Game Times (Mountain):
Thursday - 1 p.m.
Friday (DH) - 12 noon/3 p.m. (approx.)
Saturday - 10 a.m.
Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | TARLETON
WAC DIGITAL NETWORK: at TARLETON
Live Stats: Game #1 | Game #2 | Game #3 | Game #4
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @Dixie_Baseball | #DixieBlazers | #WACbsb
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Thursday (G1) – RHP #26 Justin Dunham (0-0, 15.43 ERA) vs. LHP #12 Alex Pinedo (1-4, 6.21 ERA)
Friday (G2) – RHP #40 Jimmy Borzone (0-3, 7.00 ERA) vs. RHP #30 Hunter Thomas (0-2, 8.25 ERA)
Friday (G3) – RHP #21 Ryan Hardman (0-3, 12,57 ERA) vs. #20 RHP Ryan Jacobs (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday (G4) – LHP #19 Tevita Gerber (1-1, 7.52 ERA) vs. #33 RHP Bryce Hackett (0-2, 6.83 ERA)

FIRST PITCH: Dixie State (6-15/4-8 WAC) continues its extended road stretch this weekend as the Trailblazers head to the "Lone Star State" for a four-game series at fellow conference newcomer Tarleton State (8-17/1-7 WAC).
    The series opener will take place on Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. (CT), followed by a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. (CT), and Saturday's series finale will start at 11 a.m. (CT). All four games will be played at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex (750) on the TSU campus in Stephenville, Texas. 

ALL-TIME SERIES: This weekend's series at Tarleton State will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Texans on the diamond.

HI, MY NAME IS ....: After 14 years as a competing member of the NCAA at the Division II level, Dixie State has embarked on its first season transitioning to Division I status as one of two new members (along with Tarleton State) of the Western Athletic Conference.  
    During their 14-year Division II era, the Trailblazers played to a 435-243-1 (.641) overall record. Dixie State won four conference regular season championships (4 Pacific West Conference), and made six-straight NCAA D-II Baseball Tournament regional appearances from 2012-17 (9-12 record in NCAA Tournament games).

DIXIE STATE ON THE WEB: All Dixie State home games, along with all WAC away games, this season will be streamed live online on the WAC Digital Network (wacdigitalnetwork.com). The WDN is also available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku TV, while the WDN app is available for iOS in the Apple Store and Android on Google Play.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State is coming off a tough 1-3 road trip to Sacramento State last weekend. After dropping the first three games of the series (3-9, 4-9, 5-10), the Trailblazers rallied to salvage the final game of the series by a 7-5 count.

COACHING STAFF: Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer is in his ninth season as head coach of the Dixie State Baseball program. Since his arrival in summer of 2012, Pfatenhauer has never had a losing season at Dixie State, and in the process, led the Trailblazers to consecutive PacWest titles in 2014 and 2015, and to five-straight trips to the NCAA West Regionals from 2013-17, including serving as the host institution in 2013.
    Pfatenhauer, who picked up his 200th victory as DSU skipper in the series opener at Concordia-Irvine (8-1; 4/26/18), owns a 260-143-1 (.644) overall record at DSU, and a 312-202-1 (.606) career mark.
    Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is second-year pitching coach Zach Wilkins (Nevada, 2016), along with seventh-year assistant coaches Bobby Rinard (Arizona, 2014) and Matt Hill (Dixie State 2015).

MILESTONE MOMENTS FOR PFATENHAUER: Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer recorded his 259th victory in his 400th game in the Trailblazer dugout when Dixie State defeated Utah back on March 16. The win marked the second career milestone the long time DSU mentor has reached this season, and the fourth in the past two seasons.
    Earlier this month, he coached in his 500th career game overall when DSU took the field at Wichita State (3/6).
    Last season, before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2020 campaign after 18 games, Coach Pfate surpassed two other career milestones, including his 250th win as DSU skipper in the series finale vs. Concordia-Portland (2/23/20). He also reached the 300-win plateau in his stellar career in DSU's walk-off win in game two vs. Azusa Pacific (2/14/20).

