Spring Break Begins with Trip to Cal Poly

Saturday, March 2

San Luis Obispo, CA

5:00 PM

University of Utah

Cal Poly

2/29/2024 3:32 PM | Baseball

Utah Baseball looks to continue its best start since at least 1980

2024 Utah Baseball Game Notes
Games 9-11 Date // Time (MT)	Utah (7-1 overall) at Cal Poly (2-5 overall) Sunday, March 3 // 2 p.m. (doubleheader) Monday, March 4 // 2 p.m. (single game)
Location	San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Baggett Stadium)
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast Game 1 // Game 2 // Game 3
Streaming Audio/Video	TBD
Game Notes	Utah // Pac-12 Weekly Release
@UtahBaseball Social Media	Twitter/X // Instagram // Facebook // #GoUtes // #UteNotes

The First Pitch: Things to Know
Off to its hottest start since at least 1980, a stretch of seven games in 10 days await the Utah Baseball team as the Utes hit the road over Spring Break. The first leg of the journey sends the team to Cal Poly, in a return trip after Utah hosted the Big West foe at Smith's Ballpark during the 2023 season.

Due to inclement weather, schedule changes for the series have been announced. The three-game set was scheduled to run from Friday through Sunday; now the teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday and a single game on Monday. Both days' action are set for a 2 p.m. MT first pitch.
Utah enters the series on a seven-game winning streak, its first since 2008. It's the longest active streak in the Pac-12, ahead of Cal (5) and Oregon (4).
The Utes' seven wins in their first eight games are the most since at least 1980, and mark the fourth time in that span that the team had six wins or more in its first eight games. The 2022 club started 6-1-1, while Utah was 6-2 through eight games both in 1980 and 2017.
Head coach Gary Henderson's club has received tremendous help from the pitching staff, which ranks second in the Pac-12 and No. 22 nationally with a 3.42 ERA. The starting pitching has an 3.60 ERA as a group.
Right-hander Brett Porthan has gone seven-plus innings in both of his starts this season, including when the Utah Tech transfer had a no-hit bid going for 6.2 innings last Sunday against CSU Bakersfield.
Offensively, the Utes have had contributions from returners and newcomers alike, with outfielder Kai Roberts boasting a .343 clip and starting all eight games to date. Roberts has contributed three doubles, one triple and a homer along with three RBI and a team-best 12 runs scored. Newcomer Michael Davinni, who has primarily played third base, leads the team with nine RBI.
The Utah bats went off for 18 runs in last year's series-opening win against the Mustangs in Salt Lake City, but Cal Poly answered with a 9-8 triumph in the middle game and a 6-4 decision on Sunday to take the rubber match.
Roberts hit .545 in last year's series against Cal Poly, going 6-for-11 with three doubles, six RBI and four runs scored. Lefty Bryson Van Sickle went seven innings in his Friday start, striking out seven in the victory.
Utah had Roberts on base with tying run in the ninth inning of the middle game last year, but after a 45-minute weather delay the Utes were unable to level the score.
TJ Clarkson, a Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference selection, is coming off a redshirt junior year in 2023 that saw Clarkson start all 55 games, primarily in the outfield. He reset career-highs in every major offensive category including batting average (.301), slugging (.628), on-base percentage (.464), runs scored (56), hits (59), doubles (18), home runs (14), RBI (45) and walks (48).
In addition, Clarkson's 14 dingers were the most by a Ute in the Pac-12 era (dating back to the 2012 baseball season) and most since C.J. Cron's 15 blasts back in 2011.
D1Baseball.com listed Clarkson as the No. 39-ranked Pac-12 prospect for the upcoming MLB Draft.
NCBWA Preseason All-American Micah Ashman leads the charge out of the bullpen, coming off an outstanding sophomore year for the southpaw. Ashman, who grew up in nearby Sandy, Utah, had nine saves a year ago and enters the new season on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. He is ranked by D1Baseball.com as the preseason No. 23 prospect in the Pac-12 for the 2024 MLB Draft.
The Utes had three pitchers sign UDFA contracts following the '23 season as well. Right-hand submariner Zac McCleve went to the Tampa Bay Rays organization, and fellow righties Cam Day (LA Dodgers) and Blake Whiting (Milwaukee) also signed professional contracts.