Game Times (Mountain):
Saturday (DH/G1) - 2 p.m.
Saturday (DH/G2) - 5:30 p.m. (approx.)
Sunday - 1 p.m.
Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | SDSU
Live Streaming: SDSU Baseball YouTube
Live Stats: Game #1 | Game #2 | Game #3
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @Dixie_Baseball | #DixieBlazers | #WACbsb
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Saturday (G1) – RHP #29 Dillon Holliday (3-1, 3.13 ERA) vs. RHP #39 Troy Melton (3-3, 4.34 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP #40 Jimmy Borzone (2-4, 6.86 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday (G3) – RHP #21 Ryan Hardman (0-4, 11.45 ERA) vs. RHP #32 Ricky Tibbett (2-1, 5.97ERA)

FIRST PITCH: Dixie State (11-23/9-11 WAC) steps back out of WAC play this weekend as the Trailblazers head back to southern California for a quick three game non-conference series at San Diego State this weekend.  
    The first two games of the series will be played as a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. (PT), followed by the series finale on Sunday at 12 noon (PT). All three games will be played at Tony Gwynn Stadium (3,000) on the SDSU campus.

ALL-TIME SERIES: This weekend's series will mark the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Aztecs 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 enters the weekend looking to snap a three-game skid, which  includes a hard-fought 3-2 loss at in-state foe BYU this past Tuesday in Provo.
    Prior to their trip up I-15 for the mid-week tilt against the Cougars, the Blazers split a four-game home series with current WAC leader California Baptist last weekend. DSU claimed the first two games of the series with their former Pacific West Conference rivals by 3-1 and 2-1 scores. However CBU would outscore DSU by a combined 21-12 count (7-4, 14-8) to salvage the final two games of the set.

