Utah Valley makes its final road trip before conference play this weekend, heading to Northern California for five games in four days against Pacific, UC Davis, and Sacramento State.

The Wolverines will play a three-game series against the Tigers in Stockton on Saturday and Sunday before making the short trip north to face the Aggies and Hornets on Monday and Tuesday. All five games will be streamed on ESPN+.

This weekend's series will pit the Wolverines against former associate head coach Sam Duran Kukuk, who coached at Utah Valley from 2022-24, and is currently in her second season as the head coach at Pacific. Kukuk took over for legendary Pacific head coach Brian Kolze, who won 824 games in his 32 years with the program.

LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines had another successful weekend, going 3-1 at the Beehive Classic to match the team's best 19-game start in the WAC era at 12-7. Utah Valley topped in-state rivals Utah State twice and Weber State once before falling to the Utah Utes to close out the weekend. 

Utah Valley continued its red-hot offensive start to the season, putting up 29 runs over the first three games before being shut out by the 17-5 Utes. 

Ry Binne broke out of her early-season slump by going 8-for-11 (.727) in St. George and scoring five runs. Megan Sterzer picked up right where she left off at the Rebel Classic, going 5-for-10 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. Sterzer enters the week on a 9-game hitting streak, the longest of any Wolverine this season.

Bailey Marvin continued to provide a steady presence out of the cleanup spot, going 5-for-14 with three doubles and four RBIs. Marvin enters the week on an 11-game reached base streak. 

Britney Moreno saw her 17-game reached-base streak come to an end on Sunday, tied for the longest streak by a Wolverine since Madison Carr set the record of 31-straight in 2022. Moreno's .444 batting average is the second-best in the WAC entering the week. Moreno is one triple away from matching and two away from breaking the career triples record of 11, currently held by Morgan Smith (2013-16).

RHP Lily Riley has been a dominant workhorse over the last three weeks for the Wolverines. In 40.2 IP since Feb. 13, Riley has allowed 11 ER and struck out 31 for a 1.89 ERA in that span. Riley's seven wins so far this season are tied for 23rd-most in the nation and lead the WAC.

WOLVERINES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Entering this week, Utah Valley ranks in the top 50 nationally in the following team categories: 

• Batting average: .362, 18th NCAA, 1st WAC

• Doubles: 35, 40th NCAA, 1st WAC

• Hits: 187, 23rd NCAA, 2nd WAC

• OBP: .440, 28th NCAA, 2nd WAC

• RBIs: 122, 44th NCAA, 3rd WAC

• Scoring: 7.37 runs/game, 28th NCAA, 2nd WAC

• SLG%: .562, 36th NCAA, 1st WAC

• Sac Flies: 10, 15th NCAA, 1st WAC

• Triples: 7, 17th NCAA, t-1st WAC

SERIES HISTORY VS THE OPPOSITION
PACIFIC - Utah Valley last faced off with the Tigers back in 2023 at the NorCal Kickoff in Sacramento, picking up a 6-1 win. Britney Moreno went 1-for-3 with a run scored in that game. UVU is 3-1 all-time against the Tigers, and have won 3 straight. This will be the first non-neutral site game in the series.

UC DAVIS - The Wolverines played the Aggies last season in Davis, falling 3-0 on Opening Day. Utah Valley is 0-5 all-time against UC Davis.

SAC STATE - UVU also faced the Hornets last season, dropping a 9-1 contest in 5 innings at the NorCal Kickoff. Utah Valley has never beaten its future Big West rival, holding an 0-4 record all-time. All four games have been in Sacramento.

THOMSON CLOSING IN ON WIN NO. 100
Utah Valley head coach Cody Thomson is four wins away from reaching 100 wins in his career. Thomson will be the second head coach in the team's Division I era to reach the milestone, joining former head coach Todd Fairbourne, who went 165-249-2 from 2005-12.

VERY NICE, THANK YOU FOR THE SACRIFICE
Utah Valley leads the WAC and ranks 15th in the nation in sacrifice flies with 10 so far this season. Three of those sac flies came in one game, against Idaho State.

THE HITS START COMIN' AND THEY DON'T STOP COMIN' 
Against Utah State on Friday, Utah Valley rallied for six runs to secure a 10-1 run-rule win in five innings. Through 19 games, the Wolverines have had 19 innings in which the team scored three or more runs.

UP NEXT
Utah Valley will kick off the home season with a six-game homestand beginning on March 17 with a visit from the Weber State Wildcats. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.