Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 6:05 p.m.
Saturday - 2:05 p.m.
Sunday - 12:05 p.m.
Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | NM STATE - PDF
Live Streaming: ESPN+ - G1 | ESPN+ - G2 | ESPN+ - G3
Live Stats: vs. NM STATE
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTechMBB | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACmbb | #WAChoops | #WACvegas

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP #18 Brett Porthan (2-2, 6.97 ERA) vs. RHP #20 Treyjen Meza (0-3, 4.38 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP #23 Jake Dahle (0-3, 11.81 ERA) vs. RHP #23 Pablo Cortes (0-1, 9.31 ERA)
Sunday (G3) – RHP #21 Ryan Hardman (0-4, 10.66 ERA) vs. TBA

FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (5-13/0-0 WAC) will play six of its next seven games at Bruce Hurst Field, starting with its first WAC series of the 2023 season this weekend vs. New Mexico State (1-13/0-3 WAC). Friday's series opener will begin at 6:05 p.m., followed by game two on Saturday at 2:05 p.m., and Sunday's series finale at 12:05 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+, with "The Voice of the Trailblazers" Rod Zundel on the call.

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: Utah Tech is 4-6 all-time vs. New Mexico State, which includes a split of a home-and-home series with the Aggies last season. The Trailblazers took two-of-three at Bruce Hurst Field nearly one year to the weekend (3/18-20), while the Aggies returned the favor later that season in Las Cruces.
        NM State also won three-of-four in the first-ever series between the two teams during the 2021 campaign (3/12/14), though the Trailblazers did manage to pick up their first-ever NCAA Division I victory in the series finale by a 19-13 count (3/14/21) to avoid the road sweep. 

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 is in 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 305-206-1 (.596) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 357-265-1 (.574) 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 closed its first road trip of the 2023 season on the wrong end of a 9-1 decision at Arizona State last Tuesday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Blazers led 1-0 heading into the home third, only to see the Sun Devils strike for five runs in the frame, and three more in the fourth. Meanwhile, four ASU pitchers combined to limit Utah Tech to just three hits from the fourth inning on, and retired 12 of the final 14 Trailblazer batters faced to close out the game.
        That loss came on the heels of Utah Tech suffering a four-game sweep at current No. 12 Oklahoma State this past weekend in Stillwater. 

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.

HOME SWEET HOME: Utah Tech has played to a 302-129 (.700) overall record in 431 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since the start of its four-year era in the 2007 season, though the Blazers closed their season-opening homestand with a 5-8 mark.
        In addition, the Trailblazers collected their 300th victory at Bruce Hurst Field in their 12-4 series-opening win over Wichita State back on Feb. 22. 
        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: Despite the 0-5 road start to the 2023 season, Utah Tech has held its own away from home as the Trailblazers have played to a 168-181-1 overall road record (.481) 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 484-321-1 (.601) all-time through 16-plus years of NCAA competition (806 games). 

BEST IN STATE?: Utah Tech got the in-state portion of its 2023 schedule off on the right foot with a 10-9 walk-off victory over BYU in the final game of its 13-game, season-opening homestand this past March 7.
        The win did not look like it was in the offing after the Cougars struck for six first inning runs. However the Blazers matched BYU with six runs of their own in the home first, then kept pace with the Cougars until the bottom of the ninth, when with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Sean Keating singled home the winning run.
        That win also marked the second time in three seasons that Utah Tech had walked off BYU at Bruce Hurst Field (5-4; 3/16/21).
        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 in 2021, 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 has turned 13 doubles plays (t-41st in the NCAA) through 18 games this season.

FREE BASEBALL: After not playing an extra inning game in two full seasons in 2019 and 2020, Utah Tech has played in 10 extra inning affairs since its move to Division I, all of which have come over the Blazers' 95 games, including four games last season (2-2), and game two vs Wichita State (L, 3-5; 2/24).  
        The Trailblazers are currently 4-6 in extra inning games as a D-I, and 35-21 (.625) overall in 56 total extra-inning games in the program's four-year era. UT is 17-11 in 10-inning games, and the program has won nine of its last 17 extra inning games overall. 

