UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY @ DALLAS BAPTIST
March 21-23 | Dallas, Texas | Horner Ballpark
 
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Video/Audio: Patriot Broadcasting Network
Livestats: DBU Livestats
Facebook: DBU Athletics
 
SERIES INFORMATION
Dates: March 21-23, 2014
Time: 6:30 PM (Fri.), 2:00 PM (Sat.) 1:00 PM (Sun)
Stadium: Horner Ballpark (2,000)
Broadcast: Patriot Broadcasting Network
Talent: Reagan Ratcliff & Brendan Smith
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
 
Friday, March 21
UVU – Andrew Freter (0-3, 3.38 ERA, 32 IP, 7 BB, 23 K)
vs.
DBU – Paul Voelker (3-1, 2.23 ERA, 32.1 IP, 12 BB, 37 K)          
 
Saturday, March 22
UVU – Ryan Evans (0-2, 6.12 ERA, 25 IP, 8 BB, 8 K)
vs.
DBU- Cy Sneed (3-1, 2.48 ERA, 32.2 IP, 12 BB, 27 K)
 
Sunday, March 23
UVU – Danny Beddes (1-2, 6.17 ERA, 23.1 IP, 11 BB, 10 K)
vs.
DBU – Cory Taylor (1-0, 2.93 ERA, 27.2 IP, 11 BB, 31 K)
 
FIRST PITCH – The Dallas Baptist Baseball Team looks to get back on track after its season-long, six-game streak was snapped Tuesday at No. 15 University of Texas. The Patriots (15-5) will be back in the friendly confines of Horner Ballpark, where they've gone 10-1, including winning their past three in a row.
 
Opposing DBU will be non-conference foe, Utah Valley University. The Wolverines will meet DBU this Friday (6:30 PM), Saturday (2 PM), and Sunday (1 PM) for a three-game series. The Patriots have won four total series on the year, and the past three. They've recorded three sweeps on the campaign, with a pair occurring at Horner Ballpark.
 
The Patriots Baseball Team eclipsed its best start in program history since joining the NCAA Division I ranks with a three-game sweep at Missouri State University.  The two wins in last Saturday's double-header against MSU, gave DBU a 15-4 record on the season, tying the club for the best overall start to a season since 2001.
 
MOST RECENT ACTION – The last four games for DBU have resulted in a shutout, with the Patriots going 3-1 over the four contests.  After shuting out Missouri State in all three games last weekend, DBU lost 5-0 at No. 15 Texas on Tuesday.  The loss snapped DBU's six-game winning streak.
 
Tallying the only hits on the night for the Patriots were senior, Mike Wesolowski, and freshman, David Martinelli. DBU's offense did find ways to get runners on base drawing three walks, and sophomore, Austin Lisit, increased the team lead with two hit-by-pitches for 12 on the campaign.
 
Getting the ball for the first time this year was senior, Cody Beam. He worked an inning and allowed a run on a hit while walking one. Five relievers would see action, piecing together a quality game against a top 25 ranked opponent.
 
Sophomore, Sean Stutzman, pitched the longest going two innings. The native of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, surrendered a pair of runs in the third inning, while also compiling two hits allowed, two walks, and two strikeouts.
 
The Longhorns added insurance runs in the sixth inning by tacking on another pair of runs off redshirt senior, Josh Urban. Those runners ended the Austin, Texas, native's 10-straight scoreless innings string, and was the first time in eight outings the righty had given up a run.
 
Sophomores, Brandon Koch and Joseph Shaw, tossed the final 2.1 frames, posting zeroes and combining for three of the squad's six punch outs that night.  
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH  – Wesolowski remains the top hitteron the squad, carrying a team-best .325 batting average with 25 hits on the season. The first baseman only had two hits the past four games, but was instrumental in the squad's second game triumph to claim the series at Missouri State University.  The senior pushed down a bunt and reached on a throwing error, allowing Trevin Sonnier to score the game's first run in the ninth inning.  Wesolowski also had one of the two base knocks in Tuesday's setback at Texas.
 
Also above the .300 mark is freshman, Camden Duzenack. He ranks second on the club batting a .303 clip, and leads the team with eight doubles. Since combining for 11 hits and 13 RBI, including a record-tying nine in one game on opening weeked, the National Player of the Week has cooled off a bit.
 
The squad's first Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week recipient was hitless the last time DBU played at home against Oral Roberts. However, he did collect three hits in seven at bats last weekend at Missouri State.  
 
Listi is tied for third on the club with 19 hits, and leads the club with five home runs. The homer on Saturday for the Mesa, Arizona, native was the game-winner in the final contest of a sweep this weekend, and his first since the 15-inning marathon at TCU.
 
Redshirt sophomore, Trevin Sonnier, had quietly built a five-game hitting streak dating back to last weekend when the shortstop drove in three runs against Oral Roberts in the 10-5 finale. The native of Nederland, Texas, has tallied seven of his 17 total hits during that span, but was 0-for-2 Tuesday. He did walk to extend his streak of reaching base safely in six consecutive games.
 
