OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team will cap its 2021 home season by hosting WAC foe New Mexico State for four games at UCCU Ballpark this Friday to Sunday, May 7-9. 
 
Friday's opener has been moved up to a 12 p.m. start as UVU's graduation and commencement will be held on campus on Friday evening. The two teams will then play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. and the series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at noon. Saturday will also mark Senior Day for Utah Valley, as the Wolverines will honor their four seniors—outfielder Alexander Marco, infielder Kade Poulsen, right-handed pitcher Jesse Schmit and fellow RHP Spenser Triplett—in between games during Saturday's twin bill at approximately 4 p.m. 
 
In preparation for UVU's commencement on Friday evening, the UCCU Center Visitor Parking Lot will be closed for Friday's baseball game. Fans are encouraged to park just north of the Visitor Lot in Lot 3 (L3) on Friday. The usual sidewalk that fans use to get to UCCU Ballpark will also be closed on Friday so for spectators will have to walk around the east side of the UCCU Center and down the sidewalk that goes between the UCCU Center and the Liberal Arts/PE Building. Fans will then turn to the west when they reach the Science Building and go around NUVI Basketball Center and head to UCCU Ballpark that way. Please CLICK HERE to view the following map for more information. Parking and ballpark access will then return to normal on both Saturday and Sunday. 
 
All four contests will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network and will also live audio will also be available by visiting GoUVU.com. Live stats will also be available for all four games by visiting UVUStats.com.
 
UVU will enter Friday's opener with a 7-36 overall record and a 5-23 mark in WAC play with just two conference series remaining. The Wolverines last suffered a 11-4 non-conference setback to neighboring rival BYU in a UCCU Crosstown Clash at home on Tuesday. Prior to that, UVU got swept in a four-game league series to WAC newcomer and in-state foe Dixie State last weekend in St. George. Despite falling in all four contests to the Trailblazers in the Old Hammer Rivalry, UVU scored five runs in the final inning of each of the first two games of the series to force extra-innings each contest. Dixie State then ended up rallying in extras in both of them, however, to earn walk-off wins. 
 
On Tuesday against the Cougars, the Wolverines jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage thanks to a first-inning solo home run from the senior Poulsen. BYU then countered with four runs in the third and three more in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead. UVU then struck back with a trio of run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to RBIs from Marco, Pacen Hayes and Mick Madsen, but Brigham Young went on to answer with a run in the sixth and added three insurance runs in the ninth to put the game away.
 
The senior Poulsen led UVU at the plate against BYU by going 2-for-3 with a home run. In a staff day for the Wolverines, Blake Zeleny and Cole Yocum both tossed scoreless relief outings and Zeleny led the duo by not surrendering a hit or a run over two innings of action. 
 
On the season, Poulsen leads UVU with a .283 batting average and 22 runs scored. He also has 11 extra-base hits with four homers, six doubles and a triple, and is second on the squad in RBIs with 19. Mitch Moralez is next with a .265 clip and a team-best four stolen bases, while Marco follows with a .263 average and team-best tallies of 19 doubles, seven homers and 20 RBIs. Marco's 19 two-baggers are good enough to lead the WAC and rank him second nationally in that category. Second-year freshman righty Nick Sims leads the Utah Valley staff in ERA with a 5.04 clip, while Mason Gray has two wins and tops the team in strikeouts with 51 in 49.0 innings of work. 
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS
The Preseason All-WAC selection and senior right-hander Schmit (1-6, 9.69 ERA) is scheduled to get the ball in his final start at UCCU Ballpark on Friday and will face NM State RHP Rorik Maltrud (2-3, 4.01 ERA). On Saturday, UVU righties Mason Gray (2-5, 5.69) and Bobby Voortmeyer (2-6, 5.48) will start for the Wolverines and will face NMSU righty Chris Jefferson (5-5, 4.30 ERA) and southpaw Sammy Natera (1-2, 6.06 ERA). UVU freshman righty Nick Sims (1-6, 5.04 ERA) will then start for the Wolverines on Sunday and will face NM State RHP Cam Blazek (3-1, 5.23 ERA). 
 
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE
The Aggies will come to Orem with a 17-25 overall record and a .500 WAC record at 14-14 to currently sit in sixth in the league standings. NM State has won six of its last seven ballgames which includes taking three of four from UTRGV at home last weekend and splitting a four-game series at Tarleton the previous weekend. NMSU has also taken WAC series over Dixie State and Northern Colorado this season. The Aggies were picked to finish fourth in the WAC this season after going 12-4 a season ago and going 38-17 overall and winning the WAC title two years ago with a 19-8 league clip. 
 
Zerek Saenz leads the Aggies and the WAC offensively with a .391 bating average. He also is tied atop the team lead in runs scored with 40 and has nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs. Tommy Tabak is next with a .358 average, while Kevin Jimenez follows with a .328 clip, 13 extra-base hits and 30 RBIs. Brandon Dieter tops the club in the power numbers with eight homers, 12 doubles and 41 RBIs. Maltrud has NMSU's best ERA from the starting staff at 4.01 while Jefferson has six complete games on the year to pace the team and the WAC and also leads the Aggies in strikeouts with 51 Ks in 60.2 innings.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NM STATE
Friday's opener will mark the 25th all-time meeting between UVU and NMSU. New Mexico State will enter the weekend with a 14-10 series advantage and having won nine of the last 10 meetings. Utah Valley's last win against NM State came on April 19, 2019 in Orem in a 10-9 victory. The Aggies did go on to take the WAC series that season, however, two games to one. 
 
2021 WAC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
With the top six postseason eligible teams advancing to this season's WAC Baseball Tournament, this weekend's series will be a big one for the Wolverines as they currently find themselves out of the WAC Tournament with eight league games left. With four games at home this weekend against NM State (14-14 WAC) and four to close the regular season at Seattle U (7-17) on May 20-22, UVU will need to win its way into the tournament. The 2021 WAC Baseball Tournament will be held May 26-30 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., and California Baptist, Dixie State and Tarleton are all currently in the transition phase from NCAA Division II to Division I Athletics and currently ineligible for postseason events. To view the WAC standings, click HERE.
 
LET'S TURN TWO
With 40 double plays turned on the season, the UVU defense is currently ranked 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.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following the series, the Wolverines will head to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 12 for their final in-state game of the season as they'll face Utah at Smith's Ballpark. UVU will then head to Albuquerque next weekend to face the New Mexico Lobos in a three-game series May 14-16.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Fans will be allowed to attend this weekend's series 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 weekend, 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.