Game Times (Mountain):
Thursday - 6:05 p.m.
Friday - 6:05 p.m.
Saturday - 12:05 p.m.
Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | UTRGV - PDF
Live Streaming: GAME #1 - ESPN+ | GAME #2 - ESPN+ | GAME #3 - ESPN+
Live Stats: GAME #1 | GAME #2 | GAME #3
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTech_BASE | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACbsb

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Thursday (G1) – LHP #24 Evan Vasiliou (2-3, 7.01 ERA) vs. RHP #26 Francisco Hernandez (2-2, 2.22 ERA)
Friday (G2) – RHP #34 Ky Decker (1-2, 5.40 ERA) vs. RHP #18 Jacob Limas (3-0, 2.30 ERA)
Saturday (G3) – LHP #6 Carston Herman (1-4, 6.29 ERA) vs. RHP #24 Zach Tjelmeland (3-2, 2.91 ERA)

FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (7-17/5-4 WAC) returns home for a three-game Easter Weekend WAC series vs. UTRGV (12-11/2-4 WAC). Thursday's series opener and game two on Friday will both start at 6:05 p.m. (MT), followed by Saturday's series finale at 12 noon (MT) at Bruce Hurst Field (2,500).

UTAH TECH VS. UTRGV: This weekend's series vs. UTRGV will be just the second ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Vaqueros on the diamond.
        The two sides have not played against each other since the 2021 season - Utah Tech's first Division I season and first year in the WAC. That year the Trailblazers and Vaqueros split a four-game set at Bruce Hurst Field, with Utah Tech bookending a 7-6 (3/19/21) series opening win and a 3-2 (3/21/21) series finale victory around a UTRGV Saturday doubleheader sweep (13-3 and 18-1; 3/20/21). 

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 320-249-1 (.562) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 372-308-1 (.547) 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 picked up its second WAC series win of the season by taking two of three on the road at Seattle U last weekend in Bellevue, Wash. After dropping the series opener 5-3, the Blazers roared back for a 7-2 win in game two, then clinched the series with a 13-4 triumph this past Sunday afternoon.  

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 State (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 309-148 (.676) overall record in 457 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 4-8 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 175-205-1 overall road record (.460).
        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 (15-11 in 26 games), Utah Tech is 190-216-1 (.468) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era.

CLOSING IN ON 500: Utah Tech enters this weekend's series needing one more victory to reach 500 wins during its NCAA era.
        The Trailblazers recorded their 400th win in the program's four-year era in the series opener vs. UCCS (6-1) on March 16, 2019. Utah Tech is currently 499-364-1 (.578) all-time through 17-plus years of NCAA competition (864 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 66-120 (.355) overall record during their transition, which includes a 48-57 (.453) mark in WAC play.  

6W vs. P5: Six of Utah Tech's 66 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 back on March 11 for his efforts in Utah Tech's home series win over Sacramento State two weeks. 
        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 the 9-7 series-opening win, Hardman collected three more strikeouts in two innings in the 5-4 series-clinching victory on March 10. 
        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.

BULLISH ON THE PEN: Utah Tech's bullpen was lights out last weekend at Seattle U as eight relievers combined to limit the Redhawks to just four hits and struck out 15 in 13.0 scoreless innings of work over the three-game set. 
        Junior RHP Matt Nelson set the tone by firing 3.2 innings of one-hit relief with a pair of strikeouts in the opener last Friday, while junior LHP Carston Herman fanned three in 2.1 innings of one-hit work to earn the decision in Sunday's finale.  

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Utah Tech has nearly doubled its season total in doubles over its last seven games as the Trailblazers have legged out a combined 21 two-baggers over this current stretch. 
        The Blazers, who had 22 doubles in their first 17 games overall, collected 12 doubles in the Sacramento State series two weeks ago, and followed that up with three more vs. BYU (3/19). Utah Tech then rapped out six more over its three games at Seattle U last weekend.
        In all, 10 different Blazer batters have hit at least one double over the last seven games. 
        Utah Tech wound up with 18 XBHs overall during its last homestand (3/15-19), 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.
        The Trailblazers also had eight XBHs in the just completed Seattle U series, including the team's second triple of the season that was hit by senior Hank Dodson, which was his first collegiate triple in 243 career collegiate ABs. 

