FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (1-3/0-0 WAC) continues its homestand next weekend with a four-game series vs. Wichita State (1-2) at Bruce Hurst Field (2,500). Due to forecasted inclement weather in the St. George area throughout this week, the schedule for the four-game home set has been changed.

            The first two games of the series will now be played on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons beginning at 2:05 p.m. (MT), followed by game three on Friday at 4:05 p.m. (MT), and Saturday's series finale will start at 12:05 p.m. (MT).

            Please note that all game days and times are subject to change depending on weather conditions. 

HI MY NAME IS...: The Trailblazers began the 2023 season with a new institutional name - Utah Tech University. 

            This past July 1, the university re-branded to the new moniker, replacing "Dixie State University," while the "Trailblazers" nickname remained in place.

ALL-TIME SERIES: This weekend's set vs. Wichita State will be the second-ever series between the Trailblazers and Shockers. The two sides met early in the 2021 season in Wichita for a three-game series, which was UT's second as a newly-minted Division I program. However the Shockers proved to less than hospitable hosts as they swept all three games in the set (2-1, 15-3, 15-7; 3/5-7/21). 

UTAH TECH ON THE WEB: All Utah Tech home games, along with all WAC away games, this season will be streamed live online on either WAC International (wacinternational.tv) or ESPN+ (plus.espn.com).

COACHING STAFF: Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer begins his 11th season as head coach of the Utah Tech Baseball program. During his tenure in the UT dugout, Pfatenhauer 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 300th victory as UT skipper in the 2022 season finale at California Baptist (14-8; 5/21/2022), owns a 301-195-1 (.605) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 353-254-1 (.580) career mark. 

            Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is first-year pitching coach Justin Hixson (Cal State San Bernardino, 2006), along with ninth-year assistant coaches Bobby Rinard (Arizona, 2014) and Matt Hill (Utah Tech 2015). 

LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech opened the 2023 season on a bit of a sour note by dropping three-of-four to visiting Portland last weekend at Bruce Hurst Field. The Pilots blitzed the Trailblazers in the first three games by scores of 17-3, 6-4 and 21-11. However Utah Tech managed to salvage the series finale with an 11-1 triumph in eight innings this past Sunday afternoon. 

TRAILBLAZERS VOTED EIGHTH IN WAC PRESEASON POLL: Utah Tech was picked to finish eighth in the Western Athletic Conference as the league office announced its 2023 baseball preseason poll on Feb. 9. 

            Grand Canyon received 10 first-place votes and 141 voting points to top the 2023 preseason coaches poll. Sam Houston received the final three first-place votes to finish second with 131 points, while California Baptist collected 115 points to claim the third spot. 

            A log jam makes up the next three spots as Abilene Christian (100 pts), UTRGV (100 pts) and Sacramento State (100 pts) all tied for fourth place. Meanwhile defending WAC tournament champion New Mexico State (88 pts) wound up seventh, with Utah Tech (54 pts), WAC newcomer UT Arlington (47 pts) and Tarleton (40 pts) rounding out the top 10. 

            Utah Tech also enters the upcoming season eligible to compete at the 2023 WAC Baseball Championship Tournament, which will be held May 24-28 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz.

OPENING DAY: Utah Tech fell to 9-8 all-time on "Opening Day" during its NCAA era following last Friday's loss to Portland. That said, UT has won five of its last eight, and nine of its previous 14 season debuts overall. 

            In addition, Utah Tech now owns a 10-7 overall record in home openers, 4-4 in season openers at home. Meanwhile the Trailblazers are 8-8 all-time in road openers, and they are 5-4 in season-opening road games overall.

A LOOK AT THE 2023 SCHEDULE: Utah Tech's third year of NCAA Division I play features 55 games, including 29 home dates at Bruce Hurst Field, along with match-ups against five 2022 NCAA Regional teams, and home-and-home games against in-state rivals Utah, BYU, and Utah Valley. 

            The Trailblazers will play 19 of their first 24 games at home, highlighted by a 13-game homestand, which includes this weekend's series vs. Wichita, followed by another four-game set next weekend vs. South Dakota State (March 3-5), before closing the homestand with a midweek game against BYU on Tuesday, March 7.

            Utah Tech's first road trip of the year takes the club to Stillwater for a four-game series at nationally-ranked Oklahoma State (March 10-12). The Blazers will also play March midweek games at PAC-12 powers Arizona State (March 14) and Arizona (March 21), which bookends their WAC opening home series vs. New Mexico State (17-19). UT's non-conference slate also includes home-and-home midweek games vs. Utah (in Salt Lake City April 4; in St. George April 25), a return road game at BYU (April 11), a non-league game at UVU (April 17) and a two-game road series at nationally-ranked Oregon (May 9-10).

