Utah Valley University’s baseball team began Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at Sacramento State, starting Friday, Apr. 9. The Wolverines will then travel to Air Force for a two-game set beginning Monday, Apr. 13.
This stretch marks the start of an important phase for Utah Valley as they are the last team in the country to begin conference play after receiving the first WAC bye. The Wolverines now embark on an 18-game schedule leading up to the conference tournament, where they aim to defend their title.
The recent weekend saw Utah Valley win a series against Cal State Bakersfield with scores of 14-4 and 5-4 before falling to BYU in a midweek matchup. Senior Chipper Beck had notable performances over four games, collecting seven hits in fifteen at-bats and contributing three doubles and four runs batted in. Pitchers Chance Wallace, George Albrecht, and Ray Hernandez also delivered strong outings during this period.
Sacramento State enters the series with a record of 13-21. Erick Dessens leads their offense with a .353 batting average and nine home runs after earning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for his performance last weekend. Pitcher Ethan Lay is expected to start Friday; he previously helped secure a Hornets win over Utah Valley last season by striking out eight batters across six innings.
Following Sacramento State, Utah Valley will face Air Force (12-18 overall), whose lineup features several hitters above .331 batting average including Kayden Bradshaw (.350) and Wyatt Hanoian (.340). The teams have not met since 2020 but have played high-scoring games historically.
Last season’s meeting between Utah Valley and Sacramento State included Colton Kennedy and Cooper Littledike combining for the first no-hitter in Western Athletic Conference Tournament history—a milestone that clinched UVU’s spot in the championship game.
After these road games, Utah Valley will return home next weekend to host rival Utah Tech.
