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The University of Utah Athletics
Utes Travel To Los Angeles
2/16/2000 12:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2000
SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah baseball team is 3-5 on the season claiming wins over UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly-SLO. The Utes have losses to No. 23 ranked Arizona State and to Pacific. In the Mountain West Conference, Utah is ranked third behind San Diego State (6-5) and New Mexico (4-5).
The Utes return four starters and 13 letterwinners to the 2000 campaign. Rounding out the Utah roster is 15 newcomers, including 10 junior college transfers.
Coming Up
The Utes travel to Los Angeles, Calif., to take on Loyola Marymount in a three-game non-conference series Feb. 18-20. Friday's game is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday's games will begin at 1:00 p.m.
A Quick Look at Loyola Marymount
The Utes-Lions series is the home opener for Loyola Marymount. The Lions enter the weekend with a 3-1 record defeating UC Santa Barbara (12-7) and claiming two victories and one loss to California (1-2, 9-4, 9-6). In the Baseball America poll, Loyola Marymount rings in at No. 16. The Lions are ranked No. 28 in this week's USA Today/ESPN poll and claim the No. 30 spot in the Collegiate Baseball rankings.
In the stats column, Loyola Marymount already posts 13 home runs, averaging 2.6 homers per game. As a team, the Lions boast a .333 batting average including 10 doubles and 36 RBI.
Changes for the Utes
Utah has made two major changes this season: entering a new conference and playing on a new practice field.
Utah joins the Mountain West Conference this season with Air Force, Brigham Young, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV. The conference schedule will consist of two three-game series between each team and the MWC Championship held in Las Vegas, Nev., May 17-20.
Following the 1998 season, Ute Field, Utah's on-campus practice facility was dismantled to be used for the building of the 2002 Winter Olympic Village being built upon the University campus. Consequently, the Utes were left without a spring practice field while a new field was being built. The new Ute Field was completed in late August enabling complete team practices to commence this fall.
Utes in the Mountain West
Utah leads the conference with a .978 fielding percentage. The Utes boast 195 putouts, 73 assists and only six errors, the least amount of errors by any conference team. The Utes are second in the league with nine home runs, one slam behind UNLV. Utah is third with two triples and fourth with a .435 slugging percentage.
On the mound, Utah is fifth in the MWC with a 7.34 team ERA. Utah leads the pack with only 13 doubles allowed, is third with only 59 runs allowed and fourth with 53 runs allowed.
Utah Mound Staff
Sophomore hurler Mitch Maio leads the Utes and the conference with a 0.00 ERA. Maio has made two appearances for the Utes pitching 5.2 innings. Facing 21 batters, he has allowed only three hits, one run and no earned runs. He is second on the team with nine strikeouts. Maio spent his first season with the Utes as a redshirt. Last year, he jumped into the lineup playing five games of relief pitching a 3.86 ERA and delivering five strikeouts.
Jon Lewis is second on the team with a 3.86 ERA. The junior is 1-0, making two appearances and pitching seven innings. He is tied with Maio with nine strikeouts. Facing 30 batters, Lewis has allowed only eight hits and three earned runs. As a starter for Snow College in 1999, he posted a 2.40 ERA and was a two-time all-SWAC second team member. He was named Snow's Academic Athlete of the Year in 1999 and was an Academic All-American candidate in 1996.
Senior Jared Cavaness is 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA. The hurler leads the team with three games started, one complete game and 17.1 innings pitched. In 82 batters faced, Cavaness has allowed only 20 hits, 12 runs and 11 earned runs while striking out eight batters. He posts an opposing batting average of .294. In the Mountain West, Cavaness leads the league in games started, innings pitched and triples allowed (1).
David Ebright is 1-2 on the season with a 6.88 ERA. He is tied with Cavaness starting three games, including one complete game. The junior is second on the team pitching 17 innings. Facing 85 batters, Ebright has allowed only 22 hits, 16 runs and 13 earned runs. He leads the team with 12 strikeouts. He records an opposing batting average of .306. In conference play, Ebright is tied for third in strikeouts and second in innings pitched. He also leads the league in games started and triples allowed (1).
Rounding the Bases
Junior Sam Swenson leads the Utes with a .375 batting average. The center fielder is 12-of-32 at the plate and leads the team with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and seven RBI. He owns a .719 slugging percentage that ranks him sixth in the Mountain West. Swenson is tied for second in the conference in home runs, ranks fourth with 23 total bases and is ninth in hits. The Utes leading hitter returns this season after taking a medical redshirt year due to a back injury last season. Swenson played in only 11 games in 1999.
Leading the Field
First baseman Nate Weese leads the Mountain West with a perfect fielding percentage. He leads the league with 71 putouts and 75 chances. He also ranks second in the conference fielding seven double plays. At the plate, Weese owns a .313 batting average listing third on the team. He has 10 runs, one double, two home runs and three RBI. He is tied also tied for second in the Mountain West in home runs.
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