Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 4:05 p.m.
Saturday (DH) - 12:05 p.m./3:35 p.m. (approx)
Sunday - 12:05 p.m.
Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | UCR
Live Streaming: GAME #1 - WACINT | GAME #2 - WACINT | GAME #3 - WACINT | GAME #4 - WACINT
Live Stats: GAME #1 | GAME #2 | GAME #3 | GAME #4
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTech_BASE | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACbsb

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP #15 Cade Montgomery (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP #25 Kurt Marton (0-0, 7.36 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP #45 Ryan Martinez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. LHP #23 Matthew O'Brien (0-1, 9.82 ERA)
Saturday (G3) – LHP #33 Dylan Hawkes (0-0, 67.50 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday (G4) – RHP #35 Dakoda West (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. RHP #15 Matthew Flores (0-0, 1.80 ERA)

FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (2-2/0-0 WAC) wraps up its eight-game homestand with a four-game weekend series vs. UC Riverside (2-2) at Bruce Hurst Field. 
      First pitch for Friday's series opener will be thrown at 4:05 p.m. (MT), followed by a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12:05 p.m. (MT), and the series finale on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. (MT).
 
UTAH TECH VS. UC RIVERSIDE: This weekend's series will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and the Highlanders on the diamond. 
 
FINALLY ELIGIBLE FOR POSTSEASON PLAY: Not only is the 2025 season Utah Tech's fifth Division I season overall, it is also the FIRST season that the Trailblazers are eligible for NCAA postseason play. 
        The NCAA Division I Board of Directors officially approved Utah Tech's move to active Division I status back on June 28, 2024. With that confirmation, Trailblazer Athletics is now officially eligible to participate in all NCAA postseason championships in its 15 intercollegiate programs.
 
COACHING STAFF: Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer is in his 13th season as head coach of the Utah Tech Baseball program.                     
      During his tenure in the Utah Tech 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 329-276-1 (.544) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 381-335-1 (.532) career mark. 
      Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is associate head coach Bobby Rinard (Arizona, 2014), who is in his 11th season on coaching staff overall, along with second-year pitching coach Daniel Stange (UC Riverside, 2015), and former Trailblazer Braxton Ipson (Utah Tech 2020), who returns for his second season as an assistant coach after serving as the program's director of baseball operations in 2022. 
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech opened the 2025 campaign with a tightly-contested split of a four-game home series with Northern Colorado last weekend at Bruce Hurst Field.
      All four games in the series were decided by five total runs, beginning with a 7-5 Trailblazer victory in the series opener last Friday. The two sides then swapped a pair of one-run affairs in a Saturday twin bill, with the Bears taking the first game by a 9-8 count, before Utah Tech answered with a 5-4 triumph in the nightcap.
      The Blazers went for the series win in Sunday's finale and took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, only to see UNC rally with two in the ninth to salvage the split in a 5-4 decision. 
 
TRAILBLAZERS VOTED NINTH IN WAC PRESEASON POLL: Utah Tech was picked to finish ninth in the Western Athletic Conference as the league office announced its 2025 baseball preseason poll on Feb. 5. 
      Two-time defending WAC regular season champion Grand Canyon received eight first-place votes and 64 points to top the 2025 preseason coaches poll. Abilene Christian collected one first-place vote to finish second in the poll with 54 points, while California Baptist (46 pts) was voted third. 
      Tarleton State (39 pts) wound up being selected fourth, followed by Sacramento State (36) in fifth, Utah Valley (34 pts) in sixth, UT Arlington (28 pts) in seventh, Seattle U (12 pts) in eighth, and Utah Tech (11 pts) in ninth. 
      The top eight teams in the conference standings will advance on to the 2025 WAC Baseball Championship Tournament, which will be held May 20-24 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz.
 
OPENING DAY: Thanks to its 7-5 series opening win over UNC last Friday, Utah Tech improved to 10-9 all-time on "Opening Day" during its NCAA era. The Blazers' have now won six of their last 10, and 10 of its previous 16 season debuts overall. 
      In addition, Utah Tech moved to 11-8 overall record in home openers, and 5-5 in season openers at home. Meanwhile the Trailblazers are 8-10 all-time in road openers, and they are 5-4 in season-opening road games overall.
 