HOME SWEET HOME: The Trailblazers enter this weekend's set vs. Wichita State one win away from their 300th NCAA era home victory. UT has played to a 299-124 (.707) overall record in 423 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since the start of its four-year era in the 2007 season

            Utah Tech started the 2022 season winners of seven of its first 10 home games, but when the calendar turned to April, that record flipped to 4-8, though the Blazers did manage to salvage the home finale vs. Utah (W, 9-4; 5/11/22) to even their home mark at 11-11 for the year. 

            UT has posted a winning home record in 15 of 16 seasons since transitioning to NCAA status in 2007, and has won 20 or more home games in eight of those 16 seasons overall, 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 era (26-7 in 2009). 

            The 24 home wins in 2016 were the most under Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer, while the .807 winning percentage in 2017 was the best W% in Pfatenhauer's tenure.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Utah Tech has held its own away from home as the Trailblazers have played to a 168-176-1 overall road record (.487) in its four-year era, which included an 11-22 road mark last season, though they did end the year winning three of their final four road dates. 

            UT had posted a winning road record in eight of their last 13 seasons overall, highlighted by a 16-7-1 road mark in 2017. The 16 road wins were the most since beginning NCAA play in 2007.

            In 2015, Utah Tech went a program-best 15-5 on the road (.750), and UT has won at least 10 road games in nine of its last 10 seasons overall. When you also figure in neutral-site games (14-11 in 25 games), Utah Tech is 181-187-1 (.492) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era.

JUST WIN BABY: Utah Tech did something last year that it had not done in its entire NCAA era - post consecutive sub-.500 season records. UT ended its first NCAA D-I season in 2021 with a 24-32 overall record, which was followed by last year's 22-33 mark.

            Prior to the 2021 campaign, Utah Tech had played to a winning record in 13 of its previous 14 seasons, with the lone exception coming in 2018, when the Trailblazers came away with an even 25-25 mark. In fact, Utah Tech has reached the 30-win plateau 10 times in 16 seasons of NCAA play overall, which included nine-straight seasons from 2009 to 2017.

            Utah Tech has won 35 of more games in a season four times 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.

HERE'S TO THE NEXT 400: Utah Tech picked up its 400th win in the program's NCAA era in the series opener vs. UCCS (6-1) on March 16, 2019. UT is currently 480-311-1 (.606) all-time through 16 years of NCAA competition (792 games). 

            The Trailblazers on scheduled to play in their 800th NCAA-era game in the series finale vs. South Dakota State on Sunday, March 5.

BEST IN STATE?: Utah Tech finished the in-state portion of its 2022 slate with an even 5-5 record, splitting all three series against the other three Utah D-I schools (BYU 1-1; Utah 1-1; Utah Valley 3-3). 

            In UT's D-I debut season last year, the Trailblazers posted a combined 6-2 mark against their in-state foes, going 4-0 vs. fellow WAC member UVU, along with home-at-home splits vs. both BYU and Utah.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Utah Tech led the WAC and finished tied for fifth nationally, unofficially, in double plays with 56 in 55 games last season. It was unofficial because UT is not eligible to be listed in the NCAA rankings during its four-year transition to Division I status. 

            The Trailblazers have picked up right where they left off last season as the defense turned four double plays in the Portland series.

FREE BASEBALL: After not playing an extra inning game in two full seasons in 2019 and 2020, Utah Tech has played in nine extra inning affairs since its move to Division I, all of which have come over the Blazers' 81 games, including four games last season (2-2).  

            The Trailblazers are currently 4-5 in extra inning games as a D-I, and 35-20 (.636) overall in 55 total extra-inning games in the program's four-year era. UT is 17-10 in 10-inning games, and the program has won nine of its last 16 extra inning games overall. 

THE FISHER (HR) KING: Senior Tyson Fisher became Utah Tech's career home run leader in Sunday's win over Portland with the first of his two two-run homers he connected on as part of a 3-for-4 day with five RBI. 

            Fisher moved past his former teammate Jake Engel (2017-21), who hit 32 home runs during his storied All-American career.

            Fisher launched his record-breaking 33rd career HR on a 1-0 pitch in the bottom of the third, then struck for his second long ball one inning later on a 2-1 offering. The senior's two-homer game was the third of his career - all of which have come over the past two seasons. Fisher went yard twice in a road win at Sacramento State last March (3/12/22), then repeated the feat nearly two months later at home vs. NM State (5/1/22).

