Softball | 2/6/2025 1:00:00 PM

(St. George, Utah - Feb. 6, 2025) - The Trailblazers open the 2025 season this weekend playing five games over three days at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament and Easton Classic.

Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament
Game 1
Who | Utah Tech (0-0) at UC Riverside (0-0)
When | Friday, Feb. 7 / 12:30 p.m.
Where | Amy S. Harrison Family Field / Riverside, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 2
Who | Utah Tech (0-0) at UC Riverside (0-0)
When | Friday, Feb. 7 / 3 p.m.
Where | Amy S. Harrison Family Field / Riverside, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Easton Classic
Game 3
Who | Utah Tech (0-0) vs. CSUN (0-0)
When | Saturday, Feb. 8 / 2:30 p.m.
Where | Anderson Family Field / Fullerton, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 4
Who | Utah Tech (0-0) vs. Southern (0-0)
When | Saturday, Feb. 8 / 5 p.m.
Where | Anderson Family Field / Fullerton, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game 5
Who | Utah Tech (0-0) at Cal State Fullerton (0-0)
When | Sunday, Feb. 9 / 11 a.m.
Where | Anderson Family Field / Fullerton, Calif.
Broadcast | Live Stats | ESPN+
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

GLANCE AT THE STACY WINSBERG MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT & EASTON CLASSIC
The Trailblazers get the 2025 season underway this weekend at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament and Easton Classic hosted by UCLA and Cal State Fullerton on Friday through Sunday.

Utah Tech gets play started on Friday with a pair of games in Los Angeles against UC Riverside and host UCLA.

The following two days see the Trailblazers head to nearby Cal State Fullerton for the Easton Classic facing CSUN and Southern University on Saturday afternoon before playing the host Titans on Sunday afternoon.

TRAILBLAZERS SELECTED SIXTH IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
The Trailblazers were picked to finish sixth in the WAC preseason poll released on Jan. 29.

After winning both the regular season and tournament championships in 2024, Grand Canyon was selected first, earning seven first-place votes, while garnering 62 points.

California Baptist was selected second (53 pts.) followed by Utah Valley (51 pts.), Seattle U (48 pts.), UT Arlington (32 pts.), Utah Tech (29 pts.), Tarleton State (22 pts.), Abilene Christian (16 pts.) and rounded out by Southern Utah (11 pts.).

PAIR OF TRAILBLAZERS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
Senior infielder Carly Eldredge and junior infielder LB Kahahawai-Kekona were named to the Preseason All-WAC team.

A Preseason All-WAC selection in 2024, Eldredge enters her senior season after hitting .313 last season playing in 48 games while making 46 starts. Tying for the team lead with 46 hits, she ranked second on the team with 13 extra-base hits totaling seven doubles, two triples (team high) and four home runs (second on team) while scoring 16 runs, drove in 28 RBI and led the Trailblazers with 69 total bases.

Kahahawai-Kekona enters her junior season after earning Second Team All-WAC honors in 2024. Playing in 48 games, the Wailuka, Hawai'i native joined Eldredge notching a team-high 46 hits, led the team with 31 runs scored, drove in 14 RBI, tied for fifth in the WAC with 11 stole bases and tied for the team lead with 14 multi-hit games.

ABOUT UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS
The Highlanders are coming off a 19-28 overall record in 2024 while compiling a 13-14 mark in the Big West to finish sixth in the conference.

Selected ninth in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, the Trailblazers will meet the Highlanders for the fourth time in program history after sweeping a three-game series in Riverside in 2021.

The Highlanders return a pair of hitters in junior infielder Rebeca Cabezas (.300) and junior catcher/first base Jackie Alday (.252). On the pitching side, senior Maddie Heinlin returns as the top pitcher posting a 6-11 record with a 3.25 ERA making a team-high 31 appearances, including 16 starts. Brooke Perez also returns after making 21 appearances (nine starts) in 56.2 innings pitched while striking out 18.

ABOUT #5/#6 UCLA BRUINS
The Bruins are coming off a 43-12 overall mark in 2024 while winning the Pac-12 regular season with a 17-4 mark. Going on to win the Pac-12 tournament with a win over Utah in the title game, the Bruins won the regional, Super Regional over Georgia and advanced to the College World Series. 

With no preseason poll in the Big Ten, UCLA had three Bruins recognized by the conference on the preseason list on Feb. 4 in juniors Megan Grant (Utility), Taylor Tinsley (P) and Jordan Woolery (Inf.). 

