Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Cory McKendrick, USU Eastern Sports Information Contributor
The Utah State University Eastern baseball team hosted the Utah State University club team in the last preseason series on Feb. 28 and 29. The Eagles swept the Aggies, outscoring their opponent 57-10. The Eagles scored the 57 runs in an offensive explosion in result from 50 hits, including 10 doubles, two triples and two homeruns. Eastern also was able to draw 32 walks and steal 18 bases on the weekend.
The Eagles have scored 114 runs in the past ten games, averaging 11 runs and 10 hits per contest and a record of 8-2 over the stretch.
Karter Pope, Hayden Brock, Conner Udy and Parker Buys all earned wins on the mound for the Eagles. They improved to 2-1, 2-1, 1-2 and 2-1, respectively. The weekend featured every Eagle pitcher available to throw, contributing to the success of the series.
Game one highlights included Dylan Sanchez, who was 2-2 at the plate with a triple and a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Ryder Peterson also contributed two hits at the plate, both of them being doubles, and two runs and two RBIs. The Eagles won 8-1.
Game two was a victory in blowout fashion. The Eagles swept the day with a 17-3 victory. Parker Buys was 3-3 at the plate with a run scored. Casey Hamilton and Kaden Kunz both drove in three runs apiece for the Eagle offense. Dawsen Hall stole two bases for the second consecutive game in the win.
Game three was a shutout gem pitched by Conner Udy. Hall was 2-3 with a homerun, two RBIs and three runs scored. Cooper Ohlson was also 2-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Hall stole two bases in the game again.
Game four was both the largest margin of victory and most runs scored on record since 2013. The Eagles’ offense exploded in the last game of the series for 25 runs. The Eagles won 25-6. Ethan Udy was 2-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Peterson was 1-2 with a run scored, a homerun and three RBIs. Hall again stole two bases, bringing his total up to eight on the weekend.
The Eagles will open up conference play in the first weekend of March. They will host the Colorado Northwestern Spartans on March 5-7 at the Carlson-Colosimo field. Thursday’s game will begin at 3 p.m. Friday will feature a double-header with the first game beginning at 12 p.m. The final game will be on Saturday and is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.