PREVIEW: Utah Valley at Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (Interstat) — Utah looks to extend its dominance over in-state rival Utah Valley when the teams meet Tuesday at Smith’s Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT. The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-50s.

The Utes (23-19) have won both meetings this season, including a 16-9 victory April 21 in Salt Lake City and a 15-9 win March 31 in Orem. Utah enters the matchup riding momentum after sweeping a three-game series at BYU over the weekend, capped by an 8-3 win Saturday.

Utah Valley (11-31) has lost seven of its last eight games, including a 2-1 defeat Sunday against California Baptist to open a three-game series. The Wolverines dropped the first two games of that set by scores of 14-8 and 14-10.

Players to Watch

Utah Valley right-hander Maddax Peck is expected to see action. Peck threw 5 innings in Sunday’s loss, allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run with 5 strikeouts. Over his last five outings, Peck has a 2.84 ERA across 11 2/3 innings, though he surrendered 2 earned runs in 1 1/3 innings April 26 at Tarleton State.

For Utah, right-hander Seth Graham-Pippin emerged as a key arm in Saturday’s win at BYU, throwing 4 2/3 hitless innings with 2 earned runs and 5 strikeouts. Graham-Pippin has been inconsistent this season, following a dominant April 19 start against Texas Tech (4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K) with a rough outing April 25 against UCF (3 1/3 IP, 9 H, 9 ER).

Recent Results

Utah Valley’s last win came April 26 at Tarleton State, a 9-13 loss. The Wolverines have not won since April 14 at Air Force. Utah, meanwhile, has won four of its last five games, with the lone loss April 30 against BYU.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-0 Utah victory.

Upcoming Schedules

Utah Valley opens a three-game series at Abilene Christian on Friday, while Utah travels to Texas Christian for a three-game set beginning Friday.