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 265-151-1 (.636) overall record at DSU, and a 317-210-1 (.601) 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 23. 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 season, 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, 3/28).
    DSU is 446-266-1 (.626) all-time through 14-plus years of NCAA competition (713 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.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Trailblazers have played to a 275-110 (.714) overall record in 385 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era, including a 5-9 mark this year, and an 8-3 record (.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 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 157-145-1 overall road record (.520) in its four-year era, and played its 300th NCAA road game in the series opener at USC back on April 9.  
    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 171-156-1 (.523) 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:
* - Junior RHP Jimmy Borzone (2-4/6.86 ERA) notched the first major highlight of DSU's new NCAA D-I journey when he fired the second no-hitter in DSU's four-year era at Tarleton State back on April 2, for which he was named TicketSmarter WAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week (4/5).
* - Borzone struck out eight, which was one off of his career high (9 at Wichita State, 3/5), and allowed only four total base runners (3 HBP, 1 BB) in the Trailblazers' 5-1 victory in seven innings ... the junior retired the final 14 Texan batters he faced and threw 97 pitches on his way to his first complete-game win.
*- Prior to Borzone's day, Dixie State's only other no-hitter came nearly six years to the day on April 3, 2015, when former DSU hurler John Conquy blanked Fresno Pacific, 1-0, in a seven-inning road win. Borzone's no-no was also the 25th no-hitter in WAC history.
* - Borzone picked up his second win of the year in G2 vs. CBU last Saturday, against which he scattered six hits and fanned seven in 5.1 scoreless innings.
* - Borzone, who is slated to start G2 vs. SDSU on Saturday, leads the DSU staff with 47 K in 40.2 IP and now qualifies to be listed as DSU's current single-season leader in K/9IP (10.40).
* - Freshman RHP Dillon Holliday (3-1/3.13 ERA/20 K) picked up his team-leading third win of the year in the series opener vs. CBU ... Holliday struck out a career-high five and surrendered only one run and four hits in 5.2 IP.
* - Holliday, who will start the series opener vs. SDSU on Saturday, 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 the win at Sac State (3/28).
* - Freshman RHP Ryan Hardman (0-4/11.45 ERA/23 K), who will start Sunday's G3 at SDSU, enjoyed his finest outing of his young collegiate career in G3 vs. CBU, against which he allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits with a pair of strikeouts in 5.0 IP ... fellow freshman RHP Brett Porthan (0-0/7.16 ERA/10 K) made his first collegiate start in the series finale vs. CBU and struck out a career-high four, while giving up four runs an eight hits in 5.0 IP.
* - All four starters in the CBU series pitched at least five innings and each left their respective starts with the lead, though DSU wound up splitting the four game set.
* - Freshman C Kaden Hollow (.360/7 HR/28 RBI) batted .313 (5-for-16) with an RBI and run scored in four starts vs. CBU ... however he was held hitless in four ABs in Tuesday's game at BYU, though he did put the ball in play in all four plate appearances.
* - Prior to the USC trip (4/9-11), Hollow enjoyed an impressive four-week stretch that saw his batting average climb more than 80 points ... Hollow had hit safely in 16 of his last 17 starts (29-for-61; .475), which included a career-best 14 game hit streak that was snapped in game three at Tarleton (4/2) ... the freshman drove in 25 of his team-high 28 runs during that stretch, while 14 of his 29 total hits had gone for extra bases (7 2B/7HR).
* - Hollow hit .615 (8-for-13) and posted a 1.231 SLG% in the four games at Tarleton three weeks ago ... he finished with two doubles, two homers, seven RBI and seven runs scored in the four game set.
* - Hollow kept the vibe going in the home loss vs. Utah (4/6), against which he went 2-for-2 with a double and a two-run home run in the third inning.
* - Hollow feasted on Utah pitching as he also homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs in the Blazers' 9-7 road win back on March 23 ... 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.
* - Thirteen of Hollow's 28 RBI on the year have come via the long ball, including a three-run blast in the win at NMSU (3/14) ... the freshman backstop is currently fifth in the WAC in batting, t-third in HR and t-fourth in RBI.
* - Senior 1B/OF/DH Jake Engel (.284/3 HR/16 RBI) will look to get back on track this weekend after he was held to a 3-for-13 (.231) clip in the CBU series, and went 0-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's loss at BYU ... however, two of Engel's three hits in the CBU series were doubles, which moved him into fourth place on DSU's career doubles list (35).  
* - Prior to the CBU series, Engel had hit .341 over his previous 12 starts, including a .467 clip (7-for-15) in the Tarleton series with a pair of doubles and four RBI ... in fact, he doubled five times during that 12-game stretch.  
* -  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 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's series at SDSU third in program history in career RBI (124), fifth in career SLG% (.571) and total bases (273), sixth in career walks (77), and seventh in career average (.339) and career hits (162).
* -  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 C/1B/OF Tanner Harper (.239/2 HR/6 RBI) homered twice, both solo shots, in G3 at Tarleton (4/2) ... Harper batted an even .400 in the series (4-for-10) which included his first career triple in the first game of the Friday DH ... Harper also had a productive series at USC as he also hit .400 (2-for-5) vs. the Trojans with two runs scored.
* - Freshman INF Shane Taylor (.284/3 HR/11 RBI) became the fourth Blazer hitter this year to post a two-homer game in the finale at Tarleton (4/3) ... Taylor led off the game with a solo home run on the game's third pitch, then followed that up with another solo blast in the second.
* - Taylor's first career lead-off homer was DSU's first since senior OF Lane Pritchard went yard to open the game at Cal State LA (W, 9-3; 2/8/20) last season.
* - Since becoming a mainstay as the Trailblazer lead-off hitter 15 games ago, Taylor is batting .345 (19-for-55) with four XBH, seven RBI and eight runs scored.
* - Taylor hit .308 (4-for-13) vs. CBU with a triple, RBI and a run scored ... he followed that up with a 2-for-4 day with an RBI at BYU last Tuesday.
* - Pritchard (.327/3 HR/18 RBI) enjoyed a solid series vs. CBU, against which he batted a team-best .692 (9-for-13) with a double, HR, two RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases.
* - Pritchard has been on quite the run over the last 18 games as the senior OF is batting .409 (27-for-66) with six three-hit outings ... he has also collected 11 of his 18 RBI, and seven of his 12 XBH, over this current stretch with four stolen bases.
* - Junior INF Tanner Argyle (.214/1HR/4 RBI) did the job with his bat and his glove in the USC series as he hit an even .500 (4-for-8) against USC pitching with two RBI and two runs scored ... he also posted a team-high 10 assists, including a third-inning web gem in series finale (4/11) that helped keep the game tied early.
* - Argyle also belted his first HR as a Trailblazer in the series opener vs. CBU (4/16), a solo shot to lead off the home fifth that broke a scoreless tie.  
* - Senior closer Brayden Bonner (2-1/5 SV/15 K) has enjoyed a banner five week stretch that has seen him collected two wins, five 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 (62 GP) and earned the save in the 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 (3/23), and picked up save No. 3 in the series finale at Sacramento State (3/28) ... Bonner also saved both wins in the CBU series, and he enters this weekend in solo third on DSU's career saves list (14).   
* - After struggling in his first two starts of the year, junior southpaw Jack Gonzales (1-3/31 K) has been virtually lights out in his last 12 appearances - all in relief ... Gonzales has struck out 27 batters in 18.2 innings out of the Blazer bullpen, including a season-high tying five Ks in 2.0 IP in the opener at Tarleton (4/1), and seven combined strikeouts in three appearances vs. CBU last weekend.
* - Gonzales also collected his first win of the season in the Tarleton series finale (4/3) ... the junior enters this weekend's series as DSU's career K/9IP leader (9.22).

FREE BASEBALL: Dixie State saw its 52-game streak of not playing an extra inning game come to an end in the series opener at Tarleton (L, 9-10, 4/1). Prior to the loss at Tarleton, DSU's last extra-inning affair came during the 2019 season in an 8-5 loss in eight innings to Regis (4/19/19).
    The Trailblazers are 31-16 (.659) in 47 total extra-inning games in the program's four-year era, 15-6 in 10-inning games, and the program has won five of its last eight extra inning games overall.

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Dixie State returns home for a big four-game WAC series against in-state foe Utah Valley next weekend, April 30-May 2, at Bruce Hurst Field. The set is part of the newly established "Old Hammer Rivalry" between the two former junior college rivals.