OREM, Utah – Fresh off a series victory at Seattle U last week, the Utah Valley University baseball team returns home for a three-game WAC series against in-state foe Dixie State Thursday to Saturday, April 14-16, as part of the Old Hammer Rivalry.
 
The series, which will be held at dōTERRA Field at UCCU Ballpark, will feature 4:05 p.m. starts on both Thursday and Friday evening before closing with a 12:05 first pitch on Saturday afternoon. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+, while both live audio and live stats will be available by visiting GoUVU.com. Thursday and Friday's games were originally scheduled for 6:05 starts but were recently moved up due to anticipated cold temperatures each evening after dark.
 
UVU will enter Thursday's opener with a 12-21 overall record and a 5-10 WAC clip. The Wolverines split four games in the Pacific Northwest a few days ago after taking two out of three from WAC foe Seattle U before capping the trip with a Monday setback at the Pac-12 Washington Huskies. The series victory over Seattle U marked UVU's first WAC series win since May of 2019.
 
Just hours after stepping off a plane, the Wolverines came from behind to take last Thursday's opener at SU thanks to a sixth inning grand slam from Cole Jordan and a go-ahead two-run homer from Spencer Olsen in the seventh to win game one, 6-5. The Redhawks then responded to take a tightly contested game two, 5-4, before UVU bounced back in a big way to win Saturday's finale, 14-2. Coop Rust surrendered just one earned run (two total) over 6.0 strong innings on the mound and Trey Cutchen homered twice and went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, while Mitch Moralez continued to swing a hot with a leadoff homer in the game on his way to going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two walks and two runs scored.
 
In Monday's 7-1 setback at UW, Utah Valley made it a 2-1 game early following back-to-back third-inning doubles from Kyle Coburn and Moralez. Washington added two runs in the home-half of the third and tacked on three runs late to put the game away. The Wolverines had strong relief outings that game from both Blake Zeleny and Andrew Hauck, as they combined to toss three scoreless frames. 
 
Over the last four games, Cutchen paced UVU at the plate by batting .438 with three homers, five RBIs, and five runs scored, while Jordan followed with a .364 average, a homer, five RBIs, and two stolen bases. Carson Brown, Zeleny, Hauck, and Nick Sims all tossed scoreless relief outings last week for the Wolverines and both Nick Sims and Rust earned wins on the mound.
 
The senior Moralez leads UVU on the season with a .381 batting average, 15 extra-base hits with 10 doubles and five home runs, 19 RBIs, a .567 slugging percentage, and a .424 on-base clip. He also ranks fourth in the WAC and 19th in the country in total hits on the year with 51. Mick Madsen is next with a .327 average, nine extra base hits, 18 walks, 24 runs scored, and 17 RBIs, while Paul Vossen follows with a .309 average, nine extra-base knocks and team-high eight stolen bases. He also has four triples, which ties for second in the WAC and seventh in the nation. Nick Sims paces UVU on the mound, as the reliever is a perfect 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA, two saves, and has allowed just three earned runs over 24.0 innings of work. Rust is Utah Valley's top starter with a 2-4 clip and a 4.22 ERA over 32.0 innings. 
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHERS
Right-hander Mason Gray (0-2, 6.28 ERA) will get the start for UVU in game one on Thursday and is scheduled to face Dixie State RHP Blake Milne (1-2, 4.61 ERA). On Friday, righty Devin Smith will get the ball for UVU and will face DSU right-hander Brett Porthan (5-2, 5.61 ERA). The righty Rust (2-4, 4.22 ERA) will then start for Utah Valley on Saturday and will face Trailblazer RHP Ryan Hardman (2-1, 4.76 ERA). 
 
ABOUT DIXIE STATE
DSU is in its second year of transitioning from NCAA Division II to Division I competition and is currently in third place in the WAC West Division with a 14-18 overall record and an 8-7 WAC clip. The Trailblazers have dropped four straight after getting swept at home by WAC leader Grand Canyon last weekend and falling 3-2 at UNLV on Tuesday night. Prior the stretch, DSU defeated BYU by a score of 7-5 on April 5 and holds WAC series wins over Sacramento State, New Mexico State, Seattle U, and UVU. Dixie State was picked to finish fifth in the West Division of the WAC this year after taking fourth last season with a 24-32 overall record and a 21-15 league mark. 
 
Shane Taylor fronts the Blazers on the year with a .347 average, 13 extra-base hits with eight doubles, four homers and one triple, 29 RBIs, and 28 runs scored. Jagun Leavitt is next with a .326 clip, while Matthew Ivancich follows at .310. Porthan paces the DSU staff with a 5-2 record, a 5.61 ERA, and 36 strikeouts over 43.1 innings of work, while Hardman leads the way in saves with two and is also 2-1 with a 4.76 ERA. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
This weekend mark the second season series between the Wolverines and Trailblazers. Dixie State took two of three to claim the first three-game series on the year in early March in St. George. Thursday will also mark the 16th all-time meeting between the two foes and DSU will enter holding to a 10-5 all-time advantage. UVU claimed the most recent meeting 8-3 on March 6 but prior to that DSU had won six straight. Despite Dixie State holding the advantage in the all-time series, UVU holds a 4-2 all-time lead with games played at UCCU Ballpark in Orem.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following this weekend's series, UVU will head to Southern California next week for a midweek at UC Riverside on Wednesday, April 20 before taking on California Baptist in a three-game WAC series April 22-24. 
 
SATURDAY IS ALUMNI DAY
Saturday will mark Alumni Day for all former Utah Valley baseball players. Both the 1992 squad and the 2012 team will be honored prior to Saturday's finale against Dixie State. For more information, please contact UVU Senior Associate AD Cathy Nixon at cathy.nixon@uvu.edu or 801-863-4734.