THE FISHER (HR) KING: Senior Tyson Fisher became Utah Tech's career home run leader in the series finale vs. Portland (2/19) 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 seven of his last 22 games, including three games this season. Last year 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 with 36 and counting, Fisher has several more career records in sight as he continues through his final season. His team-leading 15 RBI this season leaves him needing only 19 more to pass both Engel (147) and Adams (147) become UT's career RBI leader (fourth with 12). 
        In addition, he stands fourth in total bases (331), fifth in triples (6), at bats (587) and runs (134), sixth in SLG% (.564) and doubles (34), seventh in stolen bases (23), and eighth all-time in hits (177).

LEADING THE HURD: Freshman OF Bryker Hurdsman has wasted little time making an impact as he currently leads the team in batting (.357), runs (17), hits (20), doubles (7), stolen bases (3), and OB% (.449) through his first 17 collegiate games batting primarily in the lead-off spot in the order. In addition, he is second on the club in RBI (14) and t-second in homers (2). 
        Hurdsman has hit safely in 13 of his 17 games played, including his last six overall, with five two-hit games and a 3-for-4 day with a double and an RBI in game three of the Oklahoma State series last Saturday. He also homered and drove in a career-high four runs in UT's series opening win vs. Wichita State (2/22).  

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS
* - Junior 3B Shane Taylor currently leads the WAC in walks with 16, and he enters this weekend's series needing just four more free passes to vault into second place on UT's career walks list (89). 
* - Senior 1B Sean Keating accounted for Utah Tech's lone home run of the road trip when he hit his fourth of the year in game three at Oklahoma State last Saturday night.
* - Keating had himself a day in the series opener vs. Wichita State (2/22) when he became the second Trailblazer in the program's new D-I era to hit three home runs in one game ... Keating also drove in a career-high six runs in the win.
* - Keating joined former UT All-American Jake Engel on that exclusive list, which he established after he went yard three times at San Diego State (4/24/21) during the 2021 season.
* - Keating also became the second Trailblazer this season to hit homers in consecutive plate appearances, joining Fisher on the list, who did it in the series finale vs. Portland (2/19).
* - In fact, Utah Tech went back-to-back-to-back with the long ball in the third inning of G1 vs. Wichita as Hurdsman-Keating-Fisher all homered within four pitches of each other off of two different Shocker pitchers.
* - Utah Tech's three-consecutive home runs also marked the first time that occurred in the program's D-I transition ... the last time the Trailblazers hit three home runs in one inning came during the 2019 season in a 28-9 road rout of Adams State (3/10/19).
* - Junior RHP Brett Porthan recorded his 100th-career strikeout on the final out he recorded in his start last Friday night at Oklahoma State ... Porthan finished the night with five strikeouts in six innings of work and scattered three earned runs (four total) on five hits, but did not figure in the decision. 
* - Porthan, who will start Friday night's opener vs. NM State, will move into t-seventh on UT's career starts list (26), and figures to move into UT's career top-10 in both strikeouts and innings pitched ... the junior is also one win shy of vaulting into the top-10 on the career wins list (11). 
* - Junior RHP Ryan Hardman reached the 100-K plateau in his first start of year vs. Portland (2/18), against which he punched out three Pilot hitters in 3.2 IP ... Hardman, who will start Sunday's finale vs. NM State, also fanned a season-high five in his start last Saturday at Oklahoma State. 
* - Senior southpaw Ben Hart has made a staff-high seven relief appearances through 18 games this season to rise to second all-time in program history in games pitched at 58. 

ABOUT THE NEW MEXICO STATE "AGGIES": New Mexico State travels to St. George fresh off its first win of the season, a 23-2 rout of Ottawa (AZ) last Tuesday night in Las Cruces, which stopped a season-opening 0-13 start.
        This weekend's series will be the Aggies' second WAC set of the year as they opened conference play last weekend on the wrong end of a three-game sweep at Grand Canyon.
        NM State hit seven homers as part of its 23-run explosion vs. OUAZ last Tuesday night, this after the Aggies had scored just 42  total runs in their first 13 games combined.
        Senior 2B Kevin Jimenez is the Aggies' top hitter with a .306 clip to go with two homers and seven RBI.
        Friday's scheduled starter, junior RHP Treyjen Meza, is 0-3 in four starts, though he has fanned 26 in 24.2 innings and owns a 4.38 ERA. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech heads back to the desert for a midweek game at PAC-12 power Arizona on Tuesday, March 21. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. (PT), at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson.