Game Times (Mountain):
Friday (DH) - 4 p.m.
Saturday (DH) - 2 p.m.
Game Notes: (DIXIE STATE - PDF) | HAWAI'I PACIFIC
Audio/Video: www.southernutahlive.com (Friday only)
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/dixie/baseball
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @Dixie_Base | #DixieBlazers | #PacWestBASE | #d2bsb
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) (4-1, 2.97 ERA) vs. TBA
Friday (G2) – RHP Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) (8-0, 3.32 ERA) vs. TBA
Saturday (G3) – RHP Preston Hannay (Murray, Utah/Murray HS) (3-1, 3.90 ERA) vs. TBA
Saturday (G4) – LHP Aaron Pope (Chubbuck, Idaho/Highland HS) (2-2, 3.45 ERA) vs. TBA

FIRST PITCH: No. 20/21 Dixie State (32-10/20-8 PacWest) wraps up the home portion of its 2016 regular season this weekend as the Trailblazers host Hawai'i Pacific (27-15/17-13 PacWest) for a four-game Pacific West Conference series at Bruce Hurst Field. The series will be played in two doubleheaders, the first coming on Friday at 4 p.m., followed by the final twin bill Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m.
    Saturday will also serve as Senior Day as seven Trailblazers will play in their final regular season home games, including infielders Samuel Hall (Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS) and Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS), and pitchers Chance Abrath (Salt Lake City, Utah/West HS), Jeremy Alderman (Cheney, Wash./Cheney HS), Kolton Brost (Mona, Utah/Payson HS), Spencer Greer (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) and Mark Marinch (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde HS).

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State split a four-game PacWest series vs. Azusa Pacific last weekend at Bruce Hurst Field. The Cougars claimed the first two games of the set by 6-4 and 8-1 counts, before the Trailblazers came back with a 9-6 victory in game three, then rallied from a six-run deficit to salvage the split with a 7-6 win in 10 innings last Saturday.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Dixie State owns a 31-24 series lead against Hawai'i Pacific and has won seven of the last eight meetings vs. the Sharks overall, including a four-game sweep the last time the two teams met in St. George. 

COACHING STAFF: Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer is in his fourth season as head coach of the Dixie State Baseball program. Pfatenhauer has led DSU to consecutive PacWest titles (2014/2015) and three-straight trips (four-straight overall) to the NCAA West Regionals, including serving as the host institution in 2013. Pfatenhauer, who won his 100th-game at DSU last season in a 2-1 victory over Cal Poly Pomona at the NCAA regionals, owns a 132-63 (.677) overall record at DSU, including a 93-35 (.726) record in PacWest play. Pfatenhauer is 8-4 all-time vs. Hawai'i Pacific as DSU head coach.
    Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is first-year pitching coach Michael Gargano (Walden University, 2013), along with second-year assistant coaches Matt Hill (Dixie State 2015), and Bobby Rinard (Arizona, 2014), and first-year assistant coach Patrick Perry (Northern Colorado, 2013).

DIXIE STATE PICKED AS PACWEST CO-FAVORITES: Dixie State was chosen as a preseason co-favorite to once again win the 2016 Pacific West Conference title according to annual preseason coaches' poll released Jan. 27. The two-time defending PacWest champions received two first place votes to finish with 88 points in the poll. DSU is tied atop the poll with California Baptist, which collected 88 points and six first place nods, followed by Azusa Pacific in third with two first place votes and 78 points. Point Loma (66 points) was tabbed to finish fourth and Fresno Pacific (63 points) was selected fifth to round out the top-half of the poll.
    Dixie State also landed two players on the PacWest Preseason all-Conference team in senior shortstop Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS) and junior second baseman Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS).

WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Not only is Dixie State looking to win its third-straight PacWest crown in 2016, the Trailblazers are also hoping to keep its NCAA postseason streak alive as well. DSU has made four-straight NCAA regional appearances, which is currently the longest active streak in the West Region.

DSU IN THE POLLS: Dixie State's split vs. APU last week dropped the Trailblazers in the national rankings this week as the Trailblazers fell to No. 20 in this week's National College Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) poll, and down to No. 21 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper top-30 poll.
    Dixie State also dropped to #3 in the latest NCBWA West Region poll, while DSU is ranked No. 20 in the April 19 D2BaseballNews.com top-25 poll.

