OREM, Utah – After five straight games away from home, the Utah Valley University baseball team returns to UCCU Ballpark to host first-place Grand Canyon for a three-game WAC series Friday to Sunday, April 29-May 1.
 
Friday's opener is set for a 6:05 p.m. MT first pitch and will be followed by a day game on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. The two teams will then close the series on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live audio and live stats will also be available by visiting GoUVU.com.
 
"We need to come out and play our brand of baseball for every single pitch this weekend," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said. "Grand Canyon is a very good team and there is less margin for error when you play a team of their caliber. They are one of the best teams in the West and are probably in the hunt for an at-large bid with their RPI being as good as it is. So, we are going to have to be very consistent and play our game to get the results that we are looking for."
 
UVU will enter the series with a 15-26 overall record and currently tied for fifth in the WAC West Division with an 8-13 conference clip. The Wolverines have dropped three straight games after falling the final two games of the series at second-place California Baptist last weekend as well as dropping a UCCU Crosstown Clash at neighboring rival BYU on Tuesday, 7-0. Last weekend at CBU, the Wolverines took one of three after opening with a dominant 10-2 victory behind six shutout innings from Devin Smith and a 2-for-4 performance with a first-inning grand slam from Cole Jordan. The Lancers then responded to claim games two and three by respective scores of 10-1 and 12-2 to take the series. 
 
In Tuesday's midweek game at BYU, Luke McCollough was dealing on the mound for the Wolverines in the early stages by allowing just three base runners to reach through 4.1 innings, but BYU would go on to hit out two home runs in the fifth and were led on the night with a two-homer game from Joshua Cowden to defeat UVU by a score of 7-0. Mick Madsen led Utah Valley in the contest by going 2-for-3 with a walk, while Mitch Moralez extended his current reached base safely streak to a team-best 20 games with a third-inning double. 
 
Over UVU's last five games, the senior Moralez is leading the Wolverines with a .400 batting average with a double, a triple, three runs scored and an RBI. Trey Cutchen is next with a .333 clip over UVU's last five games with a double, a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored, while Jordan follows with a .294 average and a homer and five RBIs. The right-hander Smith has led UVU on the mound over the past week by going 1-0 with six strikeouts over 6.0 scoreless innings of work at CBU last Friday. Both Josh Brown and Bryson Sanchez also tossed scoreless outings in relief for UVU over the past five games.
 
On the season, Moralez continues to be UVU's top hitter as he'll enter the weekend with a stellar .389 batting average and team-high tallies of 12 doubles, five home runs, 18 extra-base hits, 21 RBIs, and a .563 slugging and a .427 on-base percentage. His .389 average is good enough for fifth in the WAC and 41st nationally while his 65 hits are second-best in the WAC and rank him 15th nationally. He also currently has reached base in 20 consecutive games and will enter Friday with a 10-game hitting streak. Spencer Olsen is next for UVU with a .313 average and is tied for the team-lead in home runs with five, while Cutchen follows with a .308 average and leads the way in runs scored with 30 and is tied in the team-lead in homers with five and extra-base hits with 18. Cutchen will enter Friday with a current 19-game reached base safely streak. Sophomore RHP Smith currently fronts UVU's starting staff with a 1-2 record, 4.93 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 42.0 innings. Josh Brown and Nick Sims front the bullpen, as Brown will enter with a 3.80 ERA and a team-high four saves, while Sims leads the way in wins at 5-1 and also holds a 4.03 ERA and has two saves. 
 
SCHEUDULED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday's scheduled starting pitcher for UVU will be the right-hander Smith (1-2, 4.93 ERA) and he will go up against GCU RHP Nick Hull (4-1, 2.90 ERA). On Saturday, righty Coop Rust (2-5, 5.08 ERA) will get the ball for the Wolverines and will take on Grand Canyon RHP Daniel Avitia (4-4, 3.23 ERA). UVU RHP Mason Gray (1-3, 6.25 ERA) will then start for the Wolverines on Sunday and will face GCU southpaw Connor Markl (5-2, 4.74 ERA). 
 
ABOUT GRAND CANYON
The Antelopes, who are currently ranked 25th by the Perfect Game and receiving votes for a couple of other national polls, will enter the weekend in first place in the WAC West Division with a 28-14 overall record and an impressive 15-3 WAC clip. GCU went 2-2 in non-conference action last weekend by splitting a pair of games against both No. 7 Stanford and host San Diego State. They then followed that up with a 7-2 midweek victory at New Mexico on Tuesday. In WAC play on the season, the Lopes hold three-game sweeps over CBU, UVU, Dixie State, and have also taken two of three from Sacramento State, New Mexico State, and California Baptist. GCU, who won both the WAC regular season and tournament titles last year en route to advancing to the program's first NCAA Regional appearance, was picked to repeat in the WAC West Division this season.
 
Preseason All-WAC selection Juan Colato leads the Lopes with a .378 batting average. He also has 11 doubles, three triples, six homers, 35 RBIs, and 25 runs scored. Fellow preseason All-WAC honoree Jacob Wilson is next with a .344 clip and team-best tallies of 12 doubles and 42 RBIs, while Tayler Aguilar leads the way in homers with 12 and is second in RBIs with 40. Each one of GCU's scheduled starting pitchers for this weekend lead the Lopes in different categories, as Hull will enter as the team leader in ERA at 2.90, Avitia fronts the team in strikeouts with 67 in 55.2 innings, and Markl leads in victories with five (5-2). Eli Ankeney fronts the squad from the pen with a 1.20 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 30.0 innings while closer Vince Reilly team and the WAC in saves with 10. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY
Friday's opener will mark the 26th all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Lopes. GCU, which leads 19-6, has won four straight contests after sweeping three games from UVU last month in Phoenix as well as claiming the finale of a three-game set at UCCU Ballpark in Orem last April. UVU, who is 3-10 all-time against GCU in Orem, last picked up a 4-3 victory over the Lopes on April 2, 2021 when Bobby Voortmeyer allowed just one unearned run over 6.0 solid innings of work. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following this weekend's series, the Wolverines will then hit the road to open a nine-game road trip with a three-game non-conference series at Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference next weekend in Pullman (May 6-8). UVU's final home series will be held May 19-21 when it will welcome New Mexico State to town for what could be a pivotal three-game WAC set.