University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, April 8
Orem Utah
6:00 pm
University of Northern Colorado
at
Utah Valley
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
Photo by: Rob Trubia
@NCBearsBaseball Travels to Utah Valley Looking for First WAC Win
4/6/2016 3:36:00 PM | Baseball
Northern Colorado baseball starts a three game series against Utah Valley on Friday
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado baseball is back on the road this weekend when they take on Utah Valley. The Beas and Wolverines will start a three game series on Friday and have it conclude on Sunday.
| Series Information |
| Game | Probable Pitchers | How to Follow |
| April 8, 6:00 p.m. | RHP Correy Nakakura (2-2, 4.50 ERA) vs LHP Patrick Wolfe (1-1, 4.00 ERA) | Video | Live Stats |
| April 9, 6:00 p.m. | RHP Alex Werbach (0-3, 5.76 ERA) vs RHP Danny Bedes (3-2 4.17 ERA) | Video | Live Stats |
| April 10, 12:00 p.m. | LHP Nick Tanner (1-1, 2.93 ERA) vs LHP Jackson Cofer (2-3, 5.67 ERA) | Video | Live Stats |
Series Notes: Northern Colorado | Utah Valley | WAC
Leading Off
• UNC is looking for its first WAC win this weekend after being swept at Sacramento State last weekend.
• The Bears have dropped their past five games, two against Air Force and three against Sacramento State.
• Northern Colorado has played already one game this week, taking on Air Force on Tuesday. The Flacons would take the game over the Bears 14-4.
• Going into Tuesday's game Cole Maltese had a six game hit streak. His streak was ended with an 0-for-4 day.
• After string together 19 hits last week vs UNC, Air Force put another 18 up this week. Those are the first and second most hits by a Northern Colorado opponent this season.
• Tuesday's game saw three triples. Northern Colorado's Dan Reese had one, while Air Force's Adam Grosebeck and Tyler Jones had the other two.
• Once again Tuesday means arm day for UNC, today they used a season high eight pitchers. Starter Ian Doughty went the furthest of the eight lasting 2 2/3 innings.
• Dan Reese scored two of the Bears runs on the day, going 1-for-3 while also extending his hit streak to five.
Scouting Utah Valley
Utah Valley is coming off a big 10-4 win over PAC 12 Utah on Tuesday, it is the second time this season UVU has defeated the Utes. Overall, the Wolverines are 16-14 on the season and an even 3-3 in WAC games.
UVU took two of three from Grand Canyon in its WAC opening series, before North Dakota took two from them last weekend.
The Wolverines are one of the top hitting teams in the league, having a .276 batting average and ranking second in the league with 171 runs scored.
Mark Krueger and Greyson Bogden have the most and second most hits in the WAC, with 45 and 43, respectively. They also are both hitting above .300 with Kruger at .354 and Bogden at .323.
On the mound UVU is in the middle of the WAC with a 5.35 ERA over 30 games this year. Reliever Logan Hold leads the team with a 1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 innings pitched. He is the only Wolverine pitcher with a sub 3.00 ERA.
Coming into the season Utah valley was picked to finish sixth in the conference, just two points behind New Mexico State for fifth.
Series History vs the Wolverines
Northern Colorado and Utah Valley have played against each other 45 times, with the Wolverines leading the series 30-15. The Bears have played well against UVU in Greeley, but no in Orem where they are 4-16. Last season UNC swept Utah Valley in a three game series.
Turning Two
UNC has been doing a good job of turning two this season. The Bears have turned 21 double plays already for the year. Those 21 double plays rank 127th overall in the NCAA and fourth in the WAC. Utah Valley leads the conference with 29 turned.
Going, Going, Gone!
Brett Minnick hit his fifth home run of the year last Tuesday against Air Force. He is one off the team's high from last year at six, hit by both Cole Maltese and Jensen Park. Minnick's five long balls have him ranked first in the WAC and 131st in the nation.
Yamane The Man
• After missing last year with a foot injury, Ryan Yamane has a few different UNC baseball records within reach. Coming into the 2016 season, he ranks fifth in at bats with 660, tied for12th in hits (190) and now first in walks with 130. Yamane broke the program record of 121 set by Jeff Cheek who played from 1972-75.
• Having taken over the all-time walks record, Yamane is one of the top players to draw a walk this season. His 21 walks are the second most in the WAC and 82nd most in the NCAA.
Every Day is Sunday
UNC may want to name every day of the week Sunday since that is when the Bears have won most of their games this year. The team is 4-1 on Sunday and 1-18 on any other day of the week.
Swiping Bags
The Bears have been on the run this year, swiping 29 bags so far this season, to rank 123rd nationally and fifth in the WAC. Jake Ek leads the team with six stolen bases.
All Arms in
Tuesday's have become staff days for the Bears. Northern Colorado used seven pitchers again last week at Air Force, and eight this week against the Falcons
• Against Regis, the team used seven different pitchers who would hold the Rangers hitless for the first 5 1/3 innings
• Playing five straight games can take a toll on any pitching staff, for UNC they were able to string together a staff in the final game at Kansas. The Bears used eight pitchers lasting no more than 1 2/3 of an inning, but did see positive results. The eight pitchers combined to allow just two runs and six hits in the game.
