Completed Event: Baseball versus No. 11 seed Kansas State on May 19, 2026 , Loss , 5, to, 9
Final Score
Baseball
5
vs No. 11 seed Kansas State
9
The University of Utah Athletics
Baseball Hosts Niagara in First Home Series of Season
3/5/2019 5:41 PM | Baseball
Utes Are 5-5 on the Year
Game 11-13: Utah (5-5) vs. Niagara (1-9)
March 8-10
Salt Lake City, Utah | Smith's Ballpark
Utah Stream
Live Stats
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FIRST PITCH
Utah will play its first home series of the season at Smith's Ballpark against Niagara this weekend starting Friday. The Utes come into the game winning four of its last five and holding a 5-5 record.
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Niagara has started the year 1-9 as they travel out west. They plan to play Utah in a three-game series followed by two games with Utah Valley.
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All three games will be streamed by Utah.
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SERIES HISTORY
This is the first meeting between the two schools.
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UTES OFFENSE EXPLODES
Utah had a big week at the plate averaging 12.0 runs in the four games where they went 3-1.
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They scored at least 12 runs in three of the four games topping out at 16 against UNLV. The 16 runs were the most since the team had plated 23 against Utah Valley in the 2017 season.
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The previous six games before breaking out at the plate, the team averaged 3.83 runs.
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FIRST SHUTOUT OF THE SEASON
Riley Pierce, Jack Liffrig and Jake Dahle combined to pitch a shutout against Western Carolina in a 14-0 rout by the Utes.
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Pierce got the start and earned his first win after pitching 5.0 innings with five strikeouts and only giving up four hits. Liffrig came in first and went 3.0 innings only giving up one hit and then Dahle closed things down in the ninth retiring the Catamounts in order with two strikeouts.
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It was the first shutout since the Utes held USC scoreless in 2018.
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MOELLER RETURNS TO LINEUP
After sitting out the 2018 season with Tommy John surgery, Zack Moeller returned to the lineup as a catcher or designated hitter and is expected to be a boost not only for the offense, but also the defense behind the plate.
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After having slow start to the season, he came alive at the plate in the last week where the team went 3-1. Moeller was 7-18 at the plate hitting .389 with 13 RBI. He hit his second career grand slam against UNLV and then a three-run home run against Wright State.
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Moeller had a career high six RBI against UNLV and then followed that up with six more RBI against Wright State.
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In 2017, he started 47 games and played in 49. He hit .265 and had 30 RBI. He was second on the team with five home runs.
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DUNN ALWAYS ON BASE
Second baseman Oliver Dunn has had a great start to the season hitting .353. He leads the Pac-12 Conference with seven doubles and is third in the conference in OBP at .560.
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This past week, he was on base non-stop at UNLV and in the LeClair Classic at East Carolina. Dunn hit .500, scoring 11 runs and had nine walks. His slash for the weekend was .500/1.083/.727.
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Dunn has also been a warrior on the field playing in 114 of the 116 games he's seen action in and has a career batting average of .293.
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Up Next
Utah will host Gonzaga on Tuesday, March 12 at Smith's Ballpark at 2 p.m. before beginning Pac-12 play the following weekend at Arizona.
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March 8-10
Salt Lake City, Utah | Smith's Ballpark
Utah Stream
Live Stats
Â
FIRST PITCH
Utah will play its first home series of the season at Smith's Ballpark against Niagara this weekend starting Friday. The Utes come into the game winning four of its last five and holding a 5-5 record.
Â
Niagara has started the year 1-9 as they travel out west. They plan to play Utah in a three-game series followed by two games with Utah Valley.
Â
All three games will be streamed by Utah.
Â
SERIES HISTORY
This is the first meeting between the two schools.
Â
UTES OFFENSE EXPLODES
Utah had a big week at the plate averaging 12.0 runs in the four games where they went 3-1.
Â
They scored at least 12 runs in three of the four games topping out at 16 against UNLV. The 16 runs were the most since the team had plated 23 against Utah Valley in the 2017 season.
Â
The previous six games before breaking out at the plate, the team averaged 3.83 runs.
Â
FIRST SHUTOUT OF THE SEASON
Riley Pierce, Jack Liffrig and Jake Dahle combined to pitch a shutout against Western Carolina in a 14-0 rout by the Utes.
Â
Pierce got the start and earned his first win after pitching 5.0 innings with five strikeouts and only giving up four hits. Liffrig came in first and went 3.0 innings only giving up one hit and then Dahle closed things down in the ninth retiring the Catamounts in order with two strikeouts.
Â
It was the first shutout since the Utes held USC scoreless in 2018.
Â
MOELLER RETURNS TO LINEUP
After sitting out the 2018 season with Tommy John surgery, Zack Moeller returned to the lineup as a catcher or designated hitter and is expected to be a boost not only for the offense, but also the defense behind the plate.
Â
After having slow start to the season, he came alive at the plate in the last week where the team went 3-1. Moeller was 7-18 at the plate hitting .389 with 13 RBI. He hit his second career grand slam against UNLV and then a three-run home run against Wright State.
Â
Moeller had a career high six RBI against UNLV and then followed that up with six more RBI against Wright State.
Â
In 2017, he started 47 games and played in 49. He hit .265 and had 30 RBI. He was second on the team with five home runs.
Â
DUNN ALWAYS ON BASE
Second baseman Oliver Dunn has had a great start to the season hitting .353. He leads the Pac-12 Conference with seven doubles and is third in the conference in OBP at .560.
Â
This past week, he was on base non-stop at UNLV and in the LeClair Classic at East Carolina. Dunn hit .500, scoring 11 runs and had nine walks. His slash for the weekend was .500/1.083/.727.
Â
Dunn has also been a warrior on the field playing in 114 of the 116 games he's seen action in and has a career batting average of .293.
Â
Up Next
Utah will host Gonzaga on Tuesday, March 12 at Smith's Ballpark at 2 p.m. before beginning Pac-12 play the following weekend at Arizona.
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Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
LHP
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