OREM, Utah – Having won four of its last six ballgames, the Utah Valley University baseball team will continue Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at defending WAC Tournament champion Grand Canyon University this weekend in Phoenix.
 
The three-game set will open on Friday night with a 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT start. The two teams will play again on Saturday evening at the same time (7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT), before closing the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available by visiting GCUStats.com.
 
Despite dropping two of three to the two-time defending regular-season WAC champion California Baptist Lancers in the home-opening series at UCCU Ballpark last weekend, the Wolverines (6-10, 2-4 WAC) have won four of their last six contests. UVU started the stretch by winning the finale at in-state foe Dixie State on Sunday, March 6 and followed that up by sweeping a two-game midweek series at Mountain West foe UNLV the following two days. The Wolverines then took one of three from CBU in their home-opening series last weekend. UVU dropped the opener, 6-0, but responded to earn a 6-4 come-from-behind win in the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader. The Lancers then claimed the series with a 17-1 victory on Sunday.
 
In UVU's 6-4 win over CBU, the Wolverines got strong relief pitching down the stretch and timely hitting en route to recording the victory. With the game all tied up at 4-4 in the eighth, Trey Cutchen started things off with a one-out double. A couple of batters later, Brody Ponti then drove home what proved to be the winning run with an RBI ground-rule double to deep left center to give the Wolverines a 5-4 lead. Kayler Yates then followed with an RBI single to left to bring home Paul Vossen and extend UVU's lead to 6-4. 
 
The combo of Bobby Voortmeyer, Nick Sims and Josh Brown pitched great down the stretch in the ballgame to help UVU earn the win. Voortmeyer was key in middle relief as he allowed just one run on three hits over 2.0 innings. Sims then followed with just one run on two hits over 2.0 innings on his way to picking up his second win of the season, while Brown retired the Lancers in order in the ninth to earn his second save.
 
During the six-game stretch, Mitch Moralez had led the team at the plate by hitting .423 with a pair of doubles, two stolen bases, four runs scored, and an RBI. Cole Jordan is next with an even. 400 batting average and a pair of extra-base knocks during the spurt, while Cutchen followed with a .389 average, two extra-base hits, and six runs scored. On the mound, Brown, Hunter Tueller, Blake Zeleny, and Yates all tossed scoreless outings in relief, and Nick Sims went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and Coop Rust followed with a 1-0 clip and a 3.18 ERA. 
 
RED HOT AT THE PLATE
The senior outfielder Moralez will enter this weekend's series with an 11-game hitting streak and a 16-game reached base safely streak. He also leads the team with a .419 season batting average and eight multiple-hit games. Moralez also enters the week ranked 24th in the nation in hits with 26 base knocks on the young season. Cutchen also will bring a 13-game reached base safely streak to Phoenix and had a team-best 12-game hitting streak come to a close last weekend against CBU.
 
SEASON LEADERS
Moralez leads UVU on the season and ranks in the top 10 in the WAC in batting with a .419 average (26-for-62). He also leads the team in both slugging (.548) and on-base percentage (.463), as well as doubles with five and is tied for the team lead in runs scored with nine. Cutchen is next with a .328 clip and is tied for the team lead in runs scored with nine and second in doubles with four. Jordan and Yates follow with .294 and .271 respective batting averages, while Brody Ponti leads the team in RBIs with nine. Coop Rust leads UVU's starting rotation with a 1-1 record and a 2.57 ERA, while Mason Gray is 0-1 with a 6.06 ERA and a team-best 12 strikeouts over 16.1 innings. Brown and Sims are tied for the team lead in saves with two apiece and Brown is yet to surrender a run on the season through 6.0 innings of work.
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS
The Wolverines will go with freshman right-hander Alex Karns (0-0, 4.50 ERA) in his first collegiate start on Friday night and he will face GCU righty Nick Hull (0-1, 3.68  ERA) On Saturday, UVU RHP Rust (1-1, 2.57 ERA) will get the ball for the Wolverines in game two for the second straight week and will face GCU RHP Daniel Avitia (1-2, 2.00 ERA) On Sunday, junior RHP Gray (0-1, 6.06 ERA) will take the bump for Utah Valley and will face GCU southpaw Connor Markl (3-1, 3.86 ERA).
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
The Lopes will enter the series with a 10-8 overall record and a 3-0 start to WAC play after sweeping the conference-opening series at California Baptist March 4-6. Since then, GCU has played seven straight non-conference games and capped the stretch by splitting a pair of midweek games at fifth-ranked Oregon State on Tuesday and Wednesday in Corvallis. Grand Canyon also holds wins on the year over No. 11 Arizona, Nevada, UC Irvine, CSUN and San Diego. The Lopes are the defending WAC Tournament champions and played in the Tucson Regional last season. GCU went 39-21-1 overall last year and earned a share of the WAC regular-season title with a 29-7 clip. The Lopes were picked to win the West Division of the WAC this season.
 
Preseason All-WAC honoree Jacob Wilson leads the Lopes on the season with a .364 batting average, five home runs, nine doubles, and 23 RBIs. Fellow preseason all-conference selections Juan Colato and Elijah Buries are next with respective tallies of .357 and .347 batting averages, six and five doubles, and 18 and 11 RBIs. Daniel Avitia paces GCU's pitching staff with a 2.00 ERA, 1-2 win-loss record and allowing just four earned runs in 18.0 innings pitched. Connor Markl leads the way in wins with a 3-1 record, while Markl and Nick Hull are tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 23. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Friday's series opener will mark the 23rd all-time meeting between UVU and GCU. The Lopes will enter play holding to a 16-6 all-time advantage. UVU took one of three from the Lopes at UCCU Ballpark last year but prior to that, GCU had won nine straight contests over the Wolverines. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following this weekend's series, UVU will return home for a UCCU Crosstown Clash against neighboring rival BYU on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:05 p.m. The contest will mark the first of two season meetings between the neighboring foes as they will again meet up on April 26 at Larry H. Miller Field in Provo. Next weekend, UVU will return to the road for a four-game non-conference series at former WAC foe CSU Bakersfield.