Huskies hoping to keep season turnaround going against downtrodden Utes

May 10, 2013, 12:00 AM

Two teams going in different directions meet on the diamond in Seattle this weekend. After starting poorly, the Washington baseball team has turned its season around in the past few weeks, winning eight of its past 12 games. Meanwhile, after showing some improvement in nonconference play, Utah has fallen off the map, losing nine in a row to slip deeper into the Pac-12 cellar. When the two teams meet on Friday, it will be a tale of two squads that have both underachieved this season. But there is no question about which team comes into the series hotter, as the Huskies (17-29, 8-13 Pac-12) have won four of their last five series to move into a tie for seventh place. What’s most impressive about their hot streak has been the competition: The Huskies have won series against No 6. Oregon State, then-No. 21 Gonzaga, and defending national champion Arizona. Their lone series loss since April 15 came in Seattle at the hands of California, the ninth-place team in the conference. So could the Huskies get tripped up again this weekend against struggling Utah? Head coach Lindsay Meggs says it doesn’t matter to his team whether it’s playing against first or last place. “We’re always preaching, we’re always selling, the fact that it doesn’t matter who we play, it doesn’t matter where we play; it’s how we play,” Meggs said. “So for us, we’re playing a little bit better level of baseball than we have all year. We just want to keep going, keep pushing, keep working, and take advantage of every opportunity.” The turnaround for the Huskies started at the plate and has now extended to the mound. Friday’s starter is right-hander Jared Fisher, who has allowed one earned run over his last three starts. His season ERA has gone down to 2.34, and the sophomore says the difference has been pitching to contact. “I’m not really worried about striking guys out,” Fisher said. “I’m not trying to overpower guys. You throw it in there and let them hit it, and they get themselves out most of the time.” As good as Fisher has been, Saturday starter Austin Voth has matched him. Despite being the victim of some bad luck in the Cal series, Voth rebounded with 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his last start against Arizona. Voth enters the series tied for second in the Pac-12 with 84 strikeouts. The UW’s offense has also been hot recently. Last Friday, the UW pounded out 30 hits and scored 23 runs in a rout over Arizona. In their most recent effort, the Huskies put up a six-run sixth inning to beat Seattle University 7-2 and clinch the season series with their crosstown rival. “We had a chance to win another series, and we want to keep playing well, so the win means a lot to us,” Meggs said. “We wanted to make sure we went rolling into the weekend, and it’s a big win for us.” The Huskies will try to continue the momentum in the series opener at 5 p.m. on Friday. The teams meet in matinees Saturday and Sunday that are both scheduled for noon and will be shown on the Pac-12 Network. Reach reporter Daniel Rubens at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @drubens12

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