Softball | 3/20/2024 11:30:00 AM

Game 1
Who | Utah Tech (9-16, 2-1 WAC) at Stephen F. Austin (8-22, 1-2 WAC)
When | Friday, March 22 / 5 p.m.
Where | SFA Softball Field / Nacogdoches, Texas
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 2
Who | Utah Tech (9-16, 2-1 WAC) at Stephen F. Austin (8-22, 1-2 WAC)
When | Saturday, March 23 / 12 p.m.
Where | SFA Softball Field / Nacogdoches, Texas
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 3
Who | Utah Tech (9-16, 2-1 WAC) at Stephen F. Austin (8-22, 1-2 WAC)
When | Saturday, March 23 / 2:30 p.m.
Where | SFA Softball Field / Nacogdoches, Texas
Broadcast | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

RAIN ALTERS WEEKEND SCHEDULE
With rain scheduled in the forecast on Thursday and Friday, this weekend's schedule has been altered to one game on Friday at 5 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.

TRAILBLAZERS OPEN WAC PLAY WITH SERIES WIN
The Trailblazers opened WAC play at home last weekend winning two of three contests against Abilene Christian.

The Blazers split a doubleheader on Friday, 9-6 before falling in game two, 9-2.

The series wrapped up on Saturday with a 12-9 win that saw the Trailblazers rack up a season-high 16 hits and have both Laura Lockard and Oaklee Trapp set career highs with four hits apiece.

UTAH TECH IN WAC PLAY
The Trailblazers are in their fourth season of WAC play with a 35-34 overall mark.

Utah Tech captured the WAC regular season crown in 2023 with a 19-5 overall record, including an 11-1 mark at home.

The Blazers won six of its eight WAC series with five sweeps, including the last three series of the spring taking down California Baptist, Southern Utah and Utah Valley.

UT went 8-16 in WAC play in 2022 and finished fifth in the West Division posting a 4-8 mark on the road as well as at home. The Trailblazers claimed series wins over Utah Valley, New Mexico State and Grand Canyon.

In their first season of WAC play in 2021, the Blazers went 6-12 to finish sixth in the WAC. UT went 3-6 on the road and at home with series wins over Tarleton and Grand Canyon.

WE'LL TAKE THAT
The Blazers are also among the WAC leaders in stolen bases sitting second with 33. 

Leading the way is speedster LB Kahahwai-Kekona with 10 to sit third in the WAC. Sadie Gardner has added eight stolen bags and Maka Sonognini has posted six.

TAKING A STROLL
The Trailblazers rank fourth in the WAC in walks drawing 77 free passes this season.

Freshman Gabi Giroux leads the conference with 16 walks drawing walks in 12 games.

RUNS ON RUNS ON RUNS
The Trailblazers rank sixth in the WAC with 102 runs scored for an average of 4.1 runs per game.

The Blazers are 7-5 when scoring four or more runs while posting a 2-11 record when held under that mark.

ABOUT THE STEPHEN F. AUSTIN LADYJACKS
The Ladyjacks are 8-22 overall with a 4-5 mark at home while going 2-10 on the road and are 2-7 at a neutral site.

SFA finished third in the WAC in 2023 posting a 15-9 mark in conference play to go along with a 30-24 overall record.

The Ladyjacks, who host Houston on Wednesday, are hitting .236 as a team to rank eighth in the conference while averaging 2.7 runs per game. SFA opened WAC play on the road last weekend winning the series finale against Southern Utah, 7-2 at Desert Hills High School in St. George.

Junior Kelby Robbins is leading SFA with a .297 average while junior Chloe Reneau has a team-high nine runs scored and senior Madison Nguyen leads the team with 26 hits and 10 RBI.

On the pitching side, the Ladyjacks check in third in the WAC with a 3.77 ERA while ranking second in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.02). Opponents are hitting .264 against SFA pitching and averaging four runs per game.

Senior pitcher Aydenne Brown tops the team in wins (4), ERA (3.14), innings pitched (62.1) and strikeouts (49) while both Brooke Gainous and Alexis Telord have two wins apiece.

SERIES HISTORY VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
The Trailblazers are 0-1 all-time against Stephen F. Austin with their lone meeting coming in the 2023 WAC Tournament. This will be the two programs first series meeting.

Utah Tech fell 2-0 to the third-seeded Ladyjacks to end their 35-win season in 2023.

BIG WEEKS FOR LB & TRAPP
A pair of Trailblazers had great weeks at the plate against Abilene Christian led by LB Kahahawai-Kekona going .778 (7-for-9) from the plate followed by Trapp hitting .667 (6-for-9).

Kahahawai-Kekona scored five runs, drew a pair of walks and stole four bases. Trapp added six base hits, including a 4-for-4 performance on Saturday, while scoring four runs and drove in five RBI.

PITCHING LEADERS
Tyler Denhart and Sauren Garton lead the pitching staff with three wins apiece while Attlyn Johnston leads the team with 43 strikeouts.

Denhart is the leader in innings pitched (55.1) while Danyelle Leone has a team-low 2.62 ERA.

SEVEN NEW TRAILBLAZERS 
Seven new Trailblazers have made their debuts so far this season with freshman Gabi Giroux making 24 starts on the season. 

The Centennial, Colo., native is hitting .204 with 10 hits, six RBI and has drawn a team-leading 16 walks.

Additionally, newcomers Baylee Howley, Maka Sonognini & Drew McKown have all made starts while Jayda Gleave, Abby Mitchell and Brooke Pisciotta have also all seen action this season.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers return home next week to host four games at Karl Brooks Field taking on BYU on Tuesday and Grand Canyon on March 29-30.