OREM, Utah – After playing the last five games away from home, Utah Valley University baseball returns to UCCU Ballpark this weekend to welcome WAC foe Sacramento State to town for a three-game league series. 
 
The conference series will run Friday to Sunday, April 1-3, at UCCU Ballpark. Friday's opener is set for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch, while the two teams will play day games on both Saturday (2:05 p.m.) and Sunday (12:05 p.m.). All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live audio and live stats will be available by visiting GoUVU.com.
 
"Sacramento State has been the cream of the crop and the top of the league for the past few years, and we have so much respect for what they do. We're excited to play against them and excited to be back home," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said. "We've played enough on the road up to this point and are looking forward to getting back to UCCU Ballpark this weekend and getting after it."
 
The Wolverines will enter the weekend with an 8-17 overall record and a 2-7 WAC clip. After splitting a four-game non-conference series at former WAC foe CSU Bakersfield last week, the Wolverines then dropped a tightly contested 7-6 late-night in-state battle at the Pac-12 Utah Utes on Tuesday night. Following a two-hour and 13-minute rain and lightning delay, Tuesday's ballgame didn't conclude until close to midnight that night, but it didn't stop UVU's bats on the evening as the Wolverines smacked out 11 hits to outhit the Utes 11 to eight. 
 
Trailing 3-0 early, the UVU offense got things going with two runs in the second and another in the third to tie things up at 3-3. Trey Cutchen and Cole Jordan started things off with back-to-back doubles to make it 3-1 and Paul Vossen followed with an RBI triple to right. Brody Ponti then tied things up in the third with a solo home run to left. Down 4-3 the next inning, UVU then posted a three-spot in the fourth to take a 6-4 advantage. Spencer Olsen started the scoring that inning with an RBI single and Brandon Luna followed with a sac fly to deep right. Mitch Moralez capped the scoring with an RBI double to left. Trailing 7-6 in the ninth, Moralez then smoked a clutch two-out double, and Mick Madsen followed with a fly ball to right, but Utah's right fielder Kai Roberts made a diving catch to preserve the win for the Utes.
 
Moralez led UVU in Tuesday's game by going 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI, while Cutchen went 2-for-3 and Vossen 2-for-4. Both Blake Zeleny and Bobby Voortmeyer pitched well for UVU in the late innings in relief as they combined to surrender just one run on three hits while striking out five over 4.0 innings of work.
 
On the season, the senior outfielder Moralez leads UVU with a .375 batting average, nine doubles, 11 RBIs, a .500 slugging, and a .417 on-base percentage. He also has 10 runs scored, a homer and four stolen bases. Cutchen is next with a .286 clip, eight extra-base hits and a team-best 16 runs scored, while Madsen follows with a .274 clip, six extra-base knocks, 14 runs scored and nine RBIs. Reliever Nick Sims has been UVU's top pitcher on the season, as he holds a 3-0 record, two saves, and a 1.59 ERA over 17.0 innings of work. Fellow reliever Josh Brown is next with a 0-0 record, two saves, and a 3.55 ERA over 12.2 innings, while Coop Rust has been the team's top starter as he'll enter with a 1-3 clip and a 3.57 ERA over 22.2 innings. 
 
THIS WEEKEND'S SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS
Utah Valley right-hander Rust (1-3, 3.57 ERA) is scheduled to get the ball for the Wolverines on Friday night and will go up against Sac State RHP Eli Saul (2-0, 2.76 ERA). UVU righty Mason Gray (0-2, 6.56 ERA) will then get the ball for UVU on Saturday and will face left-hander Noah Lucchesi (0-3, 4.71 ERA). Sunday's starter for the Wolverines is to-be-announced while the Hornets will go with righty Colin Hunter (1-2, 3.58 ERA).
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Sacramento State will enter the weekend with an 11-13 overall record and a 3-6 WAC clip. The Hornets were previously ranked as high as 20th in the nation on the NCBWA poll earlier in the season after opening with a perfect 7-0 record. As of late, Sac State has dropped five of its last six ballgames after dropping a 5-2 midweek game to Pacific earlier this week and dropping two of three to both Grand Canyon and Seattle U over the last two weekends. The Hornets opened the season with a four-game sweep over Northern Illinois and followed it up with a three-game sweep over No. 6 Long Beach State. Sac State was picked to finish second in the West Division of the WAC this season after taking third in the conference last season with a 35-22 overall record and a 22-14 WAC clip. Sacramento State won the WAC Tournament in both 2017 and 2019 en route to playing in NCAA Regionals those seasons. 
 
Nick Iwasa paces the Hornets with a .344 average. He is followed by Cesar Valero who holds a .316 batting clip and leads the team in homers with eight, RBIs with 23, and runs scored with 22. The right-handed starter Saul leads the Hornets on the mound with a 2-0 record, 2.76 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. Hunter is next with a 1-2 clip and a 3.58 ERA, while Jack Zalasky fronts the pen with a 3-2 win-loss record, a save, a 1.66 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Friday's opener will mark the 51st all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Hornets. Sac State will enter play holding to a 31-19 all-time advantage and having won five straight meetings. UVU's last win over the Hornets came in WAC Tournament play with a 4-2 victory on May 24, 2019 in Mesa, Arizona. UVU is 7-9 all-time against Sac State at UCCU Ballpark in Orem. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU 
Following this weekend's series, the Wolverines will conclude a four-game homestead by welcoming the University of Utah to town for the first of two home games against the in-state rival Utes on the year on Tuesday, April 5. Tuesday's midweek contest is set for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch. UVU will then hit the road for a four-game trip with three games at WAC foe Seattle U next weekend followed by a midweek game at Pac-12 foe Washington on Monday, April 11.