Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 4 p.m.
Saturday (DH) - 12 noon
Sunday - 1 p.m.
Game Notes: (DIXIE STATE - PDF) | CONCORDIA
Audio/Video: portal.stretchinternet.com/cui
Live Stats: portal.stretchinternet.com/cui
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @Dixie_Base | #DixieBlazers | #PacWestBASE | #d2bsb
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) (5-1, 3.07 ERA) vs. RHP Spencer Moran (0-4, 6.10 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) (9-0, 3.14 ERA) vs. LHP Collin Orellana (4-4, 6.98 ERA)
Saturday (G3) – LHP Aaron Pope (Chubbuck, Idaho/Highland HS) (2-2, 4.06 ERA) vs. RHP Morgan Brannock (0-3, 3.63 ERA)
Sunday (G4) – LHP Kolton Brost (Mona, Utah/Payson HS) (3-0, 2.93 ERA) vs. RHP Isaiah Terrazas (4-4, 2.30 ERA)

FIRST PITCH: No. 14/19 Dixie State (35-11/23-9 PacWest) wraps up its 2016 regular season this weekend as the Trailblazers travel to Irvine, Calif., for a four-game weekend series at Pacific West Conference newcomer Concordia University (20-26/16-16 PacWest). The Trailblazers and Eagles will play a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. (PDT), followed by a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m. (PDT), and the series finale on Sunday at 12 noon (PDT).

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State closed out its 2016 home schedule by taking three of four from Hawai'i Pacific in PacWest play. DSU outscored the Sharks 29-15 in the series to finish with a 24-6 overall home record (14-6 in PacWest play).

ALL-TIME SERIES: This weekend's series will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the diamond.

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 135-64 (.678) overall record at DSU, including a 96-36 (.727) record in PacWest play. Pfatenhauer is 0-0 all-time vs. Concordia 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 series win vs. Hawai'i Pacific moved the Trailblazers up in the national rankings this week. DSU moved six spots to No. 14 in this week's National College Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) poll, and rose two places to No. 19 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper top-30 poll.
    Dixie State also moved back up to No. 2 in the latest NCBWA West Region poll, while DSU is ranked No. 19 in the April 26 D2BaseballNews.com top-25 poll.
    In addition, the first official NCAA West Region rankings were released on Wednesday and the PacWest's top-two teams lead the way as DSU is ranked No. 2 behind No. 1 California Baptist.

HOME SWEET HOME: Dixie State finished its 2016 home season with a 24-6 overall record (.800), which is the second-best home mark in the program's NCAA Division II era (26-7 in 2009), and the best home record in four seasons under Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer. Dixie State is now 203-77 (.725) in 280 games inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since 2007 (first NCAA season).
    DSU has posted a winning record at home in all 10 seasons of NCAA play and has won 20 or more games in six of those 10 seasons, including a program-best 26 wins in 2009, and a 22-5 record under Coach Pfatenhauer in 2014.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Dixie State has also held its own away from home as the Trailblazers have played to a 11-5 road record in 2016 going into this weekend's series at CUI.
    DSU owns a 108-95 overall road 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.

JUST WIN BABY: Dixie State tied an NCAA-era team record for regular season wins with its 35th-overall in game one (W, 10-2) of last Saturday's twin bill vs. Hawai'i Pacific. DSU also won 35 regular season games in 2014 (35-15) and won a game in the NCAA West Regional to finish that season with a four-year era school-record 36 victories (36-17).
    DSU has won 30 games or more in each of the last eight seasons, including 35 in 2012 (35-20), en route to a 316-179 (.638) overall record in nearly 10 years of NCAA Division II competition. The Trailblazers won its 300th game as a four-year program earlier this season in the second game of DSU's doubleheader at Holy Names on March 18. In addition, DSU recorded its 30th win of the year in game No. 38 (at PLNU - 4/8), which was the fastest the program has won 30 games in a season in DSU's four-year era.

