Softball | 2/26/2025 2:30:00 PM

(St. George, Utah - Feb. 26, 2025) - The Trailblazers head back to California this weekend for the Louisville Slugger Invitational hosted by Long Beach State at the Long Beach Softball Complex.

Louisville Slugger Invitational
Game #17
Who | Loyola Marymount (6-10) vs. Utah Tech (6-10)
When | Friday, Feb. 28 / 5:30 p.m.
Where | LBSU Softball Complex / Long Beach, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #18
Who | Utah Tech (6-10) at Long Beach State (6-7)
When | Friday, Feb. 28 / 8 p.m.
Where | LBSU Softball Complex / Long Beach, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #19
Who | Cal Poly (3-10) vs. Utah Tech (6-10)
When | Saturday, March 1 / 3 p.m.
Where | LBSU Softball Complex / Long Beach, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #20
Who | Pittsburgh (8-7) vs. Utah Tech (6-10)
When | Saturday, March 1 / 5:30 p.m.
Where | LBSU Softball Complex / Long Beach, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #21
Who | RV/- Omaha (11-2) vs. Utah Tech (6-10)
When | Sunday, March 2 / 10 a.m.
Where | LBSU Softball Complex / Long Beach, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

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GLANCE AT THE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER INVITATIONAL
The Trailblazers close out non-conference action this weekend at the Long Beach State-hosted Louisville Slugger Invitational hosted at the LBSU Complex.

Utah Tech opens the tournament with a pair of games on Friday against Loyola Marymount and Long Beach State.

The Trailblazers will play two more game on Saturday facing Cal Poly and Pittsburgh and close out the tournament on Sunday against Omaha.

ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS
The Lions have started the season with a 6-10 record and are coming off a 3-2 weekend at the Mary Nutter Invitational with wins over San Jose State, Hawaii and Howard.

LMU also has wins over Southern, Utah and UC Santa Barbara and will host #12 Arizona on Wednesday night.

Coming off a 28-25 overall record in 2024, LMU finished 9-7 in the WCC to finish in a tie for second with Santa Clara.

As a team, the Lions lead the WCC in home runs (11), second in doubles (19), RBI (60), runs (67) and third in slugging percentage (.393) & walks (43).

Sophomore Justine Lambert leads LMU in batting average hitting .389 and ranks second in the WCC with 21 hits. In the circle, senior Jessica Hubbard has a team-leading 3.81 ERA along with three wins and has a team-best 37 strikeouts in 49.2 innings.

ABOUT LONG BEACH STATE BEACH
The Beach head into the weekend with a 6-7 mark coming off a 2-3 mark at the Mary Nutter Invitational with wins over Utah and Howard.

LBSU also has wins over this season Saint Mary's, Fresno State, Seattle U and Pacific.

The Beach posted a 25-29 overall mark in 2024 and finished second in the Big West with a 20-7 mark.

As a team, Long Beach State ranks first in the Big West in ERA (2.59), second in on-base percentage (.370) and third in batting average (.275).

Senior catcher Rebekah Durazo leads the Beach in batting average (.436) to rank third in the Big West and is also third in the conference in home runs (3) and RBI (17). In the circle, Brynne Nally and Shannon Haddad each have started six games apiece with Nally leads the team in strikeouts (25), innings pitched (37.2) and wins (4).

ABOUT CAL POLY MUSTANGS
The Mustangs are 3-10 on the season and have victories over Oregon State, UIC and Sacramento State with four of their 10 losses coming by three runs or less.

Cal Poly went 28-17 overall in 2024 and finished third in the Big West with a 18-8 mark.

The Mustangs are hitting .240 as a team this season and are averaging 3.08 runs per game to rank seventh in the Big West. In the circle, Cal Poly has a 4.81 ERA and is holding opponents to a .299 average from the dish.

Senior catcher Julia Barnett is hitting a team-best .395 topping the team in hits (17), doubles (5), RBI (10), slugging percentage (.581) and on-base percentage (.422).

Senior pitcher Paige Maier has started a team-leading six starts, thrown 28.2 innings and notched 13 strikeouts.

ABOUT PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
Pittsburgh enters this weekend with an 8-7 record mark and went 3-2 last weekend at the SpaceU Classic in Orlando defeating Quinnipiac and Florida Gulf Coast.

The Panthers also have recorded wins over Morgan State, Southern Miss, Kennesaw State, Incarnate Word and Houston.

Pitt tallied a 17-32 overall mark in 2024 and placed in a tie for 12th in the ACC with a 6-18 mark.

Competing in the 15-team ACC, who featured five members ranked in this week's USA Softball Top 25, the Panthers are third in the conference in walks (51), fourth in stolen bases (20), fifth in doubles (25) and ninth in home runs (10).

