OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team will open its final homestand of the 2021 season by welcoming neighboring rival BYU to town for a UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday evening at UCCU Ballpark.
 
The midweek non-conference contest will begin at 6 p.m. at UVU's dōTERRA Field. The game will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network and live audio will also be available with Jordan Bianucci and Ryan Pickens on the call by visiting GoUVU.com. Live stats can also be followed by visiting UVUStats.com.
 
The contest will mark the second and final season meeting between the Wolverines and Cougars in 2021. BYU previously defeated UVU, 11-7, at Miller Park in Provo on March 23.
 
UVU will enter Tuesday's ballgame with a 7-35 overall record and a 5-23 Western Athletic Conference clip. Despite battling back and forcing extra innings in two of the four contests this past weekend, Utah Valley got swept in a four-game WAC series at fellow in-state foe Dixie State in St. George. UVU dropped the four games by scores of 9-8, 10-9, 4-2 and 11-0. The series marked the first series with interim head coach David Carter at the helm of UVU baseball after longtime head coach Eric Madsen announced his resignation last week.
 
Trailing Friday's opener 8-3 entering the ninth inning, UVU rallied for five runs, which included a clutch game-tying two-run home run from Alexander Marco to deadlock the score and send it to the 10th. After UVU was held scoreless in the top of the 10th, the Trailblazers then walked-off in the bottom of the frame on a suicide squeeze. Again, down by five in the seventh of a seven-inning game on Saturday, the Wolverines rallied to score five times to tie the contest at 9-9 and again force extras. Garrett Broussard had the big hit with a three-run home run and Drew Sims drove in Kade Poulsen with a two-out RBI double to tie it. DSU again responded, however, to walk-off once again in the last of the eighth this time on a sacrifice fly. 
 
Despite dropping the four ballgames, the UVU defense managed to turn a rare F75 triple play during the sixth inning of Sunday's finale. With Dixie State having the bases loaded and nobody out, DSU's Shane Taylor lifted a ball to deep left that Andrew Hacker was able to make the play for the first out. A run came in from third on a sacrifice fly, but Hacker fired the ball in to third and Mick Madsen was able to catch Matthew Ivancich in a run down and run him back to second to catch a pair of runners at second base, as DSU's Jayden Leavitt had also moved up from first to second on the play. The umpires then called the trail runner Leavitt out, and at the same time, the lead runner Ivancich stepped off the bag thinking he was out on the play and Madsen quickly applied the tag for the triple play.
 
Senior first baseman Kade Poulsen led UVU offensively in the Dixie State series by batting .533 with a pair of doubles and four runs scored, while sophomore third baseman Mick Madsen hit .467 with a homer, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored. Junior second baseman Mitch Moralez followed with .357 average, while Broussard, Marco and Brandon Luna also homered for UVU on the weekend.
 
On the season, Poulsen now tops the Wolverines with a .275 batting average and 20 runs scored. He also has six doubles, three homers and 18 RBIs. Moralez is next with a .272 average and leads the way with four stolen bases. Senior outfielder Alexander Marco is right behind him with a .264 clip and tops the squad with 18 doubles, seven homers and 19 RBIs. Marco's 18 doubles are good enough to tie him for the WAC lead and also rank him second in the nation in that category. From UVU's starting rotation, second-year freshman Nick Sims leads the way with a 5.04 ERA, while sophomore RHP Mason Gray is 2-5 with a team-best 51 strikeouts in 49.0 innings of work.
 
LET'S TURN TWO
With 39 double plays turned on the season, the UVU defense is currently tied for fourth in the nation in that category. Utah Valley also ranks 12th nationally in double plays turned with a per game average of 0.93 per contest. The Wolverines turned an impressive tally of seven double plays in the four-game series against Tarleton a couple of weeks ago, including a season-high four in the series finale on April 18.
 
STARTING PITCHERS FOR TUESDAY'S CONTEST
Second-year freshman right-hander Devin Smith will get the nod on the mound for UVU on Tuesday. Typically, a closer or end-of-game pitcher for Utah Valley, Smith will enter with a 0-2 record, 8.27 ERA and three saves. It will mark his first start of the season but his second career start as he also started a game against BYU last season in Provo. Brigham Young will go with left-hander Cy Nielson. Nielson is 2-2 on the season with a 7.09 ERA. 
 
ABOUT THE COUGARS
BYU will enter the contest with a 16-23 overall and record and currently in fifth place in the West Coast Conference with a 9-9 conference clip. The Cougars have won four straight, however, after topping No. 26 Arizona State at home last Tuesday followed by sweeping conference foe Saint Mary's in a three-game series at Miller Park over the weekend. Brigham Young was picked to finish fourth in the WCC this season after going 7-9 last season and the West Coast title in 2019 with a 36-17 overall record and a 19-8 league clip. 
 
Andrew Pintar leads BYU offensively with a .307 batting average, 28 runs scored, four stolen bases, and he also has 13 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Mitch McIntyre is next with a .288 clip, 14 extra-base knocks and a team-base 28 walks. Cole Gambill leads BYU with seven homers and 24 RBIs. On the mound, Reid McLaughlin tops the Cougars with a 1.23 ERA and six saves, while Easton Walker is next with a 2.35 ERA and a team-best 57 Ks in 57.1 innings. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. BYU
Tuesday's contest will mark the 41st all-time meeting on the diamond between the Wolverines and Cougars. BYU will enter play with a 31-9 series advantage and having won each of the last 10 meetings. The Cougars are also 14-5 all-time in Orem. UVU's last win came on May 3, 2016, a 7-6 11-inning contest, at BYU's Miller Park. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines will close their 2021 home season by welcoming WAC foe New Mexico State to UCCU Ballpark for a four-game league series this Friday to Sunday, May 7-9. The two teams will open the series with a noon first pitch on Friday afternoon. Senior Day will also be held during the series. 
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Fans will be allowed to attend Tuesday's ballgame and socially distanced reserved seats will be sold in pods of four for $5 per ticket ($20 total for the pod). General admission tickets will also be available for purchase in the grass berm for $5 per ticket. Concessions will be unavailable for purchase this week, but fans will be allowed to bring in outside drinks and/or snacks. To purchase reserved seats, please call 801-863-7468 or buy them at the gate. All grass berm tickets can be purchased online by clicking here.
 
Face coverings will be required, and fans must adhere to all state and local government guidelines.