OREM, Utah — Utah Valley continues its homestand with a three-game WAC series against preseason favorite and defending conference champion Grand Canyon this Friday and Saturday at Wolverine Softball Field. The Wolverines and Lopes will square off in a doubleheader on Friday at 4 and 6:30 p.m. MDT, then reconvene for a single game on Saturday at 12 p.m. MDT. 

Between games on Friday, UVU Softball and UVU Athletics Marketing will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt on the field for all children in 8th grade or younger.

The Wolverines are coming off a three-game sweep over Abilene Christian this past weekend, and are squarely in the mix in the WAC title race. The Wolverines are currently in a five-way tie for third place at 5-4, and are one game back of first place.

Libbie Hawker had a strong series at the plate, going 6-for-10 with a triple, three RBIs, and five runs scored. Megan Gibbs went 3-for-5 in Saturday's doubleheader with a double and a home run, and drove in six runs. Katie Zuniga picked up a pair of wins on the weekend, one coming in relief and one in a complete game. Zuniga earned the win on Friday by throwing three no-hit innings to keep Utah Valley within striking distance before Britney Moreno hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh. Zuniga then struck out five while allowing four runs in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, and live stats will be available at UVUStats.com.

ABOUT GCU (27th MEETING, 2-24 ALL-TIME, 1-3 UNDER CODY THOMSON)

The Lopes come into Orem with the 13th-best win-loss percentage in the nation at .806, but are currently 5-4 in WAC play. GCU most recently lost two out of three on the road at New Mexico State, but both losses were by one run. Leading the line for the Lopes is outfielder Kristin Fifield, who leads the WAC and is 12th in the nation with 12 home runs on the season. GCU leads the WAC in scoring offense with 6.69 runs per game and ERA with a 2.05 mark.

21, CAN YOU DO SOMETHING FOR ME?

Junior OF Libbie Hawker has been on a tear at the plate. Hawker went 6-for-10 against ACU with a triple, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Hawker is tied for the 2nd-most hits on the team in WAC play with 10, and has a .385 batting average through 9 WAC games. Hawker has also reached base in all nine WAC games and is on a seven-game hitting streak.

KEEPING IT .300

Through nine WAC games, five of Utah Valley's nine starters have a batting average of .300 or better, and 2 have an average over .400. Jaeden Barajas (.423), Britney Moreno (.413), Libbie Hawker (.385), Megan Gibbs (.318), and Angelique Mann (.310) are all hitting over .300.

THE WILD, WILD WEST-ERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

After three weekends of WAC softball, the league standings could not be much closer than they are now. With Utah Tech and Stephen F. Austin tied atop the league at 6-3, the next eight teams in the standings are two games or fewer out of first, including a five-way tie for third. Each team will play five more series in WAC play, amounting to 15 more games. 

Standings (WAC records only)

1. Utah Tech (6-3)

2. Stephen F. Austin (6-3)

3. Grand Canyon (5-4)

4. Seattle U (5-4)

5. California Baptist (5-4)

6. Utah Valley (5-4)

7. Sam Houston (5-4)

8. Tarleton (4-5)

9. NM State (4-5)

10. UT Arlington (4-5)

11. Abilene Christian (3-6)

12. Southern Utah (2-7)