OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team will welcome neighboring rival BYU to town for a UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. at UCCU Ballpark.
 
The midweek non-conference contest will be the first of two season meetings between the Wolverines and Cougars. The two foes will again meet up on Tuesday, April 26 at Larry H. Miller Field in Provo. It will also mark the first of six home games against in-state foes on the season, as UVU will also host Utah twice and WAC foe Dixie State three times. 
 
Tuesday's contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live audio will be available by visiting GoUVU.com. Live stats can also be followed for the game by visiting UVUStats.com.
 
"Every game is a big game but any time you play a school that is just a few miles away there is always going to be added excitement. We are excited to get after it and compete Tuesday night," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said.
 
The Wolverines will enter Tuesday's game with a 6-13 overall record after getting swept in a three-game league series at the defending WAC Tournament champion and the first-place Grand Canyon Lopes over the weekend. GCU claimed the first two games of the series, 11-1 and 8-0, before the Wolverines nearly won the finale in a hard fought 4-3 ballgame on Sunday afternoon. Prior to last weekend's series at GCU, UVU had won four of its past six ballgames with a win over in-state foe Dixie State, a pair of wins over Mountain West foe UNLV, and a win over the two-time defending WAC champion California Baptist Lancers.
 
In Sunday's 4-3 setback at GCU, the Wolverines trailed 3-0 in the fifth before Mick Madsen belted out his first home run of the year to begin UVU's comeback attempt and make it 3-1. Grand Canyon later held a 4-1 advantage, but UVU again got a run in the seventh on an RBI single from Drew Sims and another in the eighth thanks to a pair of Lopes errors to make it a one-run game at 4-3. With runners on first and second and nobody out in the eighth, the Lopes bullpen then respond to retire the next three Wolverines in order and end the threat. UVU again got the tying run on base in the ninth, as Cole Jordan was hit by a pitch with two outs, but GCU managed to pitch out of it to hold on to pull out the victory.
 
Madsen led UVU in the contest by going 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored, while Mitch Moralez, Kyle Coburn, and Drew Sims also all added multiple-hit outings. The Wolverines also got a strong relief outing in the contest from Nick Sims, as the right-hander tossed 2.2 shutout innings of relief down the stretch in which he allowed just two hits off of him to help keep UVU within striking distance. 
 
In limited action, the sophomore infielder Coburn led UVU last week by batting .500, while Madsen and Drew Sims each hit .333. Both Madsen and Sims each drove in a run in the series and Madsen hit a home and led the way by scoring three runs. Nick Sims led the UVU pitching staff by tallying a perfect 0.00 ERA over 4.0 relief innings and two appearances last week in which he struck out a batter and didn't allow a free pass.
 
On the season, the senior outfielder Moralez leads UVU with a .384 batting average, .493 slugging, and a .423 on-base percentage. He also tops the team in doubles with five and extra-base hits with six and is second on the team in runs scored with nine. Trey Cutchen is next with a .288 average and a team-best 10 runs scored, while Jordan follows with a .279 average and Madsen is next with a .258 clip. Brody Ponti tops the team in RBIs with nine and is also tied for the team lead in stolen bases with four. On the mound, Coop Rust leads UVU's starting rotation with a 1-2 record, 2.75 ERA and a team-high 19.2 innings pitched. From the pen, Nick Sims leads the way with a 2-0 clip, two saves, and a 1.38 ERA. 
 
TUESDAY'S SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS
Junior transfer southpaw Cameron Scudder is scheduled to make his first start and appearance on the season for UVU on Tuesday and will face BYU right-hander Bryce Robison (3-0, 4.09 ERA). Tuesday will mark Robison's second start of the year for the Cougars.
 
ABOUT BRIGHAM YOUNG
BYU will come to Orem on Tuesday with a 10-7 overall record and a 1-2 start to West Coast Conference play after dropping two of three in its conference-opening series at Portland last weekend. The Cougars won Thursday's opener, 6-2, before dropping games two and three by scores of 11-1 and 3-1. Prior to that BYU defeated rival Utah, 10-3 last Tuesday at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City. Brigham Young also holds wins on the year No. 6 Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Marshall, Milwaukee (two), and a three-game sweep at Arizona State. BYU was picked to finish second in the WCC this season after finishing fourth last season with a 23-27 overall record and a 15-12 league clip.
 
Brock Watkins leads the way with a .327 average and seven extra-base hits on the season. Joshua Cowden is next with a .323 clip followed by Mitch McIntyre and his .279 average. Preseason all-conference selection Cole Gambill fronts the team with four homers and 18 RBIs. Jack Sterner is BYU's top starting pitcher, as he holds a 1-1 record, 2.81 ERA, and 21 strikeouts in 25.2 innings, while Reid McLaughlin leads the way from the pen with a 1-0 record, five saves, and a 0.90 ERA in 10.0 innings of work. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. BYU
Tuesday's contest will mark the 42nd meeting between the Wolverines and Cougars. BYU will enter play holding to 32-9 all-time advantage and having won 11 straight. UVU does hold a 5-15 record with games played in Orem, however, and its last win came May 3, 2016, in a 7-6 11-inning victory at Miller Park in Provo. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following Tuesday's ballgame, UVU will return to the road for a four-game non-conference series at former WAC foe CSU Bakersfield this Friday to Sunday at Hardt Field. The Wolverines will then face Utah for the first of three games on the season on Tuesday, March 29 before hosting WAC foe Sacramento State for a three-game series April 1-3.