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS 
* - Speaking of Dodson, the senior backstop Hank Dodson (.313/.446/.383) batted .333 (5-for-15) in the Seattle series, with three of his five hits coming in Sunday's finale, during which he finished a homer shy of hitting for the cycle.  
* - Dodson also enjoyed solid weekend 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 nine of his last 13 games, doubled as part of a 3-for-4 day in the Oklahoma State victory (3/5).
* - Junior RF/DH Hunter Katschke (.316/.579/.379) is on a tear of late, having hit safely in eight-straight and is batting .458 (11-for-24) over his streak with four XBHs.
* - Katschke hit .385 in three starts at Seattle U (5-for-13) with four RBI and three runs scored ... he drove in at least one run in all three games, including a pair runs in Saturday's game two win. 
* - 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 16 of his first 23 games as a Trailblazer and is the team leader in both HRs (5) and RBI (16).
* - Sophomore INF Garrett Cutting (.244/.489/.92) continued his hitting ways last weekend as he hit safely in all three games at Seattle U, batting .364 (4-for-11) with a double, one RBI and three runs scored.
*- Cutting 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, six of Cutting's last 10 hits over his last 10 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 INF Blake Borgogno (.296/.333/.381) has hit safely in seven of the 13 games he has played in this March, which included batting .375 (3-for-8) in the Sac State series with a double and two stolen bases.
* - Borgogno accounted for two of Utah Tech's 11 total hits at Wichita State (3/1-3), 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.
* - Junior 1B Aaron Perez (.277/.373/.344) has hit safely in 12 of his 14 March starts, and in 18 of his first 23 games in a Trailblazer uniform overall. 
*  Perez batted .333 (4-for-12) in three starts at Seattle U, highlighted by a 2-for-5 day with a double and three RBI in Sunday's finale ... he also drove in a Utah Tech career-best three runs in the BYU loss (3/19).
* - Freshman SS Petey Soto Jr. (.257/.378/.364) also drove in a career-high three runs in Sunday's win at Seattle U, two of which came on his second collegiate HR of the year in the sixth inning ... Soto Jr. hit .333 (4-for-12) with three runs scored and two walks in three starts last weekend. 
* - Senior OF Jack Walker went a combined 3-for-6 in starts at Seattle U, with a pair of doubles and two RBI ... he managed to get on base in six of his nine total plate appearances overall with two walks and was hit by a pitch in Sunday's win. 
*- Sophomore southpaw Evan Vasiliou, who will start G1 start in Thursday's opener vs. UTRGV, has earned the decision in two of his last three outings ... he picked up 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 the series opener Sac State (3/15), during which he fanned four and scattered six hits and three runs to collect his second win of the season. 
* - Junior RHP Ky Decker, who will start G2 Friday night vs. UTRGV, tied a season-high with five strikeouts over six innings to earn his first win as a Trailblazer last Saturday at Seattle U ... after surrendering two first-inning runs, Decker limited the Redhawks to just two hits over his next five innings of work, and collected all five of his strikeouts over that five-inning stretch. 
* - Nelson earned his first decision as a Trailblazer in the finale vs. Sac State (3/17) thanks to 2.0 innings of one-hit relief. 

ABOUT THE UTRGV "VAQUEROS": UTRGV comes into this weekend's series having split its last six games, which includes taking one of three last weekend at home vs. Grand Canyon, and a 12-6 midweek road loss at Texas State this past Tuesday night. 
        Junior catcher Steven Lancia is the Vaqueros' top hitter with a .405 average, four doubles and 16 RBI, while junior 1B Martin Vazquez has hit seven of UTRGV's 18 homers on the season and leads the team with 21 RBI to go with a .291 average.
        Junior RHP Jacob Limas, who will start game two on Friday, is the staff ace with a 3-0 record, a 2.30 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in 27.1 IP. Meanwhile G3 starter, RHP Zach Tjelmeland, is 3-2 with a 2.91 ERA and a team-best 34 punch outs in 34.0 IP. 
        As a team, UTRGV is hitting at a .269 clip and averages 6.0 runs and 8.8 hits a game, while the Vaquero pitching staff owns a 4.59 team ERA and has struck out 192 in 200.0 IP. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech begins a stretch that will see the team play nine of its next 12 games on the road, starting with a three-game WAC series at in-state rival Utah Valley next weekend in Orem.