The Husky baseball team will finally wrap up its non-conference schedule this weekend when it plays at Utah Valley State tonight in the first game of a three game series.

The Huskies (20-18) enter into the game just off of a shutout performance against USC on Sunday and a 9-3 victory over British Columbia in an exhibition game Tuesday.

“We need to win; we need to play well,” coach Ken Knutson said. “We’ve just hit that part of the season where we need fight and find a way to get the ‘W’s‘ in the win column.”

The Wolverines (17-24) come into the game just off of a loss to Dixie State, but they did win the three game series against the Rebels, 2-1.

Utah Valley has not fared well in the all-time series against the Huskies, as they are 0-3. Against all Pac-10 opponents, the Wolverines are 5-20.

“We just need to hang around, get ahead late and hold them off and use our bullpen,” Knutson said.

This weekend, the coach will be looking to his starters, sophomore Jorden Merry (6-4) tonight, junior Nick Haughian Friday and sophomore Jason Erickson (1-1) Saturday, to hold off the Wolverine offense.

“Same old stuff, its about us, its about how we play,” Knutson said. “I thought Merry was okay … I thought Haughian needs to get going, and Erickson was outstanding [last weekend].”

Last Friday, Merry took the start and threw 5.2 innings in which he allowed five runs on 10 hits.

“He was really good against UCR, he threw six shutout innings,” Knutson said. “This week [against USC], he competed and he was just sort of up and down. I thought he came out a little tentative.”

Utah Valley will try to counter the Huskies’ pitching staff with freshman Jace Brinkerhoff and Derrick Thomas. Brinkerhoff is the Wolverines’ hottest hitter fresh off a week in which he accumulated 10 hits in 17 at-bats, a homerun, three doubles and a triple. Thomas, meanwhile, is the Wolverines’ club leader in homers (9) and RBI (41).

The Husky hitters are looking forward to the games, since it looks like the stadium — where the left field corner sits at 305 feet and the right field corner sits at 312 feet — will play like a hitter’s park.

“It’s a small yard so maybe we can put up a lot of offense,” sophomore Jake Rife said. “Hopefully our pitching just stays low and keeps them in the yard.”

Knutson will be looking to get some runs out of his big three hitters, Curt Rindal, Matt Hague and Ty Rasmussen.

“If we get all those little guys on and the big guys hit them in it will be pretty good,” Knutson said.

The one and two hitters, Michael Burgher and Rife, have done a good job at getting on base recently and on Sunday the big guys in the lineup did a good job hitting them in. Knutson said he is looking to see that performance on a consistent basis.

Knutson said he is also hoping sophomore Bradley Boyer will be able to return to the lineup full time after being sidelined by an ankle injury for the last couple of weeks.

“It’s one of those games where we’re a Pac-10 school, and, of course, they’re going to try and beat us up,” Hague said. “Hopefully we just keep our stuff rolling and come through with some wins.”

Reach reporter James Schleicher at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.