Baseball | 1/31/2024 10:48:00 AM

Utah Tech's baseball program will host its annual Alumni Weekend on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9-11. This year's preseason kick-off features a full slate of events, including an 18-hole golf scramble and luncheon, three intrasquad scrimmages, the annual alumni game and pre-game uniform number retirement ceremony, and a special program anniversary acknowledgment. 
 
The festivities get underway on Friday morning with the sold-out golf tournament and luncheon at The Ledges Golf Club in St. George. 
 
Later that evening at 6 p.m., the 2024 Trailblazers Baseball team will take to the Bruce Hurst Field diamond for the first of three weekend scrimmages. 
 
Then on Saturday, the annual alumni game will take place at Bruce Hurst Field beginning at 12 noon. The six-inning game will be made up two alumni teams, from both of the program's junior college and four-year eras, going head-to-head for bragging rights.
 
Prior the start of the Alumni Game at 11:45 a.m., the Utah Tech program will hold a special number retirement ceremony for former Trailblazer and current Kansas City Royals catcher Logan Porter (#46).
 
Porter, who played two seasons with the Trailblazer program in 2017-18, became the fourth Dixie State/Utah Tech baseball alumnus to be promoted to a Major League roster when the Kansas City Royals called him up this past September 11. He made his major league debut the next day in a road game at the Chicago White Sox, against which he singled and drove in two runs in his first MLB start.  
 
In his two seasons as a Trailblazer, Porter batted a combined .347 with 33 career doubles, 16 home runs and 112 RBI. In his debut season in 2017, he broke the school's single season RBI record with 72. That season Porter hit .376 (70-for-186) and led the team in doubles (18), homers (10), walks (33), slugging percentage (.634) and on-base percentage (.485) on his way to third team all-Pacific West Conference honors. 
 
Porter, who signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2018, is still Utah Tech's career leader in both OB% (.483) and hit-by-pitch (27), and is ranked in the top-10 all-time in program history in batting (5^th - .347), SLG% (5^th - .580), doubles (8^th – 33) and RBI (9^th – 112). 
 
The Alumni Game and Weekend will also serve as a celebration of the 20^th-anniversary of the 2004 Dixie College NJCAA National Championship season. Members of that championship team will be honored at both the Alumni Game and during halftime of the Utah Tech men's basketball game vs. California Baptist, which takes place on Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Arena at 3 p.m.
 
The weekend's festivities will conclude with two more intrasquad scrimmages on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m., and on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
 
Admission to all three scrimmages and the alumni game are free and open to the public. 
 
In addition to Porter, there are several former Trailblazer Baseball player alumni and coaches who are currently continuing their baseball careers at the professional level. Below is a list of those alumni:
 
Trevor Amicone (Utah Tech assistant coach – 2019) – hitting coach with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA – New York Yankees minor league system).
 
Brayden Bonner (Utah Tech pitcher – 2017-21) – minor league pitcher with the Ogden Raptors (Pioneer League).
 
Jake Dahle (Utah Tech pitcher – 2022-23) – minor league pitcher with the Oakland Ballers (Pioneer League).
 
Dylan File (Utah Tech pitcher – 2015-17; 21^st round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017) – signed 2024 minor league free agent contract with Arizona Diamondbacks. Played in Brewers minor league system (2017-22), and with the Doosan Bears of the Korean KBO league in 2023. 
 
Kaden Hollow (Utah Tech catcher – 2020-22) – minor league catcher in the San Diego Padres farm system.
 
Tyler Hollow (Utah Tech second baseman – 2018-22) – player development with the Tulsa Drillers (AA – Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system).
 
Jayden Murray (Utah Tech pitcher – 2018-19; 23^rd round selection of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019) – pitcher for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (AAA – Houston Astros minor league system).
 
Evan Parker (Utah Tech pitcher - 2014-15) – newly named manager of the Ogden Raptors (Pioneer League).
 
Carson Phillips (Utah Tech pitcher – 2021-22) – pitching coach with the Buffalo Bison (AAA – Toronto Blue Jays minor league system).
 
Zach Wilkins (Utah Tech pitching coach – 2020-22) – pitching coach with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (A – Houston Astros minor league system).
 
Utah Tech, which is in its fourth year as a transitioning NCAA Division I program and member of the Western Athletic Conference, officially opens the 2024 campaign on Friday, Feb. 16, with the first game of a four-game home series vs. PAC-12 member Washington State.
 
Utah Tech Baseball season and single game tickets for the Blazers' 27-game home schedule are currently on sale and can be purchased in person at the Utah Tech Ticket Office, located on the first floor of the Holland Centennial Commons Building or by calling 435-652-7800. Season and single game tickets are also available for purchase online at utahtech.evenue.net/events/BASEBALL.