Softball | 2/28/2024 4:00:00 PM

(St. George, Utah – Feb. 28, 2024) - The Trailblazers continue their home schedule this weekend with the Trailblazer Tournament taking on Wisconsin and Utah at Karl Brooks Field.

Game 1
Who | Utah Tech (5-7, 0-0 WAC) vs. Wisconsin (8-8, 0-0 Big Ten)
When | Friday, March 1 / 11 a.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 2
Who | Utah Tech (5-7, 0-0 WAC) vs. Wisconsin (8-8, 0-0 Big Ten)
When | Friday, March 1 / 2 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 3
Who | Utah Tech (5-7, 0-0 WAC) vs. Utah (8-6, 0-0 Pac-12)
When | Sunday, March 3 / 12 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 4
Who | Utah Tech (5-7, 0-0 WAC) vs. Utah (8-6, 0-0 Pac-12)
When | Monday, March 4 / 11 a.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Complete Tournament Schedule (click here)

LOOK AT THE TRAILBLAZER TOURNAMENT
The Trailblazers are set for a pair of games against Wisconsin on Friday and single games versus Utah on Sunday and Monday.

Utah and Wisconsin will also play in three contests against each other with a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday.

UT GOES 2-2 AT THE UTAH TECH TOURNAMENT
Utah Tech went 2-2 at the UT Tournament with a pair of wins defeating Idaho State, 8-0 in five innings and Utah State, 3-2.

The Trailblazers got a five-inning complete game against the Bengals from pitcher Tyler Denhart who held ISU to one hit and struck out five.

The Blazers also picked up a win over the Aggies with a complete game from Attlyn Johnston on the mound with the junior striking out seven in seven innings in work allowing two runs and walking none.

GLANCE BACK AT THE CSUN MATADOR DIAMOND CLASSIC
The Trailblazers went 2-3 at the CSUN Matador Diamond Classic hosted by CSUN defeating Pacific twice, including a 7-6 thriller in eight innings on Feb.17.

OPENING WEEKEND AT THE 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.

OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Junior outfielder Marissa Rubio continues to lead the Trailblazers with a .400 average from the plate collecting 14 hits in 35 at-bats while junior infielder LB Kahawai-Kekona has scored 10 runs.

Junior Carly Eldredge also has 14 hits, has driven in 15 RBI and has smacked three home runs while leading the team with a .650 slugging percentage.

STELLAR PITCHING PERFORMANCES
Senior Tyler Denhart tossed a complete game one-hitter in five innings against Idaho State and junior Attlyn Johnston also threw a complete game vs. Utah State allowing only eight hits, two runs, one earned, struck out eight and walked none in a 3-2 win over the Aggies.

SIX NEW TRAILBLAZERS 
Six new Trailblazers have made their debuts so far this season with freshman Drew McKown making nine starts with seven starts at shortstop and two starts at second base. 

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

ABOUT WISCONSIN
The Badgers are out to an 8-8 start and coming off a 4-2 weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with wins over Oregon State, San Diego, Long Beach State and Utah.

Wisconsin got out to a 4-1 start after earning four wins on opening weekend earning wins over Weber State, Boise State, Maine and St. Thomas.

The Badgers went 27-20 overall in 2023 while posting a 12-10 mark in the Big Ten to finish fifth in the regular season before losing to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament.

Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.518), ranks second in doubles (21), home runs per game (1.25) & stolen bases (27) and is fifth in batting average (.297).

On the pitching side, the Badgers have a 4.29 ERA and a 1.59 strikeout-to-walk ratio and senior pitcher Gabi Salo has a 4-1 record with a 2.90 ERA in 29 innings of work while striking out 32. 

Freshman catcher Hilary Bloomberg leads the team with a .387 average while freshman infielder Alivia Bark has scored 16 runs for an average of 1.07 runs per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten.

ABOUT UTAH
The Utes are 8-6 to start the season with three wins last weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic defeating CSUN, San Diego and Nebraska.

Utah also has wins over Army, Notre Dame, NC Central, Iowa and UC San Diego.

The Utes are coming off a College World Series appearance in 2023 finishing the season with a 42-16 overall record. Winning both the Salt Lake City Regional and Super Regional, Utah faced off against Washington and Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City.

Utah was picked third in the Pac-12 preseason poll and had four preseason All-Pac-12 selections.

The Utes have five starters hitting over .300 with Haley Denning ranking fourth in the Pac-12 hitting .457 and tops the team in hits (21), runs (14) and is fourth nationally in stolen bases (12).

On the pitching side, Utah has a 3.00 team ERA and is led by senior Sarah Ladd with a 5-2 mark in 41.0 innings of work posting a 2.39 ERA with 28 strikeouts and only allowing seven walks.

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.

LOOK BACK AT 2023 SEASON
The Trailblazers are coming off a 35-18 overall record in 2023 while winning the WAC regular season title with a 19-5 overall record.

Utah Tech went 19-4 at home last season with an 11-6 on the road and 5-8 at neutral sites.

ROOT ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM
Utah Tech is 312-84 overall at home in the NCAA era. The Trailblazers are 267-70 at home under head coach Randy Simkins. 

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers wrap up their nine-game homestand on Tuesday hosting Utah State before heading to the UCSB Tournament II next weekend.