HERE'S TO THE NEXT 400 ..... and 700: Dixie State picked up its 400th win in the program's NCAA era in the series opener vs. UCCS (6-1) on March 16, 2019. In addition, DSU earned a victory in the program's 700th game as a four-year program in the series finale at Sacramento State (7-5) last Sunday afternoon.
    DSU is 441-258-1 (.630) all-time through 14-plus years of NCAA competition (700 games).

TRAILBLAZERS VOTED EIGHTH IN WAC PRESEASON POLL: Dixie State was picked to finish eighth by the coaches in its WAC debut season when the 2021 conference baseball preseason poll was released on Feb. 10.
    There was not much consensus on which program will enter the season as the conference favorite as three teams – UT Rio Grande Valley, Grand Canyon and Sacramento State, all finished tied atop the 10-team poll with 73 points apiece. UTRGV did receive four first place votes, while GCU and Sacramento State collected three first place nods apiece.    
    New Mexico State tallied 53 points to finish fourth in the polling, followed by California Baptist (49 pts) in fifth, Seattle U (37 pts) in sixth, Utah Valley (32 pts) in seventh, Dixie State (26 pts) in eighth, and fellow WAC newcomer Tarleton State (17 pts) and Northern Colorado (17 pts) round out the poll in t-ninth.
    The Trailblazers did not have a player representative on the preseason all-WAC Team. GCU second baseman Juan Colato and Sac State hurler Scott Randall were tabbed as the league's preseason player and pitcher of the year, respectively.

A LOOK AT THE 2021 SCHEDULE: Dixie State put together a who's who list of opponents for its NCAA D-I debut season in 2021. The Blazers' first year of D-I play will feature 56 games, including 26 home dates at Bruce Hurst Field, and a 36-game WAC schedule.
    Including the two completed non-conference series against a pair of WSUs (Washington State and Wichita State), DSU will face four PAC-12 programs overall, including road series at USC (April 9-11) and at nationally-ranked Arizona (May 27-29), along with a return home game vs. Utah on April 6.
    DSU will also play a three-game road set at Mountain West member San Diego State (April 23-25), and another midweek game at in-state foe BYU in Provo on Tuesday, April 20.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Trailblazers have played to a 273-107 (.718) overall record in 380 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era, including an 8-3 mark (.727) in a shortened 2020 season.
    Dixie State closed its 2019 home slate by winning seven of its final eight games to clinch its 13-straight home winning record (21-7, .750) since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2007.
    DSU has won 20 or more games in eight of 14 seasons at home, including 21-5 (.807) record in 2017, and a 24-6 mark (.800) in 2016, which was the second-best home record in terms of wins in the program's NCAA Division II era (26-7 in 2009). The 24 home wins that year were the most under Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer, while the .807 winning percentage in 2017 was the best W% during the Pfatenhauer era.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Dixie State has held its own away from home as the Trailblazers own a 154-140-1 overall road record (.523) in its four-year era.
    DSU has posted a winning road record in eight of their last 10 seasons overall, highlighted by a 16-7-1 road mark in 2017. The 16 road wins were the most in program history since beginning NCAA play in 2007.
    In 2015, DSU went a program-best 15-5 on the road (.750), and DSU has won at least 10 road games in eight of it last nine seasons overall. When you also figure in neutral-site games (14-11 in 25 games), Dixie State is 168-151-1 (.526) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era.

JUST WIN BABY: The Trailblazers have reached the 30-win plateau 10 times in the last 12 seasons overall, which included nine-straight seasons (2009-17), however that streak was halted in 2018 when the Blazers posted an even 25-25 mark.
    In fact, DSU has won 35 of more games in four of the last seven campaigns under Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer, highlighted by 39 wins in 2017 and a four-year program record 40 victories (40-14) in 2016, The 2016 campaign also included a record-breaking 10-0 start to begin the season, which was the best overall start in the program's NCAA-era.

