Fresh off a series win over UT Arlington and a midweek win over crosstown rival BYU, Utah Valley returns home to Wolverine Softball Field for a pivotal three-game set against the Abilene Christian Wildcats on Friday and Saturday.

Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m. MDT, with Saturday's series finale slated for 12 p.m. MDT. This weekend will also be the second-annual Alumni Weekend, with a home run derby following Friday's doubleheader and a luncheon in the UCCU Center following Saturday's game. 

This weekend's series presents a major opportunity for both squads to get into the top four of the WAC standings just past the midway point of the conference season. The Wolverines and Wildcats enter the weekend a game out of fourth place in the standings, with the top four teams earning a bye to the double elimination portion of the WAC Tournament at the end of the season. 

LAST TIME OUT

The Wolverines took a 6-4 win over the BYU Cougars on Tuesday night, the team's first win in Provo since 2015. Utah Valley clubbed six extra-base hits en route to the victory.

Megan Gibbs and Rachael Brown led the line at the plate with two extra-base hits apiece. Gibbs picked up a double and a triple — the first of her illustrious career — and Brown picked up a pair of doubles, while each driving in two. 

Avery Sapp and Cam Davis combined for a strong pitching performance in the circle. Sapp kept the Cougars scoreless through the first four innings before giving up back-to-back homers, then Davis shut the door with 2.2 one-hit innings to earn the save.

Britney Moreno picked up right where she left off at the weekend, going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Moreno is 8-for-16 over her last four games with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs, and four runs scored, while also picking up a hit in 12 of her last 14 games. 

Emma Haygood picked up another hit in Tuesday's win to up her team-leading batting average to .408. Haygood has a hit in six of her last seven games, and leads the team in RBIs (23) and slugging percentage (.648). 

SERIES HISTORY VS ACU

Utah Valley holds a 6-1 all-time record against the Wildcats entering the season, including a perfect 3-0 record in Orem. The last time ACU played at UVU, Moreno picked up a walk-off double to win game one of that series, 4-3. In seven games against the Wildcats, Gibbs holds a .444 batting average with two HRs, two doubles, and 10 RBIs.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

Led by first-year head coach Jo Koons, the Wildcats enter the weekend with a 9-27 record and will host the No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders later tonight. Taylor Bachmeyer leads the ACU hitters with a .321 average, and Lina Russo paces the pitching staff with a 3.65 ERA in 109.1 IP.

GIBBS ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY

With her next home run, Megan Gibbs will tie the UVU career home run record at 41, which is currently held by Amanda Robinson (2011-14). Gibbs enters the week with 40 career home runs after hitting a three-run shot at Utah Tech last weekend. Gibbs came inches away from a homer against UTA, but had to settle for a double off the top of the wall.

UP NEXT

Utah Valley will close out nearly a month's worth of games in Utah with a short trip up to Ogden to face off with the Weber State Wildcats on Tuesday, April 8. First pitch of that game is slated for 3 p.m. MDT, and will be streamed live on ESPN+.