Moving Runners Over
Senior Jake Ek moved plenty of runners over last year, finishing the season ranked 18th in the nation with 15 sacrifice bunts. Those 15 bunts helped produce nine runs for the team last year.
Following the Bears
Want to stay up to date with all things UNC Bears Baseball? There are a few ways to. During all games this year there will be live updates on the team's Twitter account @NCBearsBaseball.
For home games there will also be a live audio broadcast of the games as well as live stats on UNCBears.com. Finally after all of the team's home games make sure to get on Facebook and look for the update on the live look at the postgame press conference.
Bear in the Big Leagues
For the first time since 2011, Northern Colorado had a player drafted in the MLB draft last June. Senior Jensen Park was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 32nd round. Before Park was drafted last year, Jarod Berggren was the last UNC player drafted back in 2011.
Making the Grades
Northern Colorado baseball had seven players earn their spot on the WAC All-Academic team for 2015. Those players were Allen Cook, Caleb Kirkman, Cole Maltese, Dan Reese, Reyn Sugai, Zach Heath and Brett Minnick.
Home Grown
Head coach Carl Iwasaki and his staff have done a good job of keeping the home grown talent in the state. 12 of UNC's 32 hail from the Centennial State.
Hawaii Five-0
The Bears have a little Hawaii flair to them with three players plus head coach Carl Iwasaki and assistant Kaiona Correa all coming to Colorado from the islands.
Exceeding Expectations
For the second straight year, UNC is going to have to exceed the expectations of the WAC coaches to make another trip to Mesa, Arizona for the conference tournament. The WAC coaches pegged the Bears to finish eighth in the conference. Last year the team was picked to finish last in the preseason, but exceed those expectations finishing 7th to make it to Mesa.
New Faces
Northern Colorado not only welcomes 11 new players to this year's ball club, but also has some new faces on the coaching staff. Kai Correa moves up to a full-time assistant after being a volunteer last season, while Coach Iwa also brought on Jordan Stouffer and Dan Siegfried as a volunteer assistant and director of baseball operations.
Class of 2017
While the 2016 season is just about to kick-off, UNC has already secured eight new players for its 2017 team. During the early signing period this year the Bears have brought in three infielders, a catchers, two utility players and a pair of right handed pitchers.
On Deck
The Bears will host their WAC home opener on the weekend of April 15-17 when CSU Bakersfield comes to town.
In the Hole
Northern Colorado will look to get its first win of the year against Air Force, when they play their second game of the year at Falcons Field. The Falcons have won the first two games 14-7 and 14-2.
Around the Den
Track and field has a pair of meets they are competing in this week, starting on Wednesday and Thursday at the Bengal Decathlon-Heptathlon hosted by Idaho State. Then on Saturday at the Colorado Invite in Boulder.
Softball hosts Sacramento State on Friday and Saturday for a three game series.
Both men's and women's tennis are in the Gem State, playing at Montana State and Montana.
Leading Off
• UNC is looking for its first WAC win this weekend after being swept at Sacramento State last weekend.
• The Bears have dropped their past five games, two against Air Force and three against Sacramento State.
• Northern Colorado has played already one game this week, taking on Air Force on Tuesday. The Flacons would take the game over the Bears 14-4.
• Going into Tuesday's game Cole Maltese had a six game hit streak. His streak was ended with an 0-for-4 day.
• After string together 19 hits last week vs UNC, Air Force put another 18 up this week. Those are the first and second most hits by a Northern Colorado opponent this season.
• Tuesday's game saw three triples. Northern Colorado's Dan Reese had one, while Air Force's Adam Grosebeck and Tyler Jones had the other two.
• Once again Tuesday means arm day for UNC, today they used a season high eight pitchers. Starter Ian Doughty went the furthest of the eight lasting 2 2/3 innings.
• Dan Reese scored two of the Bears runs on the day, going 1-for-3 while also extending his hit streak to five.
Scouting Utah Valley
Utah Valley is coming off a big 10-4 win over PAC 12 Utah on Tuesday, it is the second time this season UVU has defeated the Utes. Overall, the Wolverines are 16-14 on the season and an even 3-3 in WAC games.
UVU took two of three from Grand Canyon in its WAC opening series, before North Dakota took two from them last weekend.
The Wolverines are one of the top hitting teams in the league, having a .276 batting average and ranking second in the league with 171 runs scored.
Mark Krueger and Greyson Bogden have the most and second most hits in the WAC, with 45 and 43, respectively. They also are both hitting above .300 with Kruger at .354 and Bogden at .323.
On the mound UVU is in the middle of the WAC with a 5.35 ERA over 30 games this year. Reliever Logan Hold leads the team with a 1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 innings pitched. He is the only Wolverine pitcher with a sub 3.00 ERA.
Coming into the season Utah valley was picked to finish sixth in the conference, just two points behind New Mexico State for fifth.
Series History vs the Wolverines
Northern Colorado and Utah Valley have played against each other 45 times, with the Wolverines leading the series 30-15. The Bears have played well against UVU in Greeley, but no in Orem where they are 4-16. Last season UNC swept Utah Valley in a three game series.
