OREM, Utah – Utah Valley baseball returns to the diamond this weekend for a pivotal three-game series with California Baptist beginning Friday, May 1, at 6:05 p.m. MT at the UCCU Center. The series continues Saturday at 3:05 p.m. MT, with the finale scheduled for 12:05 p.m. MT on Sunday.
 
BROADCAST INFO
This weekend's series will air on ESPN+ with Jordan Bianucci and Brice Larson on the call. The games will also air on 103.9 and 98.3 ESPN The Fan and its app. Fans can follow along with live stats at GoUVU.com/stats.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines were swept by Tarleton State last weekend in Stephenville. Brody Block had a strong showing against Texan pitching, going 4-for-9 with a three-run home run Sunday to give Utah Valley an early lead in the finale. Oklahoma transfer Mason Hamlin went 4-for-10 with two runs scored, a home run and three RBIs.
 
Jacob Heppner tossed five innings in the second game of the series, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out three. The Wolverines also benefited from a pair of solid outings by Cohen Baack, who threw four innings and struck out three, finishing one shy of his career high.
 
SCOUTING THE LANCERS
California Baptist is 34-11 overall and 7-5 in the WAC, putting together one of the best seasons of its Division I era. As a team, the Lancers lead the conference in multiple offensive and pitching categories. Oklahoma transfer Cole Hansen leads CBU offensively with a .399 batting average, six home runs and 35 RBIs. Six different Lancers are hitting above .300 this season.
 
On the mound, five pitchers have earned WAC Pitcher of the Week honors. Friday starter Michael Malki is 9-0 with 13 appearances and 11 starts, recording 88 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .191 batting average. Sunday starter Ryne Palmer has won the award twice, including last weekend after limiting Utah Tech to one hit over six innings.
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST CBU
The Wolverines have won the last two regular-season series between the teams, including last season in Orem and in 2024 in Riverside. Colton Kennedy delivered one of his top performances against the Lancers last year, pitching seven innings with six strikeouts and allowing just one run.
 
Offensively, DJ Massey went 5-for-11 (.455) in the series, while Mason Strong added three home runs over the weekend.
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley travels next week for a road matchup at Utah on Tuesday, May 5, before heading to Abilene for a three-game WAC series at ACU beginning Friday, May 8.