HOME SWEET HOME: Dixie State won its 21st home game of the season in last Saturday's come-from-behind win vs. APU to move to 21-5 (.807) inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field. DSU has posted 10-straight winning seasons at home overall, while Saturday's win also marked the program's 200th home win in its NCAA Division II era. Dixie State is now 200-76 (.724) at home since beginning four-year competition in 2007. The Trailblazers have posted five 20-plus win seasons over that span, including a program-best 26 wins (26-7) in 2009, and a 22-5 (.814) record under Coach Pfatenhauer in 2014.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Dixie State's series split at Point Loma (4/8-9) also clinched a winning road record for the Trailblazers this season. DSU is currently 11-5 on the road in 2016 with four more regular season road games left, which will come at PacWest newcomer Concordia-Irvine next weekend (April 29-May 1).
    DSU has played to a 108-95 overall record (.532) through its first nine-plus years of D-II competition with six-straight winning road records. Last year DSU went a program-best 15-5 on the road (.750) and has now won at least 10 road games in seven-straight seasons overall.
    When you also figure in neutral-site games (5-7 in 12 games), Dixie State is 113-102 (.525) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in NCAA play.

300 WINS AND COUNTING....: Dixie State won its 300th game as an NCAA Division II program in the second game of the Trailblazers' doubleheader at Holy Names on March 18. DSU is now 313-178 (.637) all-time in their near 10 years of four-year competition.
    DSU is also inching closer to several other program milestones this season. If Dixie State advances to its fifth-straight NCAA West Regional in May, the first game of that tourney will be DSU's 500th NCAA game. In addition, the Trailblazers played in their 200th road game in the opener at Point Loma (4/8), which was followed by the program's 250th PacWest game in Friday's second game of the doubleheader. That game also marked Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer's 300th game as a head coach. Coach Pfatenhauer will also will coach in his 200th-game at Dixie State in the opener at Concordia next Friday, April 29.

RODRIGUEZ EARNS SECOND PACWEST WEEKLY HONOR: Junior outfielder/DH Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS) was named Pacific West Conference Baseball Newcomer of the Week Tuesday after his performance in DSU's home series vs. Azusa Pacific last weekend. The award marks the second time this season Rodriguez has earned the league's weekly newcomer award (Feb. 29).
    Rodriguez hit .467 (7-for-15) with six RBI and two runs scored in DSU's series split with APU. He collected at least one hit in each game and totaled four hits and four RBI in each of the Trailblazers' wins in the series. Rodriguez has hit in six-straight and in 10 of his last 11 games overall and is batting .361 with two home runs and 22 RBI in 36 games this season.

D-MAC THE NEW HIT KING: Junior second baseman Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) became Dixie State's career hits leader in game two vs. APU after legging out a bunt single in the third inning for his 193rd-career base hit. He passed former DSU infielder Colton Yack (2010-13), who massed 192 hits in his four-year career.
    McLaughlin (198 hits) went 9-for-19 (.473) in the series, including a pair of three-hit games, and now stands two base hits shy of 200 career hits heading into play this weekend. He has hit safely in nine-straight and in 22 of his last 23 games overall, and is currently second in the PacWest and t-10th nationally in hits with 72, which ranks him t-fourth on DSU's single season list. In addition, he is fourth in the league in batting average at .407, which at the moment is fifth-best on DSU's season list.
    McLaughlin has also moved up the charts in several other DSU career categories. The junior is currently ranked second in career runs (132) and at-bats (572), third in total bases (246), fourth in average (.346), t-fourth in total bases (236), fifth in stolen bases (20), eighth in starts (141) and ninth in games played (143). 

MORACHE BREAKS SINGLE-SEASON HITS MARK: Like his double-play partner, senior Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS) broke a record of his own as the shortstop became DSU's single-season hits leader with a seventh-inning single to center field in the finale vs. APU last Saturday. Morache, who went 9-for-19 (.473) vs. APU), passed former DSU infielder Jimmy Dever, who collected 74 base hits in 2009. Morache, who just missed breaking the record with 73 hits last season, now has 148 career hits, which is good for ninth on the career list.
    Morache has hit in 12-straight and in 39 of 42 games this season. He enters play this weekend batting .426, which is currently tops on DSU's single-season list and ranks him second in the PacWest and 40th-nationally. He is also two doubles shy of breaking DSU's single-season record, which is currently held by former DSU 1B Kevin Kline (Las Vegas, NV/Rancho) (20 in 2014). Morache's 19 doubles ranks him second in the PacWest and t-seventh in the country. On the career list, Morache is second all-time in average (.395), fourth in on-base percentage (.441), fifth in slugging percentage (.531) and t-sixth in doubles (28) and triples (4).