Turning Two
UNC has been doing a good job of turning two this season. The Bears have turned 21 double plays already for the year. Those 21 double plays rank 127th overall in the NCAA and fourth in the WAC. Utah Valley leads the conference with 29 turned.
Going, Going, Gone!
Brett Minnick hit his fifth home run of the year last Tuesday against Air Force. He is one off the team's high from last year at six, hit by both Cole Maltese and Jensen Park. Minnick's five long balls have him ranked first in the WAC and 131st in the nation.
Yamane The Man
• After missing last year with a foot injury, Ryan Yamane has a few different UNC baseball records within reach. Coming into the 2016 season, he ranks fifth in at bats with 660, tied for12th in hits (190) and now first in walks with 130. Yamane broke the program record of 121 set by Jeff Cheek who played from 1972-75.
• Having taken over the all-time walks record, Yamane is one of the top players to draw a walk this season. His 21 walks are the second most in the WAC and 82nd most in the NCAA.
Every Day is Sunday
UNC may want to name every day of the week Sunday since that is when the Bears have won most of their games this year. The team is 4-1 on Sunday and 1-18 on any other day of the week.
Swiping Bags
The Bears have been on the run this year, swiping 29 bags so far this season, to rank 123rd nationally and fifth in the WAC. Jake Ek leads the team with six stolen bases.
All Arms in
Tuesday's have become staff days for the Bears. Northern Colorado used seven pitchers again last week at Air Force, and eight this week against the Falcons
• Against Regis, the team used seven different pitchers who would hold the Rangers hitless for the first 5 1/3 innings
• Playing five straight games can take a toll on any pitching staff, for UNC they were able to string together a staff in the final game at Kansas. The Bears used eight pitchers lasting no more than 1 2/3 of an inning, but did see positive results. The eight pitchers combined to allow just two runs and six hits in the game.
Moving Runners Over
Senior Jake Ek moved plenty of runners over last year, finishing the season ranked 18th in the nation with 15 sacrifice bunts. Those 15 bunts helped produce nine runs for the team last year.
Following the Bears
Want to stay up to date with all things UNC Bears Baseball? There are a few ways to. During all games this year there will be live updates on the team's Twitter account @NCBearsBaseball.
For home games there will also be a live audio broadcast of the games as well as live stats on UNCBears.com. Finally after all of the team's home games make sure to get on Facebook and look for the update on the live look at the postgame press conference.
Bear in the Big Leagues
For the first time since 2011, Northern Colorado had a player drafted in the MLB draft last June. Senior Jensen Park was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 32nd round. Before Park was drafted last year, Jarod Berggren was the last UNC player drafted back in 2011.
Making the Grades
Northern Colorado baseball had seven players earn their spot on the WAC All-Academic team for 2015. Those players were Allen Cook, Caleb Kirkman, Cole Maltese, Dan Reese, Reyn Sugai, Zach Heath and Brett Minnick.
Home Grown
Head coach Carl Iwasaki and his staff have done a good job of keeping the home grown talent in the state. 12 of UNC's 32 hail from the Centennial State.
Hawaii Five-0
The Bears have a little Hawaii flair to them with three players plus head coach Carl Iwasaki and assistant Kaiona Correa all coming to Colorado from the islands.
Exceeding Expectations
For the second straight year, UNC is going to have to exceed the expectations of the WAC coaches to make another trip to Mesa, Arizona for the conference tournament. The WAC coaches pegged the Bears to finish eighth in the conference. Last year the team was picked to finish last in the preseason, but exceed those expectations finishing 7th to make it to Mesa.
New Faces
Northern Colorado not only welcomes 11 new players to this year's ball club, but also has some new faces on the coaching staff. Kai Correa moves up to a full-time assistant after being a volunteer last season, while Coach Iwa also brought on Jordan Stouffer and Dan Siegfried as a volunteer assistant and director of baseball operations.
Class of 2017
While the 2016 season is just about to kick-off, UNC has already secured eight new players for its 2017 team. During the early signing period this year the Bears have brought in three infielders, a catchers, two utility players and a pair of right handed pitchers.
On Deck
The Bears will host their WAC home opener on the weekend of April 15-17 when CSU Bakersfield comes to town.
In the Hole
Northern Colorado will look to get its first win of the year against Air Force, when they play their second game of the year at Falcons Field. The Falcons have won the first two games 14-7 and 14-2.
Around the Den
Track and field has a pair of meets they are competing in this week, starting on Wednesday and Thursday at the Bengal Decathlon-Heptathlon hosted by Idaho State. Then on Saturday at the Colorado Invite in Boulder.
Softball hosts Sacramento State on Friday and Saturday for a three game series.
Both men's and women's tennis are in the Gem State, playing at Montana State and Montana.
Lyndsey Oates Press Conference vs Eastern Washington
Sunday, September 28
Ed Lamb Press Conference Post Idaho State
Saturday, September 27
Head Coach Ed Lamb Press Conference 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Tim Barrera Post Game Press Conference vs Kansas City
Monday, September 22
