Softball | 3/10/2025 1:00:00 PM

(St. George, Utah - March 10, 2025) - The Trailblazers open their seven-game homestand on Tuesday afternoon hosting BYU at 4 p.m. at Karl Brooks Field.

Game #25
Who | BYU (15-6) at Utah Tech (10-14)
When | Tuesday, March 11 / 4 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

GLANCE BACK AT OPENING WAC WEEKEND
The Trailblazers got WAC play underway at UT Arlington last weekend winning the opening game, 3-1 behind a complete game in the circle from Sauren Garton.

Dropping game two, 11-3 in six innings, the series wrapped up on Saturday falling 5-0.

A pair of RBI singles in the fourth inning in the opener by Rylie Haith and Carly Elredge and an RBI double by Kahahwai-Kekona in the fifth extended the Trailblazers lead to 3-0. 

The Mavs broke up UT's shutout bid in the seventh after a Trailblazer throwing error, but held on for the win.

ABOUT BYU COUGARS
BYU is out to a 15-6 record and started Big 12 play last weekend going 1-2 at Arizona State winning game two of the series, 6-5, and dropped a pair of one-run contest dropping the opener, 1-0 and the series finale, 5-4 in eight innings.

With a 3-2 mark on the road, the Cougars also have road wins at UC San Diego (8-0 in six innings) and at Sacramento State (9-4).

BYU posted a 31-23 overall record in 2024 and tied for sixth in the Big 12 with an 11-16 mark.

As a team this season, the Cougars are hitting .290 as a team to rank sixth in the Big 12 and are averaging 5.5 runs per game. BYU is 7-1 when scoring six or more runs. 

BYU sits third in the Big 12 with 25 home runs and is fifth in RBI (105) and slugging percentage (.476).

Five Cougars are hitting over .300 from the plate led by freshman Ilove'a Brittingham with a .391 average who also leads the team in at bats (69), hits (27), home runs (5), RBI (24), total bases (45) and slugging percentage (.652).

In the circle, BYU leads the Big 12 and ranks 16th nationally with a staff ERA of 2.00. The Cougars have a 3.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio with 122 strikeouts and 40 walks and are holding to opponents to a .236 average from the dish. 

Kaysen Korth and Kate Dahle both have a team-high nine starts with Korth leading the team in wins (8), ERA (0.89), innings pitched (63.0),strikeouts (58) and is holding opponents to a .199 average from the plate.

SERIES HISTORY VS. BYU
The Trailblazers are 0-8 overall against BYU dropping a pair of five-inning contests to the Cougars in 2024 winning 9-1 in Provo and 12-4 in St. George a week later.

Utah Tech is 0-4 against BYU at home in series history and are joined four meetings (two in 2021 and two in 2024) against Utah as members of the Big 12 to have visited Karl Brooks Field.

TRAILBLAZERS VS. POWER FOUR PROGRAMS
The Trailblazers are 2-20 against current members of a Power Four conference after a 5-2 win over Pitt at the Louisville Slugger Invitational on March 1.

Overall, BYU is one of eight programs the Trailblazers have faced joining Cal (ACC, 0-1), Utah (Big 12, 0-4), Arizona (Big 12, 0-1), Wisconsin (Big Ten, 1-2), Washington (Big Ten, 0-3) and Ole Miss (SEC, 0-1).

WAC RANKINGS IN 2025
The Trailblazers lead the WAC in hits and rank 19th nationally in hits with 221 and is also atop the WAC in sacrifice bunts (24).

Utah Tech is second in the conference in batting average (.326), scoring (5.79), runs (139), RBI (124), stolen bases (36), total bases (287) and walks (87).

Individually, LB Kahahawai-Kekona sits third in the WAC hitting .446 (33-74) and also ranks third in the conference in hits with 33, RBI with 22 and on-base percentage (.512).

Cassidy Hornung is also hitting above .400 registering a .406 average, ranks third in the WAC in runs per game (0.96) and is joined by Sadie Gardner with eight stolen bases to sit fourth in the conference.

In the circle, Sauren Garton ranks third in the WAC in complete games (6), innings pitched (67.2) and fourth in strikeouts (50). 

Riley Price joins Price with five wins and ranks ninth with 52.2 innings thrown.

CLOSE CONTESTS
Five of the Trailblazers 14 losses this season have been in extra innings as Utah Tech has dropped games in eight innings to CSUN, Sacramento State, Hawaii, Idaho State and Omaha.

Overall, in five seasons in Division I, the Trailblazers are 5-12 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 .406 making 23 starts and leads the team in runs scored with 23.

Freshman Kinley Pappas, out of Eugene, Ore., has made 22 starts while tallying 23 hits, 12 runs and 15 RBI.

In the circle, three newcomers have seen action in sophomore Rylie Price, who has made nine starts,  along with freshman Lexie Wilson (two starts) and Cemryn Pickett (two starts).

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

CRIDER OFF TO HOT START
Freshman Jorja Crider continues her strong start from the plate hitting her fifth home run of the season against Pitt on March 1.

Crider ranks second on the team with 17 RBI and is tied for second in the WAC with five home runs.

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

LOOK BACK AT NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament/Easton Classic (FEB. 7-9)

    - Posted a 2-3 record with wins over UC Riverside (8-0) and Southern (17-2 in five innings).

HAWAII SPRING FLING TOURNAMENT (FEB. 13-16)

    - Won a pair of games defeating Western Illinois (9-4) and Sacramento State (6-2) going 2-4 overall.

LYMAN CLASSIC TOURNAMENT (FEB. 20-23)

    - Recorded a 2-3 record at the home-hosted Lyman Classic downing UC San Diego (6-5) and blanked Weber State (5-0).

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER INVITATIONAL (FEB. 28-MAR. 2)

    - The Trailblazers posted a 3-2 record at the Louisville Slugger Invitational hosted by Long Beach State defeating Loyola Marymount (6-2), Cal Poly (6-0) and Pittsburgh (5-2).

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.).

ROOT ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM
Utah Tech is 323-98 (.767) overall at home in the NCAA era. 

The Trailblazers are 278-84 (.768) at home under head coach Randy Simkins. 

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers continue their seven-game homestand this weekend against Seattle U (14-9, 3-0 WAC) on Friday and Saturday at Karl Brooks Field.