Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 5 p.m.
Saturday - 3 p.m.
Sunday - 1 p.m.
Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | SEATTLE U
Live Streaming: GAME #1 - WACINT | GAME #2 - WACINT | GAME #3 - WACINT
Live Stats: GAME #1 | GAME #2 | GAME #3
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTech_BASE | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACbsb

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – LHP #24 Evan Vasiliou (2-2, 6.33 ERA) vs. RHP #34 Blake Smith (2-1, 3.03 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP #34 Ky Decker (0-2, 6.00 ERA) vs. LHP #26 Peter Chronowski (0-1, 6.66 ERA)
Sunday (G3) – RHP #40 Dylan Gardner (0-4, 8.74 ERA) vs. RHP #37 Luke Alwood (0-2, 6.30 ERA)

FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (5-16/3-3 WAC) heads back out on the road this weekend for a three-game WAC road series at Seattle U (6-14/2-4 WAC). Friday's series opener will start at 4 p.m. (PT), followed by game two on Saturday at 2 p.m. (PT), and Sunday's series finale at 12 noon (PT).

ALL-TIME SERIES: Utah Tech is 8-5 all-time vs. Seattle U, which includes taking two of three from the Redhawks in its last visit to the "Emerald City" back in the 2022 season (3/25-27-22). 
    However the Trailblazers will be looking to avenge their last two series losses to Seattle U, both of which have come over the past two seasons at Bruce Hurst Field. Last season the Redhawks claimed the first two games of Utah Tech's final home series of the year (L, 2-9/L, 5-7; 5/12-13/23), but the Blazers were able to avoid the sweep with a 12-8 Senior Day victory (5/14/23).

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 12th 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 318-248-1 (.561) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 370-307-1 (.546) career mark. 
    Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is associate head coach Bobby Rinard (Arizona, 2014), who is in his 10th season on coaching staff overall, along with first-year pitching coach Daniel Stange (UC Riverside, 2015), and former Trailblazer Braxton Ipson (Utah Tech 2020), who moved into an assistant coach role after serving as director of baseball operations last season. 

LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech came away with a split of its four-game homestand last week, highlighted by a WAC series victory over Sacramento State. However the Trailblazers had to settle for the split after dropping an 11-6 decision to in-state rival BYU this past Tuesday night.

TRAILBLAZERS VOTED 11TH IN WAC PRESEASON POLL:Utah Tech was picked to finish 11th in the Western Athletic Conference as the league office announced its 2024 baseball preseason poll on Feb. 6. 
    Grand Canyon received nine first-place votes and 99 voting points to top the 2024 preseason coaches poll. Utah Valley (75 pts) and California Baptist (74 pts) each split the final two first-place votes to finish second and third in the poll, respectively.
    Abilene Christian (70 pts) wound up being selected fourth, followed by UT Arlington (68) in fifth, UTRGV (59 pts) in sixth, Sacramento State (54 pts) in seventh, Seattle U (39 pts) in eighth, Tarleton (34 pts) in ninth, Stephen F. Austin (19 pts) in 10th and Utah Tech (16 pts) in 11th. 
    The top eight teams in the conference standings will advance on to the 2024 WAC Baseball Championship Tournament, which will be held May 22-26 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz.

PLENTY OF BUZZ: Though no Utah Tech player was voted to the WAC's preseason all-conference team, several Trailblazers are generating plenty of preseason buzz.
    Freshman SS Petey Soto Jr. was named to the Perfect Game all-WAC preseason team and was the publication's pick for Freshman of the Year.
    In addition, Perfect Game has listed three Blazers in its top-10 2024 Major League Baseball Draft prospects list, including junior LHP Justin Woodbury (#4), and a pair of newcomers in junior 1B Aaron Perez (#3) and RHP Dylan Gardner (#5).
    Meanwhile, Perfect Game has sophomore outfielder Karson Irvin listed as the fourth-best prospect on its 2025 Draft list, and Soto Jr. made it on the 2026 Draft list. 

HOME SWEET HOME: Utah Tech has played to a 312-148 (.678) overall record in 460 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since the start of its four-year era in the 2007 season.
    The Trailblazers have posted a winning home record in 15 of 17 seasons since transitioning to NCAA status in 2007, which includes an 11-11 at home in 2022. 
    Utah Tech had 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 2-7 start to the road portion of the 2024 schedule, and a 2-21 road mark last year, Utah Tech has managed to hold its own away from home in its NCAA era as the Trailblazers have played to a 172-205-1 overall road record (.456).
    Utah Tech had posted a winning road record in eight of their last 14 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 11 seasons overall. When you also figure in neutral-site games (14-11 in 25 games), Utah Tech is 186-216-1 (.464) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era.

