are also good enough to lead the WAC and rank him second in the nation in that category, while his nine home runs are good enough to tie for the second most in the WAC.
 
Sophomore right-hander Mason Gray tops the UVU starting rotation with a 3-6 record and 58 strikeouts in 59.1 innings of work. Fellow right-handed starter Nick Sims leads the way in ERA with a 5.03 clip and is also limiting opponents to just a .286 batting average. The left-handed reliever Cook tops the Wolverines in ERA with a 3.97 while RHP Spenser Triplett holds a team-best four saves and 19 appearances. 
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS FOR THIS WEEKEND'S SERIES
Utah Valley will go with Preseason All-WAC selection and senior right-hander Jesse Schmit (1-8, 9.85 ERA) on the mound in Thursday's opener. The Wolverines will then start fellow righties Mason Gray (3-6, 5.76 ERA) and Bobby Voortmeyer (2-7, 6.06 ERA) on Friday, while Saturday's starter is currently listed as to-be-announced. Seattle has yet to announce its starting rotation for this weekend's series. 
 
ABOUT SEATTLE U
The Redhawks will enter the final series of the season with a 13-30 overall record and a 7-21 WAC clip. Seattle U has currently dropped 14 straight ballgames, as its last win came on April 17 over No. 24 Sacramento State. During the stretch, SU has fallen to Sac State, UT Rio Grande Valley, California Baptist, Washington State and Dixie State. On the season, Seattle holds WAC series victories over Sacramento State and New Mexico State on the season as well as a league victory over Tarleton. The Redhawks were picked to finish sixth in the WAC this season after going 7-9 last year, and 13-39 overall in 2019 and tied for eighth in the WAC that season with an 8-19 league record. 
 
Gavin Rork leads Seattle on the season with a .284 batting average, 18 stolen bases and 22 walks. His 18 stolen bases are good enough to also lead the WAC. Julian Kodama is next with a .269 clip, while Justin Mazzone leads the way in the power numbers with seven homers, 12 doubles and 26 RBIs. Alex Jemal fronts the SU starting pitching staff with a with a 2-7 record, a 4.09 ERA and 61.2 innings pitched. Lucas Ford is the team's top reliever with a 1-1 record, a 3.14 ERA and five saves. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY VS. SEATTLE U
Thursday's opener will mark the 29th all-time meeting between UVU and SU. The Redhawks currently hold a slight 15-13 series advantage, but the series is tied at 7-7 with games played in Seattle. UVU also took the last series, two games to one, in 2019 at Bannerwood Park.
 
LET'S TURN TWO
With 44 double plays turned on the season, the UVU defense is currently tied for seventh in the nation in that category. Utah Valley also ranks 23rd nationally in double plays turned with a per game average of 0.86 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 UTAH VALLEY
If UVU qualifies for the WAC Tournament, the 2021 WAC Baseball Tournament will be on tap for the Wolverines. The tournament will run May 26-30 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., and the winner will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAAs. UVU previously won the 2016 WAC Tournament to advance to the program's inaugural NCAA Regional appearance at the Baton Rouge Regional at LSU that season.