OREM, Utah – Utah Valley baseball returns home to start a seven-game homestand this weekend that begins on Mar. 24-26 with WAC foe Tarleton before BYU comes to Orem on Mar. 28, followed by Grand Canyon on Mar. 31-Apr. 2.
 
The first pitch against Tarleton on Mar. 24 has been moved up to 2:35 p.m. MT from its originally scheduled 6:05 p.m. MT. The two teams will play on Mar. 25 at 2:05 p.m. MT and then wrap up the series on Mar. 26 at 11:05 a.m. MT. All games will air on ESPN+ this weekend, with an audio broadcast available on gouvu.com. Live Stats will be available on UVUstats.com.
 
The Wolverines will be looking to end a three-game losing streak this weekend after dropping the final two games in Seattle against the Redhawks and falling to BYU 15-7. Daniel Dickinson, Matthew Schwarz, and Nate Bach hit .400 last week in Seattle. Logan Gerling tossed a season-high seven innings, allowing two hits and adding nine strikeouts in a series-opening win at Seattle U.
 
Cole Jordan had four hits with three doubles against BYU on Tuesday. He became the first Wolverine since Greyson Bogdan to have three doubles in a game. Dickinson added a 3-for-4 game to help pace UVU to seven runs against the Cougars. All nine starters had hits in the game for UVU, and Calyn Halvorson, Bach, and Schwarz added two RBIs in the contest.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST TARLETON
The Texans will make their second trip to Orem and enter with a 3-1 all-time lead against UVU. Tarleton won the first three of the series, including an extra-inning 4-3 victory, and then won 9-7 and 8-1. The Wolverines won the series finale by an 8-4 score.
 
ABOUT THE TEXANS
Tarleton is 14-7 overall and 1-2 in the WAC. They swept Incarnate Word last weekend before losing the WAC opening series to UT Arlington. The Texans are in the middle of a seven-game road trip that started with a non-conference game at UT Arlington and continues next weekend in Edinburg against UTRGV. On the year, as a team, they hit .317 to sit atop a majority of the WAC offensive categories. Jack Wagner is hitting .394 this season with six homers and 26 RBIs. The 53 stolen bases lead the WAC and will test UVU pitchers and catchers this weekend. On the hill, they are second in team ERA with a 4.77 on the season and will be led by Hunter Day, who is 2-0 on the season with a 3.00 ERA and averages almost a strikeout an inning.
 
UVU GLOVES
The Wolverines are having a solid defensive season to this point. They are second in fielding percentage at .978. They are first in assists (207) and second in double plays with 19. UVU turned 63 double plays in 2006 for the program record, and the 2016 team is second with 61 turned in one season.
 
HITTING TRIPLES
Freshmen Luke Iverson is tied for third in triples with three this season, while Schwarz has two triples to be tied for sixth currently.
 
STRIKEOUT AN INNING
Several UVU bullpen arms are averaging a strikeout in an inning: Reece Rodabaugh (7/7.2), Ethan Fowlks (19/19.0), Devin Smith (9, 8.2), and Casey Anderson (27/18.1). UVU, as a staff, has struck out 192 hitters this year in 184 innings pitched.
 
ON DECK
Utah Valley will stay home for a game against BYU on Mar. 28 before welcoming Grand Canyon into UCCU Ballpark Mar. 31-Apr. 2.