Softball | 2/21/2024 1:15:00 PM

(St. George, Utah – Feb. 21, 2024) - The Trailblazers get their home schedule underway this weekend hosting the Utah Tech Tournament at Karl Brooks Field.

Game 1
Who | Utah Tech (3-5, 0-0 WAC) vs. Idaho State (10-1, 0-0 Big Sky)
When | Thursday, Feb. 22 / 12 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 2
Who | Utah Tech (3-5, 0-0 WAC) vs. Weber State (3-7, 0-0 Big Sky)
When | Friday, Feb. 23 / 2 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 3
Who | Utah Tech (3-5, 0-0 WAC) vs. Utah State (5-4, 0-0 Mountain West)
When | Sunday, Feb. 25 / 3 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 4
Who | Utah Tech (3-5, 0-0 WAC) vs. Eastern Kentucky (9-0, 0-0 ASUN)
When | Monday, Feb. 26 / 11 a.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Complete Tournament Schedule (click here)

GLANCE AT THE UTAH TECH TOURNAMENT
The Trailblazers will take on Idaho State on Thursday morning before afternoon tilts with Weber State on Friday and Utah State on Sunday before wrapping up the tournament on Monday against Eastern Kentucky.

LOOK AT THE CSUN MATADOR DIAMOND CLASSIC
The Trailblazers went 2-3 at the CSUN Matador Diamond Classic hosted by CSUN last weekend defeating Pacific twice, including a 7-6 thriller in eight innings on Saturday.

OPENING WEEKEND AT CANDREA CLASSIC
Utah Tech got the 2024 season underway at the Candrea Classic hosted by Arizona on Feb. 8-9 topping Northern Colorado, 5-1 on Feb. 9 while falling to Arizona, 9-1 in five innings and North Texas, 7-0.

TRAILBLAZERS SELECTED SECOND IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
Coming off winning the WAC regular season championship in 2023, the Trailblazers were picked to finish second in the WAC preseason poll released on Jan. 31.

Grand Canyon was selected first, earning eight first-place votes, collecting 80 points while the Trailblazers picked up one first-place vote and 69 votes. 

Seattle (66 pts.), who earned the final first-place vote, was third with the poll rounded out by Stephen F. Austin (53 pts.), Tarleton (50 pts.), California Baptist (40 pts.), UT Arlington & Utah Valley (32 pts.) tied for seventh, Abilene Christian (19 pts.) and Southern Utah (9 pts.).

PAIR OF TRAILBLAZERS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
Sophomore pitcher Sauren Garton and junior infielder Carly Eldredge were named to the 12-member Preseason All-WAC team on Jan. 31.

A Second Team All-WAC selection last season as a freshman, Garton posted a 3.61 ERA across 23 appearances (18 starts) in the circle. With a 13-5 record, she led the Trailblazers in strikeouts (76) while holding opposing hitters to just a .259 batting average. 

Eldredge enters her junior season with momentum after a strong sophomore campaign in which she hit .354 across 144 total plate appearances and slugged .444 on the season with 10 extra-base hits and 25 RBI.

OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Junior outfielder Marissa Rubio leads the Trailblazers with a .429 average from the plate while junior infielder Carly Eldredge, a preseason All-WAC selection, leads the team in RBI (8), runs (5), hits (9), home runs (2) and slugging percentage (.615).

SIX NEW TRAILBLAZERS MAKE THEIR DEBUTS
Six new Trailblazers have made their debuts so far this season with freshman Drew McKown making eight starts with six starts at shortstop and two starts at second base. 

Additionally, newcomers Gabi Giroux & Baylee Howley have made starts while Maka Sonognini, Jayda Gleave, Abby Mitchell have also all seen action this season.

ABOUT IDAHO STATE
The Bengals are out to a 10-1 start to the season with six wins over four opponents in San Diego to open the season and are coming off winning four of fives at the Whataburger Invitational hosted by Tarleton State.

Idaho State posted a 20-28 overall record in 2023 and went 10-5 in Big Sky action to win the regular season crown along with Sacramento State. The Bengals posted a 2-2 mark at the Big Sky Tournament falling to eventual Big Sky champion Northern Colorado.

ISU leads the Big Sky in ERA (1.36) & strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.75) while offensively leading the conference in home runs per game (0.73) & stolen bases (17).

Junior outfielder Gracie Smith ranks second in the Big Sky in batting average (.516) while also leading the conference with 16 hits and third in slugging percentage (.806).

ABOUT WEBER STATE
The Wildcats are off to a 3-7 start to the season with wins over Maine, CSU Bakersfield and California Baptist.

Weber State posted a 13-32 overall record with a 6-9 mark in the Big Sky to tie for fourth with Portland State. 

The Wildcats rank third in the Big Sky hitting .251 from the plate and also sit third in on-base percentage (.333) and are fifth in scoring (3.10).

Junior pitcher Cali McCraw ranks third in the Big Sky in ERA (0.98) and is fourth in innings pitched (21.1) 

ABOUT UTAH STATE
Utah State is 5-4 with three wins over the weekend at the Cal Baptist Classic with wins against UC Riverside, Weber State and UC Riverside along with wins over Portland State and UC Riverside on opening weekend.

Picked seventh in the Mountain West preseason poll, the Aggies went 18-26 overall in 2023 and 9-13 in the conference to tie with UNLV for seventh.

The Aggies rank fourth in the MW in batting average (.301) & on-base percentage (.392) and are fifth on the pitching side in ERA (2.86) & strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.00).

Ariel Fifita and Alex Bunton rank first and third, respectively, in the MW in batting average both hitting over .500 while pitcher Denay Smith and Katie Zuniga each have two wins apiece in the circle.

ABOUT EASTERN KENTUCKY
The Colonels are a perfect 9-0 on the team with five wins over the weekend at the South Alabama Invitational with a pair of wins over Central Michigan and one against Northern Illinois, South Alabama and UAB.

EKU went 28-24 in 2023 with a 10-14 mark in the ASUN while being picked to finish ninth in the ASUN preseason poll while Vianna Barron was named to ASUN preseason team.

The Colonels are hitting .323 from the plate as a team to rank second in the ASUN while leading the conference with 5.44 runs per game.

On the pitching side, EKU leads the ASUN in ERA in 1.53 and are one of 16 teams who remain undefeated as of Feb. 21.

Freshman pitcher Maddi Rutan ranks third in the ASUN in ERA (1.02) while leading the conference in hits allowed per seven innings (2.82) and is second in strikeouts (25).

MILESTONES IN 2023
The Trailblazers hit a number of program milestones in 2023.

After managing his 700th game in the NCAA era on April 1, 2023 at UT Arlington, head coach Randy Simkins reached another milestone with a walk-off win on April 22nd against California Baptist winning his 500th game in the NCAA era as the head man in the NCAA era for the Trailblazers.

The program recorded its 600th NCAA era win at Grand Canyon on April 15.

The second win of the doubleheader at home against Seattle U on April 7 secured the Trailblazers' 300th home win in the NCAA era.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers remain home next weekend for the second Utah Tech Tournament hosting Wisconsin for two games on March 1 and contests against Utah on March 3 and March 4.