Grant returns after hitting .335 from the plate tallying 20 extra-base knocks, 27 runs scored and 41 RBI while drawing 20 walks. Woolery hit .314 from the dish with 50 hits, including 10 home runs while scoring 20 runs and drove 36 RBI. In the circle, Tinsley returns after leading the charge with a 18-8 overall record with a 1.90 ERA in 147.1 innings pitched and struck out 166.

ABOUT CSUN MATADORS
The Matadors posted a 25-26 overall mark in 2024 while going 9-18 in the Big West to finish ninth in the conference.

Picked seventh in the Big West preseason poll, senior outfielder Mikayla Carman and junior pitcher Lauryn Carranco were named to the All-Big West preseason team.

Carman led the team with a .366 batting average leading the team with 56 hits, drove in 20 RBI and scored 21 runs. Carranco led the pitching staff with a 2.83 ERA posting a 12-11 mark striking out 103 in 153.1 innings.

ABOUT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY JAGUARS
The Jaguars went 16-27 overall in 2024 while finishing third in the West Division of the SWAC with a 12-13 mark. 

Selected to repeat a third-place finish in the West Division of the SWAC in the preseason poll, two Jaguars were picked to the preseason All-SWAC team.

Senior Alana Mark, who led the team hitting .356 from the plate last season, was named to All-SWAC preseason First Team & senior outfielder Asia George, who led the team with 29 runs scored, earned All-SWA Second Team. 

ABOUT CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS
Cal State Fullerton is coming off a 39-19 overall record while winning the Big West with a 22-5 mark and advanced to the Stanford Regional in the NCAA Tournament.

The Titans were picked second in the Big West preseason poll garnering one first-place vote and had a pair of All-Big West preseason selections in sophomore infielder Sarah Perez and sophomore outfielder Kate Verhoef. 

WAC RANKINGS IN 2024
The Trailblazers are coming off leading the WAC in 2024 in walks allowed (99), while ranking fifth in strikeouts (181) & earned runs allowed (222) and seventh in ERA (4.86).

Individually, Kahahawai-Kekona (.317), Marisa Rubio (.314) and Carly Eldredge (.313) all ranked in the top 30 in the WAC.

Kahahawai-Kekona tied for seventh in the WAC in stolen bases with 10. 

LEADING RETURNERS
Of the eight position players who started 30 or more games in 2024, the Trailblazers bring back five in Kahahawai-Kekona (48 starts), Rubio (45 starts), Eldredge (46 starts), Gabi Giroux (36 starts) and Sadie Gardner (30 starts).

In addition, junior outfielder Baylee Howley (28 starts) and sophomore outfielder Maka Sonognini (26 starts) also return  to the lineup this season.

In the circle, only hurler returns in junior Sauren Garton. The Pendleton, Ore., native went 4-5 overall in 2024 making 18 appearances and nine starts in 50.2 innings while striking out 28.

UTAH TECH VS. OPPONENTS
Utah Tech vs. UC Riverside: 3-0 (All three meetings in 2021)

Utah Tech vs. CSUN: 0-3 (2024)

Utah Tech vs. Southern: First Meeting

Utah Tech vs. Cal State Fullerton: 0-1 (2022)

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

Junior infielder Cassidy Hornung (Fullerton College) along with sophomore pitchers Rylie Price (Dawson CC) & Madison Lucero (Nebraska Omaha) join from the transfer ranks. 

Freshmen infielder Jorja Crider (Eagle, Idaho), catcher/outfielder Kinley Pappas (Eugene, Ore.), outfielders Kennedy Embrey (Farmington, Utah) & Rylie Haith (Meridan, Idaho) and pitchers Cemryn Pickett (Berthoud, Colo.) & Lexie Wilson (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) will also look to make their mark out of the high school ranks.

NEUTRAL SITE MARK
Utah Tech is 113-70 overall at neutral sites in the NCAA era.

The Blazers are 77-57 at a neutral site under Simkins.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN 
Utah Tech is 200-116 overall on the road in the NCAA era.

The Trailblazers are 173-95 on the road under head coach Randy Simkins.

UTAH TECH IN WAC PLAY
The Trailblazers enter their fifth season of WAC play with a 45-46 overall mark. The Blazers are 26-21 at home and 19-25 on the road.

UT went 12-13 in WAC play in 2024 finishing fifth in the conference and fell to Southern Utah in WAC Tournament.

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

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. In their first season of WAC play in 2021, the Blazers went 6-12 to finish sixth in the WAC. 

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers remain on the road next week traveling to the Hawai'i Spring Fling Tournament on Feb. 13-16 in Honolulu.