Freshman, David Martinelli, has smacked a base hit in seven of the past 10 games. The outfielder has worked his way into the starting lineup, seeing his name on the card in eight of the team's past nine contests.  
 
The native of Waxahachie, Texas, has compiled a .289 batting average for third on the team. Last time at Horner Ballpark, Martinelli scorched the ball, combining for four hits and five RBI versus Oral Roberts and BYU in the home affairs.
 
His two-for-four day a week ago at Missouri State notched his career-high batting average at .316. He recorded the other hit in Tuesday's loss as well.
 
ON THE BUMP – The Patriots have established a tough pitching presence in the early part of the year. Through 177.2 innings, DBU hurlers have allowed 69 runs, 54 earned, to compile a 2.62 ERA. In addition, the Patriots lead the Missouri Valley Conference with 196 punch outs.
 
The pitching last weekend recorded a stretch of three-straight shutouts and built a stretch of 30.1 consecutive innings without allowing a run. Friday's decision was the first time the opposition was blanked since DBU won 19-0 to open the year against Mississippi Valley State.
 
Hoping to duplicate those outings will be a starting staff anchored by three powerful arms in juniors, Paul Voelker, and Cy Sneed, and sophomore, Cory Taylor.
 
Voelker has been impressive all season and owns a team-low 2.23 ERA among starters. He has worked all series-openers this year, going 3-1 and leads the staff with 37 strikeouts. The native of Plymouth, Minnesota, fanned eight in a career-high eight innings last week at MSU.
 
Sneed has also been steady giving the club 32.2 innings and a 2.48 ERA with a 3-1 record. He improved his strikeout total to 27 after seven went down in his eight-inning performance last Saturday against the Bears.
 
After two pitching duels in the first two games at Missouri State, Taylor managed to toss one creating a trifecta of shutouts. He put away opposing MSU hitters for a season-high, seven innings and fanned a career-best 11 in a 1-0 final.

The right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.93 and has his name on the starting rotation for this week's Sunday match-up versus Utah Valley. He garnered Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week honors after his successful work, and is the first DBU hurler to receive the accolade this year.
 
The native of Owasso, Oklahoma, was making his second start of the week after throwing six frames in an 8-3 victory against BYU. In that appearance, Taylor punched out nine batters, and his combined 20 strikeouts on the week raised his total to 31 on the season.
 
Leading the strikeout category among relievers is the right-handed hurler, Koch. The sophomore has posted 25 strikeouts and continues to deliver in high pressure situations, going nine appearances now without allowing a run. He grabbed his second save of the year on Friday.
 
Shaw has also been effective in 14.0 innings of work and striking out 17. He leads the squad with three saves, closing out the outstanding pitching results Saturday in the nightcap.   
 
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY -  The Wolverines (5-15) have not experienced much success away from home, posting a 4-13 record, but have won two games in the past six.  The Wolverines are a battled-tested team on the road, having started the season with 17 straight games away from home.  Their early road schedule featured games against an Arizona team that won the 2012 College World Series, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Pacific, Long Beach State, and Cal State Northridge.  Utah Valley enters the weekend on a three-game losing streak, including a loss on Tuesday, 7-3, at Utah.
 
Offensively, the Wolverines are hitting a mere .223 as a team, led by Mark Krueger with a .303 clip. He is tied for first on the team with two home runs and third with 11 RBI. Sean Moysh leads the club with 13 RBI, while Craig Brinkerhoff has added 12. The trio of double-digit RBI leaders have each clubbed a pair of homers, contributing to the team's total of nine.
 
Taking the rubber on Friday for a staff that has a 5.79 ERA, will be staff ace, Andrew Freter.  The senior from Meridian, Idaho, boasts a team-low 3.38 through 32 innings and has gone 0-3.
 
Ryan Evans will be handed the ball on Saturday and holds a 6.12 ERA in 25 innings of work. Danny Beddes has one of the starting staff's two wins and goes in the finale on Sunday. He has a 6.17 ERA.
 
Opponents have batted .319 off Utah Valley hurlers on the campaign.
 
SERIES HISTORY – The Patriots lead the all-time series 6-0 versus Utah Valley. The last time these programs met was in 2009. DBU swept the three-game set at Orem, Utah, posting double-digit run totals in all three contests. In the opener, DBU won 10-6, then routed the middle game with a 12-3 decision, and completed the sweep in a offensive explosion betwee the two teams, 17-11.
 
UP NEXT – Dallas Baptist wraps-up the weekend series at Horner Ballpark and is back on the road next week. The trip begins March 25 at Stephen F. Austin for a 6:30 pm first pitch. Following the midweek affair at SFA, the Patriots will open Missouri Valley Conference play for the first time in program history with a three-game set at Bradley University. This is the first of two upcoming weekend series on the road that will feature a MVC foe.