CHECK OFF ANOTHER MILESTONE THIS WEEKEND: Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer will be in the dugout for his 200th Dixie State game when the Trailblazers take the field at CUI on Friday. That milestone is one of two the DSU skipper has reached this year as he also coached in his 300th-career game in game two at Point Loma on April 8.
    As a team, Dixie State has surpassed or has inched closer to three other four-year era milestones this season. 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 the second game of that doubleheader. In addition, 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.

IT'S DEEP AND I DON'T THINK IT'S PLAYABLE: Though it was not as long as the Atlanta Braves' streak, Dixie State did end its season-long six-game homerless drought in game two vs. HPU (4/22) when junior 2B Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) belted a solo HR to left center in the first inning. DSU wound up with four homers in the HPU series and has connected for 33 home runs overall this season.
    In all, 23 of DSU's 33 homers have been hit at Bruce Hurst Field, including a season-high tying three in the HPU finale. Senior 1B Samuel Hall (Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS) hit his team-leading sixth homer in the first inning, while Jake Davison (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) and Tyler Mildenberg (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS) hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to pull DSU even at 4-4. For Davison it was his first collegiate homer, which came on a 1-0 pitch he drilled over the left field wall with a runner on. Mildenberg followed suit one pitch later when he connected for his second homer of the year, a solo shot to right field.
    Prior to the Davison/Mildenberg home runs, the last time DSU had players hit back-to-back home runs in an inning was nearly two years ago to the day, April 25, 2014, when former DSU players Tyler Blair and Kris Kaplan accomplished the feat at Point Loma.
    DSU has now posted four three-homer games on the year, three of which have come at home against HPU (4/23), Hawai'i Hilo (3/28) and Saint Martin's (2/21), while the lone road occurance happened at Point Loma (4/8).
    The SMU game featured arguably one of the most memorable home runs in program history, a walk-off grand slam hit by senior SS Tanner Morache (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Surrey HS) in the 10th-inning of DSU's 9-6 win over the Saints.
    Morache's slam also 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).

MORE ON MORACHE: Morache broke his second school record in as many series as the senior became DSU's single-season leader in doubles with his 20th two-bagger of the year in game two vs. HPU (4/22). The previous record was held by former DSU 1B Kevin Kline (Las Vegas, NV/Rancho), who hit 20 in 2014. Morache's 21 doubles leads the PacWest and ranks him t-eighth in the country.
    Morache, who broke DSU's single-season hits record in the finale vs. Azusa Pacific (4/16), went 6-for-18 (.333) in the HPU series to pad his record hit total to 81, which also leads the PacWest and tied for fourth-best in Division II this year, while his .426 batting average is tops on DSU's season list and is tied for 38th-nationally.
    Morache has hit safely in 16-straight games, his second-longest streak of the season (18 earlier this year), and in 43 of 46 games this year overall. He enters his final regular season weekend with his named scattered all over DSU's career records list. Morache is currently second all-time in average (.396), third in on-base percentage (.446), fifth in slugging percentage (.532) and doubles (30), and seventh in hits (154). 

D-MAC THE HIT KING: Like his double-play partner, McLaughlin has put together a banner season in his own right. The junior became Dixie State's career hits leader in game two vs. APU (4/15) and collected his 200th-career hit on his solo homer in game two vs. HPU (4/22).
    McLaughlin (205 career hits) went 7-for-13 (.538) in the HPU series, including a pair of three-hit games, and extended his hitting streak to 12 games (one off his season high) before an 0-for-4 in the finale. He has hit safely in 25 of his last 27 games overall to push his batting average to .416, which is second on the team and fourth in the conference. He is also right on Morache's heels with 79 hits on the year (#2 on DSU season list), which is good for second in the PacWest and t-seventh nationally.
    McLaughlin's season has moved him up the charts in several other DSU career categories. The junior is currently ranked second in career runs (136) and at-bats (585), third in total bases (258), fourth in average (.350) and stolen bases (22), seventh in games played (147) and eighth in starts (145).

