Aggies spank UVU in three games
By Tyler Huskinson
assistant sports editor
The USU men’s baseball club, ranked No. 18 nationally for club baseball squads, swept its three-game series against Utah Valley University last weekend in convincing fashion, heading into its series against Weber State next week.
The defending Northern Pacific East Conference champions began the twinbill Friday with a 24-0 routing of the Wolverines in the first game and a 11-1 victory in the second game. USU finished the sweep Saturday afternoon with an 18-1 victory.
With the wins, the Aggies claim at least a share of first place in the conference.
“The big thing is that we won conference games, and it puts us 6-0 in the conference,” senior center fielder Matt Stranski said. “The fact that we were able to stay undefeated in conference and take care of business is a big deal.”
An 18-run fourth inning put USU in complete control, en route to the blowout victory in game one. Senior outfielder Gavin Johnson had a grand-slam home run as part of the 18-run frenzy. Johnson also had a solo home run and a double, to round out his five-RBI performance.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a team that has done that before,” Johnson said of the 18-run inning. “It was a good week for everyone.”
Fifth-year senior first baseman Jake Bartholomew and junior pitcher Robert Garrett finished with three RBIs apiece. Also finishing with a multiple-RBI day was Stranski.
“We had great pitching, very solid defense and just had a ton of hitting,” USU head coach Norm Doyle said. “All aspects of the game were working, especially the offense. They were just pounding the ball all over the place.”
Junior pitcher Kyle Durrant pitched a seven-inning shutout, allowing four hits in the first game Friday.
“All three pitchers pitched super well this weekend,” Stranski said. “Kyle Durrant pitched a shutout in the first game. Robert Garrett and Sixto Cabrera also pitched well. All three of those guys were fantastic. They only gave up two runs all weekend.”
Garrett allowed two hits and one run in the second game Friday, and Cabrera allowed four hits and one run Saturday.
“Our pitching staff did an amazing job,” Johnson said. “They were hitting their spots, and when a player put the ball in, we did a good job of getting them out.”
Wolverine Jonathan Proper drove in UVU’s only run in the second game Friday, and William Fajardo drove in a run Saturday for the Wolverines.
USU had a total of 57 hits over the three-game series, and there were at least five players who Doyle said deserve conference player of the week accolades.
“We had five guys who were really tough at-bats,” Doyle said. They just couldn’t get them out.”
Fifth-year senior center fielder Brett Jensen went 5 of 7 with a home run, while scoring 11 runs, and Stranski went 7 of 11 with a home run and six RBIs.
Johnson totaled five hits in eight at-bats, including two home runs and eight RBI’s, and Garrett went a perfect 7 for 7 with a double, home run and seven RBI’s.
Bartholomew rounded out the solid performances with eight hits in nine at bats, to go with a triple, a home run and four RBIs.
“When we had runners in scoring positions, we came through,” Johnson said. “We were able to get big hits to score them. People were coming through with timely hits. It made a big difference.”
USU has the goal of remaining undefeated on the season and repeating as conference champions, which may prove to be daunting task, Doyle said.
“It puts somewhat of a target on our back,” Doyle said. “Everyone knows that we’re the defending champions of the conference, and everyone gets up for us a little bit more. It puts a little more pressure on us, but I think we have a team that is capable of defending that title.”
USU faces Weber State on Friday and Saturday with a twinbill the second day at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
“We’ve just got to remember not to get complacent,” Johnson said. “We’ve gone on a stretch of winning, and we need to not let it get to our heads. We’ve just got to keep focused for these next games to do our very best and continue to have that momentum.”
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu