Game Times at HPU (Mountain):
Friday (DH) - 8 p.m.
Saturday (DH) - 6 p.m.
Game Notes: (DIXIE STATE - PDF) | HPU
Audio/Video: portal.stretchinternet.com/hpusharks
Live Stats: portal.stretchinternet.com/hpusharks
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @Dixie_Base | #DixieBlazers | #PacWestBASE | #d2bsb
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) (6-1, 3.49 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Van Stone (2-2, 2.68 ERA)
Friday (G2) – RHP Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) (8-1, 3.20 ERA) vs. LHP Matthew Gunter (5-4, 2.50 ERA)
Saturday (G3) – LHP Matt Mosca (Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron Memorial HS) (5-1, 3.97 ERA) vs. RHP Blake Flint (3-6, 5.33 ERA)
Saturday (G4) – RHP Sean Hardman (Pleasant Grove, Utah/American Fork HS) (1-0, 3.09 ERA) vs. RHP Kyle Detwiler (1-5, 5.02 ERA)

Game Times at UHH (Mountain):
Tuesday (DH) - 7 p.m.
Wednesday (DH) - 4 p.m.
Game Notes: (DIXIE STATE - PDF) | UHH
Audio/Video: None
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/uhh/baseball/
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @Dixie_Base | #DixieBlazers | #PacWestBASE | #d2bsb
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
TBA

FIRST PITCH: No. 13 Dixie State (29-9/18-6 PacWest) begins a 12-game Pacific West Conference road swing to close the 2017 regular season this weekend as the Trailblazers head to Islands for an eight-game Hawaiian trip. DSU opens the trip with a four-game set at Hawai'i Pacific (16-26/6-24 PacWest) in Waipahu, which will be played in a pair of doubleheaders beginning Friday at 4 p.m. (HT), followed by another twin bill Saturday at 2 p.m. (HT).
    Dixie State will then take a short hop to the Big Island for four games at Hawai'i Hilo. That series will also be played as two doubleheaders, the first coming Tuesday, April 25 at 3 p.m. (HT), while the final DH will be played Wednesday, April 26, at 12 noon (HT).
    The Trailblazers enter the weekend tied for first place in the PacWest standings with Azusa Pacific at 18-6, and four full games in the loss column ahead of third-place California Baptist (18-10).

ALL-TIME SERIES: Dixie State is 34-25 all-time against Hawai'i Pacific (14-16 on the road) and has won 10 of the last 12 meetings vs. the Sharks overall, including taking three of four from HPU last season at Bruce Hurst Field.
    Dixie State owns a 40-13 record vs. Hawai'i Hilo and has won 12-straight and 15 of its last 16 in the series, including a four-game sweep last season in St. George. DSU also owns a 20-11 mark against the Vulcans on the Islands. 

LAST TIME OUT: The Trailblazers are coming off a 13-day layoff that followed a convincing four-game sweep of PacWest foe Academy of Art on Senior Weekend at Bruce Hurst Field April 6-8. DSU outscored AAU 34-5 in the four games, which featured two complete-game shutouts and three complete games overall from the DSU pitching staff, while Dixie State's offense bounced back with one of its finest series performances of the 2017 campaign.

COACHING STAFF: Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer is in his fifth season as head coach of the Dixie State Baseball program. Pfatenhauer led DSU to consecutive PacWest titles (2014 and 2015) and to four-straight trips (five-straight overall) to the NCAA West Regionals, including serving as the host institution in 2013. Pfatenhauer, who picked up his 200th-career coaching victory vs. Saint Martin's this past Feb. 19, owns a 169-76 (.689) overall record at DSU, including a 117-43 (.731) record in PacWest play, and a 221-135 (.620) career mark.
    Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is second-year pitching coach Michael Gargano (Walden University, 2013), along with third-year assistant coaches Matt Hill (Dixie State 2015), and Bobby Rinard (Arizona, 2014), and second-year assistant coach Patrick Perry (Northern Colorado, 2013).

