Softball | 3/19/2025 12:45:00 PM

(St. George, Utah - March 19, 2025) - The Trailblazers wrap up their seven-game homestand this weekend hosting Utah Valley on Friday and Saturday at Karl Brooks Field.

Game #29
Who | Utah Valley (7-17, 1-4 WAC) at Utah Tech (10-18, 1-5 WAC)
When | Friday, March 21 / 2 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #30
Who | Utah Valley (7-17, 1-4 WAC) at Utah Tech (10-18, 1-5 WAC)
When | Friday, March 21 / 4:30 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #31 - STAND UP TO CANCER DAY
Who | Utah Valley (7-17, 1-4 WAC) at Utah Tech (10-18, 1-5 WAC)
When | Saturday, March 22 / 12 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)
First Pitch |  We'll honor those who have battled cancer with a ceremonial first pitch by social media star Tia Stokes! Tia is a cancer thriver, mother of five, and an inspiration to millions across the globe.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech is coming off being swept at home by Seattle U last weekend falling 11-6 and 10-2 in six innings in a doubleheader on Friday and fell 11-5 on Saturday in the series finale.

The Trailblazers jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the opening two innings with a pair of runs in the home half of the inning scoring one an RBI triple by LB Kahahawai-Kekona and she came around to score on an RBI double by Marisa Rubio.

The Trailblazers pushed their lead to 4-1 after the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Cassidy Hornung and an RBI double by Kinley Pappas, but nine straight runs for the Redhawks put SU ahead, 10-4 and UT was only able to come back within four before going on to lose by five.

The final two contests of the series saw the Redhawks combine for 21 runs.

ABOUT UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES
Utah Valley is 7-17 overall on the season and checks in eighth in the current WAC standings sitting 1-4 in conference play coming off losing a pair last weekend against Grand Canyon and opened WAC play winning one of three at California Baptist.

The Wolverines, who are 3-7 on the road this season, notched a pair of road victories over Georgia State in February along with their win at CBU.

Utah Valley registered a 25-28 overall record in 2024 and finished third in the WAC regular season standings with a 15-10 mark and went 2-2 at the WAC Tournament defeating UT Arlington and California Bapitst before losing to Grand Canyon and CBU.

As a team this season, the Wolverines are hitting .268 as a team to rank fifth in the WAC and are averaging 4.00 runs per game to rank fifth in the conference.

Three Wolverines are hitting over .300 from the plate led by junior infielder Emma Haygood leading the way hitting .360 and tops the team with 18 RBI.

Redshirt senior Megan Gibbs has started all 24 games, leads the team with 16 runs scored, four home runs, 18 walks & 35 total bases, and hitting an average of .350.

In the circle, Utah Valley ranks seventh in the WAC in ERA (5.90), rank fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.22) while opponents are hitting .339 from the plate.

Sophomore pitcher Avery Sapp leads the Wolverines in wins (4), complete games (5), starts (14), innings pitched (70.2) and strikeouts (57).

SERIES HISTORY VS. UTAH VALLEY
The Trailblazers trail the overall series against Utah Valley, 8-7 with the Wolverines sweeping Utah Tech in Orem to end the regular season last season.

Utah Tech is 5-1 at home against the Wolverines sweeping Utah Valley at home in 2023 and won two out of three in St. George in 2022.

WAC RANKINGS IN 2025
The Trailblazers lead the WAC in hits and rank 39th nationally in hits with 243 and is also atop the WAC in sacrifice bunts (24 - 14th nationally).

Utah Tech is second in the conference in batting average (.313), scoring (5.43), stolen bases (38), total bases (316), third in walks (85) and fourth in on-base percentage (.383), RBI (135) & runs (152),

Individually, LB Kahahawai-Kekona also ranks fourth in the conference in hits with 36, fifth in the WAC hitting .419 (36-86) & RBI with 25.

Cassidy Hornung is hitting .375 from the dish, ranks third in the WAC in runs per game (0.89) and is joined by Sadie Gardner with eight stolen bases to sit fourth in the conference. Jorja Crider checks in fifth in the WAC in home runs with five.

In the circle, Sauren Garton ranks third in the WAC in complete games (6), fourth in innings pitched (75.0) & starts (12), and fifth in strikeouts (51). 

Riley Price joins Garton with five wins and ranks eighth with 62.2 innings thrown.

GLANCE BACK AT OPENING WAC WEEKEND
The Trailblazers got WAC play underway at UT Arlington on March 7-8 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 falling 5-0 in the series finale.

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.

CLOSE CONTESTS
Five of the Trailblazers 18 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 .375 making 27 starts and leads the team in runs scored with 25.

Freshman Kinley Pappas, out of Eugene, Ore., is hitting .316 while making 25 starts tallying 25 hits, 13 runs and 16 RBI.

In the circle, three newcomers have seen action in Price, who has made 11 starts,  along with freshman Lexie Wilson (two starts) and Cemryn Pickett (three starts).

Freshmen Kennedy Embrey (14 games), Rylie Haith (16 starts) and Crider (22 games) have also seen action.

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).

CRIDER OFF TO HOT START
Crider is off to a strong start from the plate hitting her fifth home run of the season against Pitt on March 1.

Crider is tied for 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.

UTAH TECH IN WAC PLAY
The Trailblazers is in their fifth season of WAC play with a 46-51 overall mark. The Blazers are 26-24 at home and 20-27 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. 

ROOT ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM
Utah Tech is 323-102 (.760) overall at home in the NCAA era. 

The Trailblazers are 278-88 (.760) at home under head coach Randy Simkins. 

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers head out on the road next week traveling to UNLV (16-12) on Tuesday and Abilene Christian (7-22, 3-3 WAC) on March 28-29.