A pair of Panthers, Ahmari Braden and Saleyna Daniel are each hitting over .300 from the plate and Daniel leads the team in hits (13) and total bases (23). 

Senior pitcher Kyra Pittman is 4-3 and tops the Panthers in innings pitched (36.2), starts (8) and has posted a 3.44 ERA.

ABOUT NEBRASKA OMAHA MAVERICKS
Nebraska Omaha is 11-2 on the season and went 2-1 last weekend at UTSA with wins over Akron and Sam Houston while falling to Michigan State.

Prior to their loss to the Spartans, the Mavericks had won seven straight games after their only other setback this season at UNI on Feb. 9.

The Mavericks, who received a vote in this week's NFCA Top 25 poll and are ranked No. 7 in the D1Softball Mid-Major poll, went 43-15 in 2024 and came in second in the Summit League with a 14-4 mark. Omaha went on to win the Summit League Tournament advancing to the Mizzou Regional in the NCAA Tournament. 

As a team, Omaha sits atop the Summit in batting average (.322), doubles (21), ERA (2.44), hits (121), RBI (87), scoring (6.92), runs (90) and stolen bases (16).

Seven different Mavs are hitting over .300 led by sophomore Sammy Schmidt, who is hitting .455 to rank third in the WAC. Junior Marra Cramer sits atop the team in hits (16), runs (15), home runs (4) while her .681 slugging percentage in fourth in the Summit.

WAC RANKINGS IN 2025
After three weeks of action, the Trailblazers continue to lead the WAC in batting average (.355 - 20th nationally), hits (167 - 3rd nationally), scoring (6.81), runs (109 - 22nd nationally), RBI (98), total bases (213) and sacrifice bunts (14).

Utah Tech is also second in on base percentage (.414) and stolen bases (23) and sits third in walks (47).

Individually, three Trailblazers rank among the top five in the WAC in batting average with LB Kahahawai-Kekona leading the WAC hitting .491 (26-53), Cassidy Hornung ranks fourth at .444 (20-25) and Marisa Rubio is fifth with a .440 average (22-50).

Hornung lead the WAC and ranks top 20 in the nation with 19 runs scored while Kahahawai-Kekona has a WAC-leading 26 hits.

In the circle, Sauren Garton ranks second in the WAC in complete games (4), fourth in innings pitched (44.2) and fifth in strikeouts (36). Riley Price had made six starts earning three wins, tossed 38.2 innings (fifth in WAC) and struck out 18.

UTAH TECH VS. OPPONENTS (last meeting)

• Utah Tech vs. Loyola Marymount: 1-0 (2007)
• Utah Tech vs. Long Beach State: First Meeting
• Utah Tech vs. Cal Poly: First Meeting
• Utah Tech vs. Pittsburgh: First Meeting
• Utah Tech vs. Omaha: First Meeting

CRIDER HAS BIG TIME WEEKEND
Freshman Jorja Crider had a big weekend at the Lyman Classic smacking four home runs over their five games, including a pair in the Trailblazers' wild 21-15 game against Utah State on Feb. 22.

She also hit home runs against Boise State and UC San Diego with a grand slam against the Broncos and a two-run shot in a 6-5 win over the Tritons.

CLOSE CONTESTS
Four of the Trailblazers 10 losses this season have been in extra innings as Utah Tech has falling in eight innings to CSUN, Sacramento State, Hawaii and Idaho State. 

Overall, in five seasons in Division I, the Trailblazers are 5-11 with a 3-0 record in 2021, 0-1 in 2022, 1-4 in 2023 and 1-2 in 2024.

NINE NEW TRAILBLAZERS 
The Trailblazers have welcomed nine newcomers to the fold this season with three transfers and six freshmen entering their first season at Utah Tech.

Junior infielder Cassidy Hornung, a transfer from Fullerton College, ranks second on the team in batting average hitting .444 making 15 starts while leading the WAC in runs scored with 19.

Freshman Kinley Pappas, out of Eugene, Ore., has made 14 starts while tallying 15 hits, seven runs and 11 RBI.

In the circle, three newcomers have seen action in sophomore Rylie Price (Dawson CC), who has made six start,  along with freshman Lexie Wilson (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) and Cemryn Pickett (Berthoud, Colo.).

Freshmen Kennedy Embrey, Rylie Haith and Jorja Crider have also seen action.

NEUTRAL SITE MARKS
Utah Tech is 116-73 overall at neutral sites in the NCAA era.

The Blazers are 80-60 at a neutral site under Simkins.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN 
Utah Tech is 201-120 overall on the road in the NCAA era.

The Trailblazers are 174-99 on the road under head coach Randy Simkins.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers open WAC play next week traveling to UT Arlington (7-8) on March 7-8 at Allan Saxe Field.