TRAILBLAZERS VOTED SECOND IN PACWEST PRESEASON POLL: Dixie State was picked to finish second in the 2017 Pacific West Conference preseason coaches' poll released on January 26. Defending PacWest champion California Baptist received five first place votes and 91 total points to edge DSU in being tabbed as the PacWest preseason favorite, while the Trailblazers collected three first-place votes and finished with 90 points. Azusa Pacific (one first-place vote) was picked to finish third with 78 points, followed by Point Loma (one first-place vote, 66 points) in fourth and Fresno Pacific (54 points) in fifth to round out the top-half of the poll.
    Dixie State senior second baseman Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) was voted as PacWest Preseason Player of the Year and junior righthander Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) was named PacWest Preseason Co-Pitcher of the Year. In all, the Trailblazers landed a league-high four players on the PacWest preseason team, which includes senior outfielder Trey Kamachi (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kapolei HS) and senior 1B/DH Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS).

DSU IN THE POLLS: Dixie State is ranked second in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II West Region poll, one spot above fellow PacWest member Azusa Pacific (No. 3) and two spots ahead of California Baptist (No. 4). In all, four PacWest teams are ranked in the top-10 regionally, including Point Loma at No. 10.
    Dixie State is also ranked in the top-15 in all four national polls this week, including No. 8 in the latest Perfect Game D-II poll (4/19), No. 10 in the D2 Baseball News poll (4/18), and No. 13 in both the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (4/17) and NCBWA (4/18) polls.

REGIONAL/NATIONAL HONORS FOR MCLAUGHLIN, HILTY AND LUCERO: The NCBWA announced in January its 2017 preseason all-West Region and All-America honorees and three Trailblazers made the cut. McLaughlin, senior RHP Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) and senior catcher Reece Lucero (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) were all voted to the West Region first team, while McLaughlin garnered third team All-America honors, and Hilty earned honorable mention All-America honors.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Not only did Dixie State begin the 2017 season looking to win its third PacWest crown in four seasons, the Trailblazers are also hoping to keep its NCAA postseason streak alive as well. DSU has made five-straight NCAA regional appearances, which is currently the longest active streak in the West Region.

HOME SWEET HOME: Dixie State wrapped up its 2017 regular season home schedule with a 21-5 (.807) record, which included a pair of PacWest series sweeps vs. Point Loma (March 24-25) and AAU (April 6-8) to close out the slate.  
    In all, DSU has played to a 224-82 (.807) overall record inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2006-07, and has posted a winning record at home in all 11 seasons of NCAA play. Dixie State has won 20 or more games in seven of those 11 seasons, including a 24-6 overall record (.800) in 2016, which was the second-best home mark in terms of wins in the program's NCAA Division II era (26-7 in 2009), and were the most home wins under Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer, while this season's .807 winning percentage is the best in the Pfatenhauer era.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Dixie State has also held its own away from home as the Trailblazers are 8-4 on the road this season, which includes the CBU series win and a four-game series sweep at Cal State San Bernardino (2/3-5) to open the campaign.
    DSU owns a 119-101 overall road record (.541) through its first 10-plus years of D-II competition with six-straight winning road marks, including a 14-7 road record last season. In 2015, DSU went a program-best 15-5 on the road (.750), and DSU has won at least 10 road games in seven-straight seasons overall. When you also figure in neutral-site games (7-8 in 15 games), Dixie State is 126-109 (.536) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in NCAA play.

JUST WIN BABY: Dixie State set a new four-year program record for victories with 40 wins (38 regular season games) in the 2016 campaign. DSU's record-breaking season was bolstered by a 10-0 start to begin the season, its best overall start in the program's 10-year NCAA-era.
    DSU has won 30 games or more in each of the last eight seasons, including 35 in 2012 (35-20), en route to a 321-182 (.638) overall record in 10 years of NCAA Division II competition (503 games). The Trailblazers won its 300th game as a four-year program in the second game of a doubleheader at Holy Names on March 18, 2016. In addition, DSU recorded its 30th win of the 2016 season in game No. 38 (at PLNU - 4/8), which was the fastest the program had won 30 games in a season in DSU's four-year era.

IT'S DEEP AND I DON'T THINK IT'S PLAYABLE: Three Trailblazers have posted two homer games this season, the last being senior catcher Reece Lucero (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS), who homered in consecutive ABs in game two vs. MSUB (2/25). In fact, Lucero is the second player to accomplish that feat this season as senior infielder Tyler Mildenberg (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS) went deep twice in back-to-back at-bats in game three at CSUSB (2/4). Prior to Mildenberg and Lucero, former DSU outfielder Donald Glover was the last to accomplish the feat, doing so in a home loss vs. Fresno Pacific on May 3, 2014.
    Senior OF/DH Ryan Rodriguez (Folsom, Calif./Vista Del Lago HS) also homered twice earlier this season as part of a four-hit, five-RBI night in DSU's 17-0 win over Concordia (OR) this past Feb. 16, which helped earn him PacWest player of the week honors.

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK....: Dixie State posted the biggest comeback in the program's NCAA-era with its 14-12 victory in game two at California Baptist this past March 17. The Trailblazers entered the eighth inning trailing 12-3, only to rally for nine eighth-inning runs, followed by a two-run ninth to clinch the win. DSU sent 14 batters to the plate in that eighth frame, seven of which reached via base hit.
    Prior to that comeback win, the largest deficit Dixie State had overcome in its NCAA-era was a six-run deficit done twice, the first instance coming in a 13-12 win at NCAA Division I member Utah Valley (down 12-6) on April 21, 2007, and again at home last season in a 7-6 victory over Azusa Pacific (down 6-0; 4/16/16).

AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING: The Trailblazers tied a school record with 24 hits in their 23-5 victory over Holy Names (3/5). All nine DSU starters in the lineup had at least one hit, eight of which had two or more safeties overall.  
    The 24 hits tied the program's NCAA-era record which was set at Cal State Los Angeles (2/10) in the 2013 season. Meanwhile, the 23 runs scored vs. HNU were the most in a single game under Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer and tied for the third-highest run total in the program's four-year era. The 23 runs were also the most runs scored in a game in nearly 10 years as DSU last scored 23 runs in a win vs. Grand Canyon (23-8) back on April 30, 2008.

FROM POLE TO POLE: Senior RF Miles Bice (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) (.308/1HR/19RBI) enjoyed  one of his finest series of his career as he batted .500 (6-for-12) in four starts vs. AAU ... Bice collected four RBI and two runs scored as he hit safely in all four games, including a pair of two-hit efforts in games one and two ... Bice is currently t-third in the PacWest and is t-eighth-nationally in sacrifice bunts (10) ... Senior CF Trey Kamachi (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kapolei HS) (.420/2HR/32RBI) started in all four games last weekend vs. AAU and hit .294 (5-for-17) with one triple, five RBI and five runs scored ... Kamachi has hit safely in 34 of 38 games played with 16 two-hit games (including seven-straight at one point), and he is currently third the PacWest in batting (.420 - 29th-nationally), and runs (46 - t-33rd nationally), and second in hits (60 - t-46th-nationally) ... Senior Drew McLaughlin (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) (.358/1HR/17RBI) started all four games (3 at 2B/1 at LF) vs. AAU and batted a combined .263 (5-for-19) out of the lead-off spot with two doubles, two RBI and four runs scored ... McLaughlin, who has hit safely in 12 of his last 15 games overall, is DSU career hits leader (260) and he currently leads the PacWest and is ranked t-14th-nationally in doubles (16) ... McLaughlin became DSU's career leader in total bases (335) in the finale vs. AAU and needs only four more doubles to overtake the top spot in that category as well .... McLaughlin is also DSU's career leader in at-bats (738) and runs (173), and is second in stolen bases (31), games played/started (188/184) and fourth in career batting average (.352) ... Senior OF Trey Reineke (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill HS) (.226/3HR/9RBI) played in all four games with three starts vs. AAU and hit .125 (1-or-8) with two walks, an RBI and one run scored ... Senior OF Jerome Hill II (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg HS) (.250, 1-for-4) made his 2017 home debut as a defensive replacement in game two vs. AAU, and singled and scored in a pinch-hit plate appearance in the series finale on "Senior Day."

