STANFORD, Calif. -- Zach Hoffpauir and the Stanford baseball team hosts the Utah Utes at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond Friday-Sunday in a three-game Pac-12 series. The Cardinal looks to ride the momentum of a series win at California last weekend in its last conference action.
Stanford (14-20, 2-10 Pac-12) has 10+ hits in each of its last three games on its way to wins in three of its last five. Hoffpauir, the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, has hit .474 with three homers and 10 RBI in the last five games to lead the Cardinal bats. Sophomore Tommy Edman has added 11 hits in the last five, as both Edman and Hoffpauir enter the series on five-game hitting streaks.
Thanks to the hot hitting, Stanford has raised its team batting average from .237 to .248 over the last five games. Freshman Mikey Diekroeger (.317) leads the team in hitting with Edman (.294) and freshman Matt Winaker (.292) close behind. Freshmen have taken 43% of Stanford’s at-bats and have combined to hit .252.
Utah (12-20, 4-8 Pac-12) also won its series last weekend, taking two of three from nonconference foe Southeastern Louisiana. The Utes have dropped three straight conference series after opening the Pac-12 slate by winning two out of three games at Arizona March 13-15.
Sophomore Brett Hanewich (2-3, 3.60 ERA) faces right-hander Nolan Stouder (0-2, 4.41 ERA) Friday night at 6 p.m. PT. Stanford has not named a starter for Saturday’s 2 p.m. PT game against Utah’s Dalton Carroll (4-4, 4.50 ERA). Freshman lefty Andrew Summerville (3-0, 2.40 ERA) gets his third career start Sunday against righty Jayson Rose (2-3, 3.80 ERA).
All three games will be web streamed via GoStanford.com.
The Cardinal is 8-2 (.800) all-time against Utah dating back to 1965, including a sweep in Salt Lake City last season. Utah’s only two wins over Stanford came at Sunken Diamond in 2013.
Saturday: Free Stanford baseball keychains at the marketing table for the first 750 fans. Tix: http://t.co/PXrDJgyXVx pic.twitter.com/16w2gVXdyr
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) April 17, 2015