Road Slate Resumes with Pac-12 Series at USC

Utes Announce Schedule Updates

• Utah's series finale at USC on Sunday, April 24 has been moved up to a 1 p.m. MT first pitch. Previously the game was to begin at 2 p.m. MT.
• Start times remain unchanged for both Friday night, April 22 (7 p.m. MT) as well as Saturday, April 23 (6 p.m. MT).
• In addition, next week's non-conference tilt at Utah Valley (April 27) has been cancelled after both teams mutually agreed to the change. This leaves the Utes with four games on the schedule next week: a Tuesday, April 26 matchup with Dixie State at Smith's Ballpark, followed up with a three-game Pac-12 series vs. Oregon State (April 29-May 1).

 
The First Pitch: Things to Know
Riding a three-game winning streak and victorious in four of five, it's back to the road and back to Pac-12 Conference play for Utah baseball as the Utes trek to Los Angeles for three games at USC. First pitch in the series opener is set for 7 p.m. MT on Friday, April 22 at Dedeaux Field.

• The Utes are traveling on the heels of a seven-game home stand in which the club went 4-3 at Smith's Ballpark. Six of the seven games came against top-20-ranked foes in the Pac-12 Conference, with Utah taking the series finale from then-No. 15 UCLA, two of three from then-No. 20 Arizona, and a walk-off triumph against in-state rival BYU. All three losses were by one run, and in all three of those games the Utes had either the tying run, winning run or both on base in the ninth inning.
• Utah and USC crossed paths for a three-game series to conclude the 2021 season, with the Trojans taking a 17-11 rubber game score in Utah. The Utes won a 2-1 pitcher's duel in the middle game of that set, with Kai Roberts scoring the eventual game-winning run in the eighth inning. Utah last earned a series win over USC during the 2019 campaign.
• The last series win for Utah on the road at USC came during the 2012 season, earning victories in the first two games of the weekend set. That marked the first-ever conference series the Utes played as members of the Pac-12 Conference.

 
Recap in a Minute
The Utes earned an exciting, come-from-behind walk-off win over BYU on Tuesday night by an 8-7 score in Salt Lake City. It leveled the season series with Utah's in-state rival at one game apiece, with the final matchup of the sides to come on May 17 down in Provo.

• Right fielder and leadoff man Kai Roberts had the game-winning hit, poking a single through the left side and scoring catcher Davis Cop from second base on the opposite-field poke. It capped a thrilling comeback for the home club, which trailed 5-1 after two innings of play. It was fitting, too, for Roberts to log the walk-off single as Roberts is an in-state product from Lehi, Utah. Roberts was hitless to that point and the walk-off kept his hitting streak alive, which now stands at seven straight games and leads the Utes.
• Lefty Micah Ashman (2-0) pitched the final two innings of the ballgame and recorded three strikeouts. A pair of errors in the field gave BYU their only baserunners under Ashman's watch.
• Designated hitter Jayden Kiernan had a two-run double among his pair of hits and three RBI, and six-hole hitter and first baseman Alex Baeza logged both a single and a double. Roberts walked three times and scored twice. Left fielder TJ Clarkson reached base safely for the 34th straight game—a career-long for Clarkson and the second-longest active streak in the Pac-12.