AROUND THE HORN: Sophomore 3B Bryce Feist (Emmett, Idaho/Rocky Mountain HS) (.364/1HR/16RBI) did not play in the AAU series and may return to the line-up this week in Hawai'i ... Senior SS Tyler Baker (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS) (.340/0HR/23RBI) started in all four games vs. AAU and led all starters with a .563 average (9-for-16), nine runs scored and 5-for-5 in steals, to go with five RBI and two doubles, while extending his hit streak to 11 games ... Baker broke two DSU stolen base records in game three of the series as he eclipsed the school's D-II era single-game with three steals, and in the process became DSU's single-season stolen base leader (17) ... Senior Tyler Mildenberg (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS) (.391/6HR/39RBI) started all four games vs. AAU (1 at 2B/3 at 3B) and hit .286 (4-for-14) with a team-high seven RBI to go with one triple, one homer and six runs scored ... Mildenberg collected at least one RBI in all four games, while he accounted for DSU's lone home run in the series, a two-run shot in the eighth inning of the series opener ... Mildenberg became the first DSU player in nearly eight seasons to collect five hits in a game, accomplishing that feat vs. Holy Names (3/5) ... Prior to Mildenberg, former DSU infielder Quinn Boyer collected five hits in a win over Hawai'i Pacific on April 10, 2010 ... Junior 1B Logan Porter (Surprise, Ariz./Valley Vista HS) (.405/7HR/57RBI) hit .125 (1-for-8) in four starts vs. AAU series but did manage to draw a team-high six walks in the series ... Porter's lone hit was a double and he also tallied three RBI and four runs scored ... Porter currently leads the PacWest and is ranked fifth-nationally in RBI (57) and has driven in 39 of his 57 RBI over his last 24 games ... Porter enters the week needing 12 more RBI to pass former DSU player Drew Oldfield (68, 2009) for first place on DSU's single-season RBI list ... Porter, who has hit safely in seven of his last 10 games, has reached base safely in 36 of 38 games played this season overall, though he saw his 31-game streak halted with an 0-for-3 day in the opener vs. AAU despite driving in a game-high three runs.

THE BACKSTOPS: Senior catcher Reece Lucero (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) (.258/3HR/17RBI) started in all four games vs. AAU (2 at C/2 at DH) and combined to hit an even .400 (4-for-10) with a double, RBI and two runs scored ... Sophomore Jake Davison (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) (.372/3HR/18RBI) also started in all four games in the AAU series (2 at C/2 at DH) and batted .333 (5-for-15) with a double, two RBI and two runs scored ... Davison is currently riding a career-best 16-game hitting streak and he has reached base safely in 20-straight games overall.

ROTATION NOTES: Junior RHP Dylan File (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) (6-1/3.49 ERA/60K) pulled into a tie atop DSU's career wins list (18) and recorded his team-leading fourth CG victory of the year in the opener vs. AAU as he scattered three runs and six hits with six strikeouts ... File has been solid over his last eight starts overall as he has pitched to a 6-1 record with a 2.19 ERA and has recorded 52 of his 60 strikeouts over this current stretch ... In PacWest play, File is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six starts and has struck out 37 in 43.1 IP ... File is now six Ks away from becoming DSU's career strikeout leader (172), while his CG vs. AAU moved him into solo third place (6) on the school's career list.
    Senior RHP Mason Hilty (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) (8-1/3.20 ERA/49K) posted his second complete-game shutout of the season in game two vs. AAU, which tied him with File atop DSU's single-season CG ShO list ... Hilty struck out four and limited AAU to just six hits ... Hilty's victory also pulled into a tie atop DSU's career wins list (18) one day after File achieved the feat ... Hilty has surrendered just 16 hits and four runs (three earned) over his last 25.0 IP, and he has allowed only one unearned run over his last 18 innings of work overall ... Hilty leads the PacWest and is currently ranked t-10th-nationally in wins (8) ... Hilty is also six Ks away from moving up to third on DSU's career strikeouts list (121) and he enters the week as DSU's career leader in strikeouts/9 innings (7.36) and walks/9 innings (1.76), and is second in career ERA (3.40).  
    Junior LHP Matt Mosca (Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron Memorial HS) (5-1/3.97 ERA/39K) enjoyed his finest outing in a Trailblazer uniform in game three vs. AAU as he fired a seven-inning complete game shutout en route to his fifth win of the year ... Mosca fanned three and allowed only five hits and one walk.
    Senior RHP Sean Hardman (Pleasant Grove, Utah/American Fork HS) (1-0/3.09 ERA/21K) got his first start of the season on "Senior Day" vs. AAU and responded with three innings of one-hit shutout baseball with five strikeouts. 