FISHER ON A POWER SURGE: Dating back to last year, Fisher has been on quite the home run tear, having gone big fly in five of his last eight starts. Last season he became the first player in the program's NCAA era to hit home runs in four-straight games, doing so in each of Utah Tech's final four games.

            Fisher batted .357 (5-for-14) over those final four games with seven RBI and six runs scored to finish the year with a .302 average along with 11 homers, 22 total XBH, and 33 RBI. In addition, he hit safely in 20 of his final 23 games and batted .372 (32-for-86) over that stretch.

            The senior OF is also one of seven Trailblazers in UT's four-year era to hit homers in three-straight games, and is the second player to do it twice. In addition to last year's feat, Fisher posted a three-game streak late in the 2021 season (5/16-21), while former outfielder Tyson Littlewood did it in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Engel added his name to the list in 2019, joining fellow All-American Brett Adams (2010) along with former Blazers Kevin Cline (2013), Mark Rose (2008) and Frans Meyer (2008). 

FISHING FOR MORE HISTORY: Now that he sits atop the career HR list, Fisher has several more career records in sight as he continues through his final season. His six total RBI in the Portland series now leaves him needing only 28 more to pass both Engel (147) and Adams (147) become UT's career RBI  leader (currently t-fourth with 120). 

            In addition, he stands fourth in total bases (311), fifth in triples (6) and runs (127), sixth in SLG% (.575), eighth in doubles (32) and at-bats (541), and ninth in hits (165) and stolen bases (22). 

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS:

* - Junior 3B Shane Taylor picked up right where he left off last season as he batted .333 (5-for-15) with a pair of doubles, three RBI and a team-high five runs scored ... After being held hitless in the first two games of the series, Taylor came back with three hits and three RBI in the game three, and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the finale. 

* - Junior OF Jack Walker also had himself quite the series as he "hit for the cycle" of sorts as he singled, doubled, tripled and homered as part of a 5-for-10 series with five RBI ... he tripled and scored in the first game of Saturday's DH, then homered in his first at-bat in the night cap ... Walker also doubled home two runs in the fourth inning of Sunday's finale and later scored on Fisher's second HR of the game. 

* - Freshman OF Bryker Hurdsman wasted little time making a splash as he led off the Trailblazers' season with a double in his first collegiate at-bat and later scored UT's first run in Friday's opener vs. Portland ... Hurdsman would also club his first collegiate home run in the fifth inning of game two, then collected two more hits in the nightcap to finish the series batting .364 (4-for-11) with four runs scored out of the lead-off spot.

* - Hurdsman was not the only Blazer batter to record firsts in their UT debuts as freshman INF Garrett Cutting (3-for-11, 3 RBI) and freshman OF Karson Irvin (1-for-5, 1 RBI) also collected their first collegiate hits and RBI, as did junior INF Blake Borgogno (2-for-8, 1 RBI) in his debut.   

* - Junior C Hank Dodson led the Blazer offense with a team-high .571 average (4-for-7), which included a "walk-off" two-run single in the UT eighth on Sunday to trigger the 10-run mercy rule. 

* - Speaking of freshmen making an immediate impact, righthander Ben Clark started in his collegiate debut on Sunday vs. Portland and set the early tone for the Blazers by striking out three and scattering one run and six hits in 3.2 innings of work, but did not figure in the decision.

* - Clark would turn things over to fellow freshman RHP Dakoda West, and all he did in his collegiate debut was toss 3.1 innings of three-hit shutout relief on his way to his first career victory.

* - Two other hurlers shined in their Trailblazer debuts, including junior RHP Carson Angeroth, who tossed 2.1 innings of two-hit relief, and freshman LHP Evan Vasiliou, who despite being saddled with the loss in game three, scattered one run and two hits over 2.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts. 

* - Senior southpaw Ben Hart made a staff-high two relief appearances in the Portland series and combined to throw 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit while striking out one. 

ABOUT THE WICHITA STATE "SHOCKERS": Wichita State is in the midst of a seven-game road trip to open the 2023 season. The Shockers kicked off the campaign with a three-game weekend series at Long Beach State, where after suffering a pair of narrow losses, 2-0 and 6-5, WSU came back with an 11-6 victory in Sunday's finale.

            Sophomore catcher Mauricio Millan led the Shocker offense, batting .364 (4-for-11) in three starts and hit one of WSU's two home runs in the series, while junior INF Brock Rodden drove in a team-high five runs and batted .333 (4-for-12) in the three games. 

            Saturday's scheduled starter, junior RHP Grant Adler, picked up the win in Sunday's finale at LBSU as he struck out five in six innings of work. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech continues its homestand next weekend at Bruce Hurst Field with a four-game series vs. South Dakota State.