HILTY UNBEATEN ON THE HILL: Junior righthander Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) broke DSU's single-season record for victories with his ninth win in DSU's 11-4 win over HPU (4/22). Hilty (W, 9-0) fanned six and scattered one run and eight hits over six innings to earn his record-setting win.
    Hilty became the just the second pitcher in DSU's NCAA Division II era to win nine-straight decisions overall, while he is the first to do it in a single season. Former DSU hurler Jon Conquy won a school-record 12-straight decision over a span of two seasons in 2014-15.
     Hilty's ninth win ranks him t-ninth nationally, and also moved him a spot above four pitchers who have won eight games in a season, including current DSU pitcher Chance Abrath (Salt Lake City, Utah/West HS) (2014), Conquy (2014), Austin Christiansen (2013) and Justin Prodan (2010).

TEAM NOTES: Through 46 games this season, Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer has used 42 different starting line-up/batting order combinations ... In addition, DSU has employed 31 different starting defensive line-ups through 46 games ... DSU has eight 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 (4/23), 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 tied for 14th-nationally in team batting average at .342, and is t-10th in the nation in hits with 524 ... Entering play this weekend, Dixie State leads the nation in sacrifice bunts with 66 through 46 games ... DSU hit a combined .328 (39-for-119) in the HPU series ... Dixie State's pitching staff combined to post a 3.17 ERA at HPU and enters this week third in the PacWest and is tied for 19th-nationally in ERA at 3.54 ... DSU's bullpen worked 15.2 IP vs. HPU and posted a 1.77 ERA with nine strikeouts while allowing just 16 hits ... The Trailblazers are also ranked t-21st in the country in OB% (.419) and t-25th in WHiP (1.33) ... DSU is 62-for-81 (.765) in stolen bases through 46 games, though DSU went just 5-for-6 vs. HPU.

PLAYER NOTES: Junior OF Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) saw his season-high nine-game hitting streak halted in the opener vs. HPU ... Bice is currently ranked as the fifth-hardest hitter to strike out in NCAA Division II this season ... Bice has struck out just five times in 137 at-bats and 160 total plate appearances ... Senior 1B Samuel Hall (Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS) (5-for-16, .312) had a base hit in three of four games vs. HPU and padded his team RBI lead with four in the series to give him 44 RBI on the year ... Hall also leads the team in HR (6) and walks (27) to go with a .345 average ... Junior OF/DH Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS) extended his DSU career-best hitting streak to 10 games with base hits in all four starts vs. HPU ... Junior CF Jerome Hill II (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg HS) scored at least one run in all four games vs. HPU and hit .454 (5-for-11) with two steals, an RBI and five total runs scored ... Senior LHP Kolton Brost (Mona, Utah/Payson HS), who is t-ninth nationally in appearances (24), made only one appearance out of the Trailblazer bullpen in the HPU series, which came in the finale as he struck out one and surrendered an unearned run and two hits in 1.1 IP ... Sophomore RHP Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) bounced back with his fifth win of the year in the opener vs. HPU ... File, who is a career 11-2 in nearly two full seasons as a starter, scattered three runs and eight hits over 6.2 IP with two strikeouts to pick up the win ... Sophomore LHP Aaron Pope (Chubbuck, Idaho/Highland HS) (ND) made his first start in nearly two months in the finale vs. HPU and allowed three earned runs (four total) on five hits in 2.1 IP  ... Senior RHP Spencer Greer (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) picked up his team-leading seventh save of the season in game one vs. HPU ... Saturday's twin bill served as the final home game for seven DSU seniors, including Abrath, Jeremy Alderman (Cheney, Wash./Cheney HS), Brost, Greer, Hall, Mark Marinch (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde HS) and Morache … DSU's drew 1,058 fans for both of last weekend's doubleheaders vs. HPU, while the 584 in attendance Saturday was the second-largest crowd of the season.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will find out on Sunday, May 15, if the Trailblazers will advance to their fifth-straight NCAA West Regional, which will be held on May 19-22 at a site that has yet to be determined. The 2016 PacWest season will conclude next week, which will also determine if DSU will claim its third-straight conference crown.