Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 7 p.m.
Saturday - 3 p.m.
Sunday - 2 p.m.
Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | USC
Live Streaming: PAC-12.com
Live Stats: at USC
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @Dixie_Baseball | #DixieBlazers | #WACbsb
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP #40 Jimmy Borzone (1-3, 5.82 ERA) vs. LHP #29 Isaac Esqueda (3-1, 2.27 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP #21 Ryan Hardman (0-4, 11.62 ERA) vs. RHP #55 Chandler Champlain (1-2, 5.23 ERA)
Sunday (G3) – LHP #19 Tevita Gerber (1-1, 7.56 ERA) vs. RHP #30 Alex Cornwell (3-3, 5.71 ERA)

FIRST PITCH: Dixie State (9-17/7-9 WAC) steps out of Western Athletic Conference play this weekend as the Trailblazers head to Los Angeles for a three-game series at USC (12-11). This weekend's set will also close out a stretch that will have seen the Trailblazers play 12 of their last 13 games on the road.
    The series opener will take place on Friday night at 6 p.m. (PT), followed by game two on Saturday at 2 p.m. (PT), and the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. (PT). All three games will be played at Dedeaux Field (2,500) on the USC campus.

ALL-TIME SERIES: This weekend's series at USC will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Trojans 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 posted its first series win in the program's NCAA D-I era last weekend by taking three of four at fellow WAC newcomer Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas.
    After dropping the series opener in 10 innings last Thursday, 10-9, the Blazers bounced back with a Friday twin bill sweep by 5-1 and 7-4 counts, with the highlight coming off the arm of junior RHP Jimmy Borzone, who fired the second no-hitter in DSU's NCAA era in the first game. Dixie State then closed out the series win with a 13-9 decision on Saturday.
    The Trailblazers then returned home, albeit briefly, for a mid-week tilt against in-state foe Utah this past Tuesday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. However it was all Utes as Utah avenged DSU's win in Salt Lake City (9-7, 3/23) with a 16-3 triumph in the return meeting.

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 263-145-1 (.644) overall record at DSU, and a 315-204-1 (.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).

BORZONE'S NO-NO GOOD FOR WAC WEEKLY AWARD: Junior RHP Jimmy Borzone was named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week on Monday after he fired the second no-hitter in DSU's NCAA era last Friday afternoon at Tarleton State.
    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.

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 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, 3/28).
    DSU is 444-260-1 (.630) all-time through 14-plus years of NCAA competition (705 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 273-108 (.716) overall record in 381 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 157-141-1 overall road record (.526) in its four-year era, and will play in its 300th NCAA road game in Friday's opener at USC.
    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 171-152-1 (.529) 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 (.417, 7 HR/27 RBI) has put together an impressive four-week stretch that has seen his batting average climb more than 80 points ... Hollow has 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 last Friday ... the freshman has driven in 25 of his team-high 27 runs during this current stretch, while 14 of his 29 total hits in his last 17 games have 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 last weekend ... he finished with two doubles, two homers, seven RBI and seven runs scored in the four game set.
* - Hollow kept the vibe going in Tuesday's game vs. Utah, against which he went 2-for-2 with a double and a two-run home run in the third inning.
* - Hollow has 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 27 RBI on the year have come via the long ball, including a three-run blast in the win at NMSU (3/14).
* - Hollow is currently second in the WAC in batting, HR and RBI, and if Dixie State was eligible to be listed in the NCAA rankings (not eligible due to NCAA D-I reclassification), the freshman backstop would be ranked 35th-nationally in batting, t-60th in HR and t-62nd in RBI.
* - After struggling through the UTRGV series, senior 1B/OF/DH Jake Engel (.318 - 18th in the WAC/3 HR/14 RBI) is batting .382 over his last 10 starts, including a .467 clip (7-for-15) in the Tarleton series with a pair of doubles and four RBI ... in fact, he has doubled five times during his current 10-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 third in program history in career RBI (122), fifth in career batting (.348), fourth in career SLG% (.588), fifth in career total bases (267) and doubles (t-5th, 33), t-6th in career walks (75) and t-8th in career hits (158).  
* -  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 USC 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.
* - Junior C/1B/OF Tanner Harper (.217/2 HR/4 RBI) homered twice, both solo shots, in G3 at Tarleton last Friday ... Harper batted an even .400 in the series (4-for-10) which included his first career triple in the first game of Friday's DH.
* - Then for good measure, freshman INF Shane Taylor (.254/3 HR/7 RBI became the fourth Blazer hitter this year to post a two-homer game a day later as he went twice in the finale at Tarleton last Saturday ... 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.
* - Harper and Taylor joined Kaden Hollow and Engel as being the four Trailblazers to have homered twice in a game this season, while Taylor was the second to do it in consecutive ABs (K. Hollow at Utah - 3/23) ... Taylor batted .313 (5-for-16) in the Tarleton series and drove in three runs.  
* - Senior C/DH Cade Spurlin (.262/3 HR/12 RBI) has seen his bat come to life over his last six games ... Spurlin has hit safely in four-straight and in five of his last six outings (9-for-20; .450) with four XBH, including a grand slam homer in last Saturday's finale at Tarleton.
* - Spurlin also provided some late-inning heroics in the finale at Sacramento State (3/28) ... 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 as DSU won the game 7-5 ... 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.   
* - Senior closer Brayden Bonner has enjoyed a banner three 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 (58 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'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 the win at Sac State (3/28).  
* - After struggling in his first two starts of the year, junior southpaw Jack Gonzales has been virtually lights out in his last nine appearances - all in relief ... Gonzales has struck out 18 batters in 13.2 innings out of the Blazer bullpen, including a season-high tying five Ks in 2.0 IP in the opener at Tarleton (4/1) ... he also collected his first win of the season in the Tarleton series finale last Saturday.
* - After committing eight errors in four games vs. Washington State to open the season, Dixie State's defense has committed only 19 total errors in its last 22 games overall, including only one error in 98 total chances in three games at Wichita State (3/5-7) ... DSU also committed just two errors in 133 chances in four games last weekend at Tarleton State.

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 last weekend (L, 9-10, 4/1). Prior to last week, 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 begins the second half of its NCAA D-I debut season by playing 16 of its final 27 games at Bruce Hurst Field, starting with a four-game weekend WAC series vs. former PacWest rival California Baptist this upcoming April 16-18.