CLOSING IN ON 500: Utah Tech enters the week two wins away from collecting victory No. 500 during its NCAA era.
    The Trailblazers recorded their 400th win in the program's NCAA era in the series opener vs. UCCS (6-1) on March 16, 2019. Utah Tech is currently 498-364-1 (.577) all-time through 17-plus years of NCAA competition (863 games).

FINAL D-I TRANSITION SEASON: Utah Tech is currently in its fourth and final season of its transition to NCAA Division-I status. The Trailblazers have played to a 64-119 (.349) overall record during their transition, which includes a 46-56 (.451) mark in WAC play. 

6W vs. P5: Six of Utah Tech's 64 D-I wins have come against Power-5 programs, including its win at Oklahoma State (3/5), which was the program's first vs. the Big XII Conference. The Trailblazers have also racked up five wins against the PAC-12 Conference (2 vs. Utah; 1 vs. Arizona/Arizona State/Washington State).

FREE BASEBALL: After not playing an extra inning game in two full seasons in 2019 and 2020, Utah Tech has played in 13 extra inning affairs since its move to Division I.  
    The Trailblazers are currently 4-9 in extra inning games during their D-I transition, and 35-24 (.593) overall in 59 total extra-inning games in the program's four-year era. Utah Tech is 17-13 in 10-inning games, and the program has won nine of its last 20 extra inning games overall.

"HARD" EARNED WAC HONOR: Senior righthander Ryan Hardman was named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week this past Monday for his efforts in Utah Tech's home series win over Sacramento State last weekend. 
    Hardman picked up saves in both Trailblazer victories, during which he struck out a combined five Hornet batters in 3.0 spotless innings of relief in two appearances. 
    After he fanned two in a perfect ninth inning in last Friday's 9-7 series-opening win, Hardman collected three more strikeouts in two innings of Sunday's 5-4 series-clinching victory. 
    Hardman came on with two on and no outs in the top of the eighth inning and put the fire out, striking out two and inducing a fly out to end the threat to preserve Utah Tech's one-run lead. He then went on to pitch a perfect ninth to close out the series win.
    The senior flame thrower got off to a great start in 2024 when he fired four innings of two-hit, one-run relief with five strikeouts in his first outing of the year to earn the decision in game three of the Washington State series (2/17). The five Ks tied his career high which he set last season at Oklahoma State (3/11/23).
    The senior righthander, who is 2-0 with three saves in eight appearances out of the Trailblazer bullpen this season, enters the week eighth on the program's career saves list with eight. Hardman (137 K) is also two strikeouts shy of vaulting into seventh place on Utah Tech's career strikeout list.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Utah Tech nearly doubled its season total in doubles during its just completed homestand as the Trailblazers legged out a combined 15 two-baggers in the four games.
    The Blazers, who had 22 doubles in their first 17 games overall, collected 12 doubles in the Sacramento State series, and followed that up with three more vs. BYU last Tuesday night. In all, nine different Blazer batters have hit at least one double over the last four games. 
    Utah Tech wound up with 18 XBHs overall in the homestand, connecting for two home runs in the Sac State set, and sophomore OF Karson Irvin legged out the Blazers' first triple of the year in the BYU loss, in a game that he also reached on....a double.