IT'S DEEP AND I DON'T THINK IT'S PLAYABLE: Dixie State has homered 29 times this season, though the Trailblazers did not homer in the APU series, while the Cougars connected for five long balls in the series.
    In all, 19 of DSU's 29 homers on the season have been hit at Bruce Hurst Field, including a season-high tying three in the opener vs. UHH March 28. DSU also hit three homers at Point Loma (4/8) and vs. Saint Martin's (2/21), which included arguably one of the most memorable home runs in program history, a walk-off grand slam hit by Morache in the 10th-inning of DSU's 9-6 win over the Saints.
    Morache's slam marked the first time since the 2010 season that DSU won a game on a walk-off homer and it was the first walk-off grand slam in DSU's D-II era. Former OF Brett Adams had the last DSU walk-off homer, which came in a 9-8 home win over PacWest rival California Baptist (3/31/10).
    Morache also became the first DSU player in three years to lead-off a game with a home run when he belted the second pitch of the game over the right field wall in game two at PLNU April 8. The last DSU player to lead off a game with a homer was former outfielder Garrett Nash, who accomplished the feat on the road at APU (3/29/13).

HILTY UNBEATEN ON THE HILL: Junior righthander Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS), who will start game two vs. HPU Friday, will try for a DSU record ninth victory this season after he did not figure into the decision in game three vs. APU last Friday.
    Hilty became the first pitcher to win his first eight decisions in the program's NCAA D-II era in DSU's 4-0 win in the finale at PLNU April 9. Hilty, whose eight wins is good for t-eighth in NCAA D-II this year, pitched six scoreless innings and scattered five hits with two strikeouts in picking up his milestone victory.
    With that eighth win, Hilty moved into a tie atop DSU's single-season wins list with current DSU pitcher Chance Abrath (Salt Lake City, Utah/West HS) (2014) and former hurlers John Conquy (Las Vegas, NV/Durango) (2014), Austin Christiansen (2013) and Justin Prodan (2010). Hilty also tied Abrath and Conquy's school-record in winning his eighth-straight decision. Abrath and Conquy each won eight-straight decisions in 2014 after the pair opened that season 0-1.

TEAM NOTES: Through 42 games this season, Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer has used 39 different starting line-up/batting order combinations ... In addition, DSU has employed 30 different starting defensive line-ups through 42 games ... Dixie State has reached the 30-win plateau for the eighth-straight season ... DSU recorded its 30th win in game No. 38, which was the fastest the program has won 30 games in DSU's NCAA Division II era ... DSU has seven series victories on the season overall, including four four-game sweeps ... DSU improved to 5-2 in extra-inning games this season in the series finale vs. APU last Saturday, including a 3-1 mark in PacWest play ... DSU's extra-inning win vs. APU was also the Trailblazers' sixth win in their final at-bat ... DSU continues to lead the PacWest and is ranked #8-nationally in team batting average at .343 and is #10 in the nation in hits with 485 ... Entering play this weekend, Dixie State leads the nation in sacrifice bunts with 58 through 42 games ... Dixie State's pitching staff combined to post a 4.23 ERA at PLNU and enters this week third in the PacWest and #19-nationally in ERA at 3.57 ... The Trailblazers are also ranked t-18th in OB% (.419) and 21st in WHiP (1.30) ... DSU is 57-for-75 (.760) in stolen bases through 42 games, though DSU went just 3-for-6 vs. APU.

PLAYER NOTES: Junior OF Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) hit .529 (9-for-17) in the APU series with two three-hit outings, four RBI and a run scored to bump his season average to .395, which ranks him sixth in the PacWest ... Bice pushed his hitting streak to a season-high nine games overall and he is currently ranked as the second hardest hitter to strike out in NCAA Division II this season ... Bice has struck out just three times in 124 at-bats and 144 total plate appearances ... Senior 1B Samuel Hall (Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS) (6-for-14, .428) had a base hit in all four games vs. APU and two hits in both wins with three RBI and three runs scored ... Hall leads the team in RBI (40) and walks (26) and co-leads in home runs (5) to go with a .349 average ... Junior catcher Reece Lucero (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) matched his season-high hitting streak at six games with hits in all four games vs. APU ... Senior LHP Kolton Brost (Mona, Utah/Payson HS), who is t-fourth nationally in appearances (23), made three appearances out of the Trailblazer bullpen in the APU series ... Brost (3-0), who picked up his third win of the year in game three, pitched 1.2 innings overall and four of the five outs he recorded were via strikeout ... Sophomore RHP Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) suffered his first loss of the in his 11th-start of the year in game two vs. APU ... File, who is a career 10-2 in nearly two full seasons as a starter, went seven innings and allowed nine hits and three earned runs (five total) with four strikeouts ... Sophomore LHP Aaron Pope (Chubbuck, Idaho/Highland HS) saw his first action after missing more than a month due to injury in the opener vs. APU ... Pope fanned three over 3.1 innings of relief but did surrender four hits and two earned runs (four total) in taking the loss ... Senior RHP Spencer Greer (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) picked up his team-leading sixth saves of the season in game three vs. APU.

UP NEXT: Dixie State closes out the 2016 regular season schedule with a four-game series at PacWest newcomer Concordia next weekend, April 29-May 1, in Irvine, Calif.