A DECADE OF DOMINANCE: Dixie State closed out the 2010-19 decade as one of the most all-around successful programs in the NCAA Division II ranks. DSU posted a 337-179-1 (.653) overall record and captured three Pacific West Conference championships (2011/2014/2015) over that 10-year span.
    In addition, the program earned six-straight NCAA Tournament regional berths from 2012-17, and recorded 30 or more wins in nine of 10 seasons overall, including five 35-plus win campaigns.  
    Dixie State was just as tough in conference play as the program finished the decade with a .666 overall winning percentage against league opponents, which included a 227-112-1 mark in PacWest play (.669), and a 23-13 (.639) RMAC record in 2019.

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS:
* - Freshman C Kaden Hollow (.362, 4 HR/18 RBI) has put together an impressive three-week stretch that has seen his batting average climb more than 80 points ... Hollow has hit safely in a career-best 12 straight games (19-for-46; .413), while the freshman has driven 16 of his team-high 18 runs during his current streak, and eight of his 19 total hits in the streak have been for extra bases (4 2B/4 HR).  
* - Hollow's streak started in the final two games at NMSU, which was highlighted by a 3-for-6 day with a double, home run and four RBI in the series finale (3/14).
* - Hollow enjoyed a breakout game in the win at Utah (3/16) as he homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs in the Blazers' win ... Hollow drilled a grand slam in the fourth inning, then followed that up with a two-run shot in the sixth that gave DSU an 8-0 lead, as the freshman posted his first collegiate four-hit game.
* - Hollow joined senior Jake Engel as being the only two Trailblazers to hit two homers in a game this season, and became the first Blazer since Brody Clifford to homer in consecutive at-bats ... in fact, Clifford actually homered in three-straight ABs as part of a school record four-homer day in DSU's 28-9 win at Adams State (3/10/19) during the 2019 season.
* - Hollow followed his performance at Utah by batting an even .400 (6-for-15) with two more doubles and a homer in the four games at Sac State last weekend.
* - Ten of Hollow's 18 RBI on the year have come via the long ball, including a three-run blast in the win at NMSU (3/14).
* - After struggling through the UTRGV series, senior 1B/OF/DH Jake Engel (.294/3 HR/10 RBI) bounced back with a 2-for-4 day with a walk, RBI and run scored at Utah on Tuesday ... Engel also enjoyed a solid series at Sacramento State, against which he batted .308 (4-for-13) with three doubles and three runs scored.
* -  Engel blasted his first two home runs of the year and tallied four RBI in the series finale at Wichita State (3/7) ... he then connected for his team co-leading third homer and drove in a career-high tying five runs in the road win at NMSU (3/14), which moved him into solo third on DSU's career HR list (25).
* -  Engel's two-homer day at WSU came nearly 13 months since his last one, which happened at home vs. Azusa Pacific (2/13/20) ... meanwhile, Engel last drove in five runs in a home win over CSU-Pueblo nearly two years to the day (3/31/19).
* - Engel enters this weekend fourth in career RBI (118), sixth in career batting (.345), fourth in career SLG% (.590), fifth in career total bases (258), and 10th in career walks (72) ... additionally, the senior vaulted into the top-10 in career hits (151, t-9th) last weekend at CSUS.  
* -  Engel saw his school record 21-game hit streak come to an end in the season opener vs. Washington State (2/25) ... the streak, which dated all the way back to his final five starts of the 2019 season, eclipsed the previous record of 19-straight games set by former DSU slugger Kevin Kline (2/16-3/14/14) during the 2014 season ... Engel batted .428 (27-for-63) during the streak with 12 multi-hit outings to go with eight doubles, seven homers, 32 RBI and 30 runs scored.
* - Junior 2B Tyler Hollow (.311/5 RBI) started the first two games at Sacramento State before he had to leave game two of the series due to injury - his status for this weekend at TSU is TBA ... Hollow doubled in four ABs with three runs scored in DSU's win at Utah (3/16) ... Hollow's two-bagger against the Utes, the 32nd of his career, moved him into solo sixth place on DSU's career doubles list.
* - Hollow (150 hits) enters the week fifth in career batting (.346) and he only one more base hit to move into the top-10 in career hits.  
* - Senior OF Lane Pritchard (.299/1 HR/11 RBI) enjoyed arguably his best week as a Trailblazer last week after he batted a combined .550 (11-for-20) in the five road games, hitting safely in four of five starts with three three-hit outings and a two-hit day.
* - Pritchard drove in a career-high tying four runs in DSU's 7-5 win Sunday at Sacramento State, and batted an even .500 overall (8-for-16) with two XBH in the weekend series.
* - Pritchard began the week with three hits and his 25th career stolen base (6-for-6 this year) in the win at Utah (3/16), which moved him into a tie for third on DSU's career steals list.   
* - Senior C/DH Cade Spurlin (.213/2 HR/7 RBI) provided some late-inning heroics in the win at Sacramento State last Sunday ... Spurlin came on a pinch hitter in the seventh and laced a clutch opposite field two-out double to break a 5-5 tie ... he then tripled in a big insurance run in the DSU ninth ... Spurlin's triple, his first of the season and sixth of his career, moved him into a tie for fourth on DSU's career triples list.   
* - Last weekend's series at Sac State marked a pair of firsts for freshman infielders Shane Taylor (.214/1 HR/4 RBI) and Chase Rodriguez (.300/1 HR/4 RBI) ... Taylor connected for his first collegiate homer (solo HR) in game one of Saturday's double header, while Rodriguez followed suit with a second inning two-run home run in Saturday's nightcap.  
* - Taylor/Rodriguez seemed to had followed the lead of fellow freshman C/DH Hank Dodson, who himself connected for his first collegiate home run in G3 vs. UTRGV (3/20).
* - Senior closer Brayden Bonner has enjoyed a banner two week stretch that has seen him collected two wins, three saves and become DSU's career leader in appearances.
* - Bonner earned the win vs. BYU (3/16), then picked up his second win in as many outings in the opener vs. UTRGV (3/26) ... two days later he moved atop DSU's career appearances list and earned the save in Sunday's series finale vs. UTRGV (3/28).
* - Then for good measure, Bonner recorded the final four outs, three coming via the strike out, to earn his second save of the year in the win at Utah last Tuesday, and picked up save No. 3 in Sunday's finale at Sacramento State ... Bonner's save at Utah also moved him into solo third on DSU's career saves list (12).
* - Freshman RHP Dillon Holliday was credited with his first collegiate pitching victory at Utah (3/16), against which he threw 2.0 shutout innings to open the game, striking out two while surrendering only two hits ... Holliday quickly got win number two five days later after he pitched 2.1 spotless innings of relief with a strikeout in Sunday's win at Sac State.  
* - After struggling in his first two starts of the year, junior southpaw Jack Gonzales has been lights out in his last six appearances - all in relief ... Gonzales has struck out 13 batters with no walks, while only surrendering one run and two hits over his last 8.2 IP ... in fact, Gonzales has only allowed three total baserunners (1 HBP) over his current six-game stretch.
* - Junior RHP Justin Dunham will make his first start in nearly 13 months when he takes the mound in Thursday's opener at Tarleton ... Dunham, who has pitched in 2.1 innings over three relief appearances this season, started five games and finished with a 2-0 record and a 1.52 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 23.2 IP last year in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign,
* - After committing eight errors in four games vs. Washington State to open the season, Dixie State's defense has committed only 13 total errors in its last 17 games overall, including only one error in 98 total chances in three games at Wichita State (3/5-7) ... DSU also committed just three errors in 124 chances last weekend at Sacramento State.

FREE BASEBALL: The Trailblazers did not play any extra inning games last season, and the last extra-inning affair came during the 2019 season in an 8-5 loss in eight innings to Regis (4/19/19). Dating back to the 2016 season, the Trailblazers are 31-15 (.674) in 46 total extra-inning games in the program's four-year era, and the club has won five of its last seven extra inning games overall.

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Dixie State returns home, albeit briefly, this Tuesday, April 6, for a return home game against in-state foe Utah at Bruce Hurst Field. First pitch is slated for 4:05 p.m. Following that game, the Trailblazers head back out on the road for a three-game weekend series at PAC-12 member USC on April 9-11 in Los Angeles.