CALL TO THE PEN: Thanks to the dominance of its starting rotation, Dixie State employed a season-low three relievers in the AAU series, and the trio combined to strike out five while limiting the Urban Knights to just two runs and four hits over six solid innings of work in the series finale ... sophomore Preston Hannay (Murray, Utah/Murray HS) (3-2/4.63 ERA/24K) threw four innings of one-hit shutout relief with three strikeouts to earn his third victory of the season.

TEAM NOTES: Dixie State posted one of its most dominant series performances in the program's NCAA-era vs. Academy of Art (4/6-8/17) as the Trailblazers outscored the Urban Knights by a 34-5 count in the four-game sweep ... the combined 29-run edge was the third-highest margin of victory in a four-game sweep in program history behind a 36-run margin set vs. Colorado Christian in 2007 (44-8; 2/16-17/07), and a school-record 46-run margin vs. AAU (52-6; 3/16-17) in 2009 ... In addition, the five runs allowed also broke the school record for fewest runs allowed in a four-game series ... the previous series low was six runs set three times, including two occasions vs. Academy of Art (2013 and 2009) and in DSU's last visit to Hilo (2015).
    DSU's pitching staff posted a combined 1.32 ERA in the AAU series and held the Urban Knights to a collective .185 batting average (22-for-119), both of which were opponent season lows for a four-game series.
    DSU also recorded back-to-back shutout victories in this year's AAU series, which marked third time in the program's four-year era (all at home) that the Trailblazers accomplished that feat ... DSU also posted consecutive ShO wins in a three-game set vs. Cal State Los Angeles (7-0 and 11-0; 4/18-19) in 2014, and vs. AAU (13-0 and 10-0; 3/16) in 2009.
    DSU hit .354 in the four games vs. Academy (45-for-127) with 11 extra bases (8 2B/2 3B/1 HR) ... DSU has outscored its opponents by a combined 251-130 over the last 30 games and by a 309-173 clip overall this season ... DSU stole a season series-high nine bases in the AAU series, including season-best four steals in game three ... DSU's 60 steals on the year is currently the third-highest total in the program's D-II era (75 in 2013; 71 at 2016).  
    DSU is averaging 8.1 runs and 11.2 hits per game through 38 games this season ... Dixie State enters this weekend's series leading the nation in sacrifice flies (32) and is SECOND in batting average (.342), fourth in sacrifice bunts (47), sixth in ShOs (6), eighth in OB% (.424), 23rd in runs scored (275), and 30th-nationally in base hits (425).
    DSU's defense committed only one error in the AAU series, which was the lowest total for a four-game set this season and matched the season-low set in a three-game set vs. MSUB in February ... DSU enters the week ranked 19th in the country in fielding percentage (.971).
    Dixie State's 12-inning series opener vs. Colorado Mesa (2/10) was the longest game in terms of innings played since April 23, 2015, when DSU and Azusa Pacific needed 12 innings to decide an 8-7 Trailblazer victory ... DSU to 27-13 (.675) all-time in 40 total extra-inning games in the program's four-year era. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Following an 11-day break between games, Dixie State will wrap up the 2017 regular season with a pivotal four-game series at Azusa Pacific May 8-10, in Azusa, Calif.