OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team will again hit the road this weekend for a four-game series at the University of San Francisco. 
 
The non-conference series will run Friday to Sunday, Feb. 25-27, at USF's Benedetti Diamond in San Francisco. The opener will begin on Friday at 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT. The two teams will then play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. MT/10:30 a.m. PT and the series will conclude on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. MT/12:30 p.m. PT. 
 
All four games will be streamed live on the WCC Network (WCCSports.com/Watch), and live stats will be available for all four contests by visiting UVUStats.com.
 
UVU will enter the series with a 1-3 record after opening the 2022 season and the Coach Eddie Smith era by taking one of four at Texas State last weekend. The Bobcats claimed the first two games of the series by scores of 5-3 and 14-4 before the Wolverines responded by winning the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader by a score of 5-3. TXST then went on the win the series by taking Sunday's finale by a score of 14-2. 
 
In Saturday's victory, junior right-hander Mason Gray pitched well for the Wolverines by tossing 5.0 shutout innings in his first outing of the 2022 campaign. Gray surrendered just one hit and allowed only four baserunners to reach base off of him while striking out two. The UVU bullpen then came in and helped Utah Valley hold on to victory, as Andrew Hauck and Nick Sims combined all allow just three runs over the final four innings. The reliever Hauck earned the win in relief while Sims recorded his first collegiate save. 
 
Offensively in UVU's win at Texas State, Utah transfer Kayler Yates helped the Wolverines get off to a strong start by belting out his first home run in a UVU uniform give Utah Valley an early 1-0 lead. Tied 1-1 in the eighth, the Wolverines responded by putting up a four-spot on the board to take a 5-1 lead. Newcomer Cole Jordan drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single and Brandon Luna followed with a two-run single to extend UVU's advantage. Trey Cutchen then capped the scoring for the Wolverines with a two-out RBI single. 
 
Senior outfielder Mitch Moralez, who led the team in hitting a season ago, continued to swing a hot bat by leading the Wolverines with a .357 batting average on opening weekend by going 5-for-14 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Newcomer Paul Vossen was next by batting .273 with a triple, an RBI, two runs scored and three stolen bases, while Yates, Drew Sims and Brody Ponti were next by all hitting .250. Mick Madsen leads UVU on the young season in RBIs with three, while Yates leads the way in runs scored with three, and Vossen's three stolen bags top the team in that category. 
 
On the mound, Gray, Josh Brown, Alex Karns and Coop Rust all posted scoreless outings on the mound last weekend as they each hold a perfect 0.00 ERA on the young season. Senior Bobby Voortmeyer leads the way in innings pitched, as he went 5.1 innings in relief last Friday. Voortmeyer also tops the team in strikeouts with four. Hauck leads the way in wins with one (1-0). 
 
UVU was also scheduled to welcome in-state foe Utah to town for Utah Valley's 2022 home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 22, but the contest was postponed to April 27 due to snow. 
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS FOR THIS WEEKEND'S SERIES
For the second straight weekend, sophomore right-hander Devin Smith (0-0, 3.38 ERA) will get the start on the mound for UVU on Friday and will face USF righty Own Stevenson (0-0, 0.00 ERA). On Saturday, Northern Colorado transfer and RHP Coop Rust will get his first start in a UVU uniform as he'll get the ball in game one while fellow RHP Gray (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the ball in the nightcap. They will face lefty Weston Lombard (0-0, 2.08 ERA) and RHP Jesse Barron (1-0, 5.40 ERA), respectively, on Saturday. Left-hander Cole Yocum (0-1, 16.88 ERA) will start for UVU on Sunday and will face USF right-hander Sam Beck (0-1, 4.15 ERA). 
 
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO
The Dons will enter the series with a 2-2 record on the young season after taking one of three from No. 17 UC Santa Barbara at home last weekend and topping UC Davis on the road on Tuesday. After falling 5-2 in the season opener, USF responded by defeating the ranked Gauchos by a score of 6-3 in game two. San Francisco got home runs in the contest from Gabe Giosso and Jordan Vujovich as well as a strong pitching performance from starter Weston Lombard. USF was picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference this season after taking third in the WCC last year after going 25-28 overall and 16-11 in league play.  
 
Giosso leads the Dons at the plate on the young season with a .375 average and is tied for the team lead in RBIs with three. Mario DeMera is next with a .364 clip, while Luke Keaschall follows with a .308 average and a team-best three doubles. On the mound, Adam Shew and Barron are both 1-0, while Stevenson, Josh Mollerus, Kai Burdick, Matt McConnell, Riley Ornido and Kaleb Woltz all hold 0.00 ERAs after tossing scoreless performances over the first few days of 2022. Mollerus also leads the way in both strikeouts and appearances with seven strikeouts and three appearances. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Friday's opener will mark the seventh all-time meeting between UVU and USF, but the first weekend series played between the two teams. The Dons will enter play holding to a 4-2 all-time series advantage and having won two of the last three meetings, which includes a 4-1 win in the last contest in a midweek game on Feb. 28, 2017 in San Francisco. UVU's last win came the previous season—Feb. 24, 2016—in an 8-4 victory at USF on Feb. 24, 2016.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following this weekend's series, the Wolverines will head to St. George, Utah to open WAC play with a three-game series at in-state foe Dixie State March 4-6. Following next weekend's opening league series, UVU will then head to Las Vegas for a pair of midweek games at UNLV on March 7 and 8 and will then welcome California Baptist to town the UVU's home-opening series March 11-13 at UCCU Ballpark.