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS 
* - Junior RF/DH Hunter Katschke (.302/.619/.361) is on a tear of late, having hit in five-straight and is batting .545 (6-for-11) over this stretch with four XBHs.
* - Katschke batted an even .500 in the Sac State series (5-for-10) with a double, two HRs, three RBI and four runs scored ... the junior homered in both Blazer wins, including a two-run shot in G1 ... he also drew a career-best three walks in G2 and finished with a .615 OB% in the series..
* - Katschke has hit safely in 13 of his first 20 games as a Trailblazer and is the team leader in HRs (5) and co-leads in RBI (12).
* - Katschke had quite the Blazer debut in the Washington State series, during which he batted .438 (7-for-16) with team-highs of five XBHs, four RBI and four runs scored in four starts. 
* - Katschke also collected two hits and drove in two runs in the win at Oklahoma State (3/5). 
* - Sophomore INF Garrett Cutting (.206/.500/.270) had himself quite the series vs. Sac State, against which he batted .500 (4-for-8) with three doubles and a team-high five RBI.
* - In fact, five of Cutting's last six hits over his last seven games have gone for extra bases, including doubles in all three games of the Sac State series, along with a HR (G2 - 3/9)) and another double (G3 - 3/10) in the final two games of the UT Arlington series.
* - Senior catcher Hank Dodson (.309/.426/.385) matched Cutting's three doubles with three of his own in the Sac State series, during which he caught all three games and hit .462 (6-for-13), with two hits in each start, all while collecting two RBI and two stolen bases over the three games.
* - Dodson, who has hit safely in seven of his last 10 games, doubled as part of a 3-for-4 day in the Oklahoma State victory (3/5),
* - Senior INF Blake Borgogno (.326/.370/.418) kept his current hot streak at the plate going in the Sac State series, during which he batted .375 with a double and two stolen bases.
* - Borgogno, who has hit safely in six of his 11 games in March, accounted for two of Utah Tech's 11 total hits at Wichita State, both of which came in the series finale (3/3).
* - In fact, Borgogno was all over the base paths during that series as he reached safely in all six of his plate appearances thanks to a pair of walks and two HBPs.
* - Borgogno tallied only one hit in the OSU series, though it was a big one - a two-out, eighth inning single that chased home Chase Rodriguez carrying what proved to be the eventual game-winning run. 
* - Speaking of Rodriguez (.246/.426/.333), the senior OF has hit safely in seven of his last nine games and has hit all three of his homers this season during this current stretch, including back-to-back games in the finale at Oklahoma State (3/6) and G1 at UTA (3/8).
* - Rodriguez, who also homered in the G3 win at UTA (3/10), hit .273 (3-for-11) in the UTA series with a pair of solo HRs and three runs scored. 
* - Junior 1B Aaron Perez (.268/.366/.325) has hit safely in nine of his 11 March starts, and in 15 of his first 20 games in a Trailblazer uniform overall. 
*  Perez batted an even .300 (3-for-10) at UTA with a double and an RBI, and drew a team-high three walks for good measure ... he also drove in a Utah Tech career-best three runs in the BYU loss last Tuesday night. 
*- Sophomore southpaw Evan Vasiliou earned the G1 start in Friday's opener at Seattle U after posting victories in each of last two outings ... he earned his second collegiate victory in the win at Oklahoma State (3/5), against which he struck out a career-high six and limited the Cowboys to two runs and eight hits over 5.2 IP. 
* - Vasiliou followed that up with 5.0 innings of solid relief in last Friday's win over Sac State, during which he fanned four and scattered six hits and three runs, though those three tallies came in his fifth and final inning of work. 
* - In all, Trailblazer pitchers recorded 19 punch outs vs. Oklahoma State, which included a season-high 12 in the series opening win (3/5). 
* - Junior RHP Ky Decker, who will start G2 at Seattle U, struck out a season-high five in the finale at UTA (3/10) ... Decker scattered five hits and one earned run (four total) over 5.0 IP, but did not figure in the decision.
* - Junior RHP Dylan Gardner, who will start Sunday's finale at Seattle U, also fanned five a season-high five in the series opener at UTA (3/8), though he was touched up for five hits and four runs over five innings. * - Junior reliever Matt Nelson earned his first decision as a Trailblazer in the finale vs. Sac State thanks to 2.0 innings of one-hit relief. 

ABOUT THE SEATTLE U "REDHAWKS": Seattle U enters this weekend's set looking to stop a current stretch that has seen the Redhawks drop seven of their last nine games, including a two-game midweek road sweep at Washington State. Both of Seattle U's wins over this current stretch did come at home last weekend in a WAC series win over UTRGV.
    Senior OF Cole Klecker is the Redhawks' top hitter with a .366 average and four doubles, while freshman UT Sam Kane has hit four of Seattle U's 10 homers on the season and leads the team with 18 RBI.
    Sophomore RHP Blake Smith, who will start Friday's series opener, is the staff ace with a 2-1 record and 17 strikeouts in 32.2 IP.     
    As a team, Seattle U is hitting at a .264 clip and averages 4.05 runs a game, while the Redhawk pitching staff owns a 7.35 ERA and has struck out 136 in 169.0 IP. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will return to the Beehive State and make the four-hour trek north up I-15 for a Tuesday date vs. in-state foe Utah. First pitch at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City is set for 6 p.m.