A LOOK AT THE 2025 SCHEDULE: Utah Tech's 2025 slate of games features 32 home games at Bruce Hurst Field. The 32 home games are most in their current NCAA Division I era, and the second-most in the program's four-year era (33 in 2009) overall. 
      The schedule also features match-ups against three 2024 NCAA Regional teams, and four games against Power-4 conference schools.
      The Trailblazers will play 17 of their first 23 games at home, including their eight-game homestand which concludes this weekend.
      Utah Tech will open their 22-game road slate with its longest road stretch of the year, a six-game trip that starts with a date at 2024 NCAA regional participant UC Irvine (2/26) next week. 
      The Blazers then head to the Northwest for a four-game series at Portland (2/28-3/3), followed by a midweek game at 2024 regional participant and new Big Ten member Oregon (March 4).
      Utah Tech returns home for a season long nine-game homestand, beginning with a three-game series with Saint Mary's (3/7-9). That week also includes the first of two home dates vs. UNLV (3/8). 
      The Trailblazers will also host Gonzaga for a midweek game on March 11, before opening a four-game weekend series against CSU Bakersfield (3/13-16).
      Utah Tech opens WAC play on the road at CBU (3/21-23), and after a conference bye week, the Trailblazers begin the home portion of its WAC slate with a three-game series with Utah Valley (4/4-6).   
      In addition, the Blazers will also play mid-week home-and-home games against BYU (3/18 in Provo; 4/8 in St. George), Utah (3/25 in St. George; 4/1 in Salt Lake City), and UNLV (4/29 in St. George; 5/5 in Las Vegas) and will close their non-conference slate with a mid-week game at UC Davis on May 13.  
 
HOME SWEET HOME: Utah Tech has played to a 315-161 (.662) overall record in 476 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 the 18 seasons since transitioning to NCAA status in 2007, which included an 11-11 at home in 2022. 
      Utah Tech had won 20 or more home games in eight of the previous 18 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: Utah Tech wrapped up the 2024 road slate with a 7-22. Despite finishing 15 games under .500 away from home last season, the Trailblazers have managed to hold its own away from home in its NCAA era as the Trailblazers have played to a 178-219-1 overall road record (.448). 
      Utah Tech has 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 193-230-1 (.456) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era.
 
ON TO THE NEXT 500: Utah Tech collected its 500th NCAA-era victory last season in its 12-5 series finale triumph vs. UTRGV (3/30/24). 
 
900 DOWN: Utah Tech played its 900th NCAA-era ball game last Sunday in its series finale vs. Northern Colorado. In all, the Trailblazers have played to a 508-391-1 (.565) record all-time through 18-plus years of NCAA competition.
      That record also includes a 75-146 (.339) mark in the program's current Division-I era, and a 53-73 (.420) mark in Western Athletic Conference play.  
 
7W vs. P4: Seven of Utah Tech's 75 D-I wins have come against Power-4 programs, two of which came last season in a home victory over former PAC-12 member Utah (5/7/24), and a 9-8 road triumph at Oklahoma State (3/5/24), which was the Trailblazers' first vs. the Big 12 Conference. 
      Six of those seven Trailblazers came against three former PAC-12 Conference member schools (3 vs. Utah; 1 each vs. Arizona/Arizona State/Washington State). 
      Of note, all three victories over BYU, which is in its second season of Big 12 play, came when the Cougars were members of the West Coast Conference.
 
TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS
* - Sophomore 2B Kyle McDaniel got his 2025 season off to a great start last weekend vs. UNC, against which he slashed at .600/1.133/.647 over the four games ... he went a combined 9-for-15 at the plated with a team-high five XBHs, four RBI and three runs scored. 
* - McDaniel hit safely in six of his first seven at-bats, starting with a 4-for-4 effort Friday's opener with a double, triple and two runs scored ... he followed that up with three more hits in game two, including a two-run homer and another double ... then after going 0-for-3 with a walk in G3, he doubled in the tying run in the eighth as part of a 2-for-3 day in Sunday's finale.
* - McDaniel, who led Utah Tech with 14 doubles as a true freshman last year, now has 17 two-baggers to his credit in just 53 total games. 
* - Senior 1B Aaron Perez enjoyed a solid season-opening series, during which he hit .455 with five RBI and five runs scored, and reached base safely in nine of his 15 plate appearance overall.
* - Four of Perez's five RBI came on one swing, a fifth-inning grand slam in game two, which was part of a six-run frame that helped erase a five-run UNC first inning. 
* - Perez's slam came nearly two years to the day of Utah Tech's last grand slam, and coincidentally it was another Blazer first baseman who hit it ... former 1B Sean Keating belted a bases-clearing homer, which was part of his three-homer day in Utah Tech's 12-4 home win over Wichita State (2/22/23).
* - Sophomore SS Petey Soto Jr. did the job both with his bat, and his glove over the weekend ... Soto Jr. hit .385 out of the nine-hole with one double, three RBI and five runs scored ... the sophomore hit safely in three of the four games with a pair of two-hit outings in games one and two.
* - Soto Jr. also made several "Web Gem" plays in the infield and was part of all six of the Trailblazers' double plays in the series. 
* - Freshman DH/OF Finnegan Stewart made the most of his collegiate debut as he hit .333 (4-of-12) with five walks and five runs scored in four starts.
* - Stewart wasted little time making a name for himself as he became the first true freshman in the program's NCAA era to homer in a season-opening game when he drilled a two-run shot over the left field wall on the first pitch he saw in the third inning last Friday.
* - Stewart also became the 12th different Trailblazer to homer in a season-opening game in Utah Tech's four-year era ... in fact, last Friday's opener marked the third-straight year a Blazer slugger had homered in a season opener.
* - Prior to last Friday, senior OF Hunter Katschke was the last Trailblazer to do it when he went deep in last year's opener vs. Washington State (2/16/24)... current DOBO Zach Thomas also went yard in the 2023 opener vs. Portland (2/17/23).
* - Speaking of Katschke, the senior batted .250 (4-of-16) in the UNC series with a two-run homer in the fourth inning of game three.
* - Sophomore RHP Cade Montgomery set the tone for the Trailblazer rotation in the series opener, during which he surrendered only one unearned run on six hits with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings complete en route to his first collegiate victory.
* - Junior RHP Ryan Martinez also turned in a solid outing in his Trailblazer debut in game three on Saturday ... Martinez fanned seven and scattered three runs (two earned) and five hits over six innings, though he did not figure in the decision.
* Fellow junior RHP Dakoda West turned in his best overall outing of his Utah Tech career in Sunday's finale ... West retired the first 10 batters he faced and struck out a career-high six in five innings of work ... he wound up allowing only two runs and three hits on the day, but like Martinez, he too did not figure in the decision. 
* - Utah Tech's bullpen also provided clutch long relief during Saturday's twin bill ... junior RHP Tyler Raycame on with two outs in the first inning of game two and fired 4.1 innings of two-hit shutout relief with four strikeouts ... freshman RHP Talan Kelly then came out of the pen with two outs in the sixth and provided 3.1 innings of three-hit scoreless relief with one punch out.
* - Well it took 47 appearances, but senior reliever Jacob Taggart finally earned that elusive first collegiate victory ... the senior RHP collected his first pitching decision in game three last Saturday after hurling two innings of one-hit relief with two strikeouts.
* - Junior 3B/RHP Ryan Kroepel showed that he is a dual threat at the hot corner, as well as the bump, after he picked up saves in both Blazer victories last weekend ... Kroepel was called on to move from third to the mound in the ninth inning in three of the four games overall and struck out two in 2.2 innings of work.
* - Kroepel got the start at third in all four games and batted .214 with a pair of doubles and an RBI ... he also handled all nine of his defensive chances.
* - Of note, Utah Tech recorded only six total saves in 54 games last season.
* - The news was not all good for the staff however, as Utah Tech pitchers combined for 16 HBPs in the four games, which was the second-highest total in Division I after the first weekend of games 
* - The Trailblazer staff also issued 26 total walks in 36.0 IP (t-32nd in D-I). 
* - Utah Tech's defense got off to a good start to the season as the unit committed only three errors in the UNC series, all of which came in the game three victory ... Utah Tech also turned a WAC-high six double plays on the weekend.
 
ABOUT THE UC RIVERSIDE "HIGHLANDERS": UC Riverside makes the trip north on Interstate-15 after splitting a four-game home series with Utah Valley last weekend. 
      Senior OF Jacob Lopez got off to a quick start to the season, slashing .467/.733/.500 with one home run and two RBI through his first four games of the season.
      Meanwhile, projected game four starter, junior RHP Matthew Flores, struck out a team-high nine and surrendered only one run on five over five innings in his start vs. UVU last weekend, but did not figure in the decision.  
       As a team, UCR hits at a .266 clip and averages 5.7 runs a game through its first four games, while the Highlander pitching staff owns a 5.68 ERA and has struck out 49 in 38.0 IP. 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech opens the road portion of its 2025 schedule with a six-game swing that starts with a midweek date at No. 21 UC Irvine next Wednesday night, Feb. 26.