Game Times (Mountain):
Friday: 7 p.m.
Saturday: 6 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m.
Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | CBU
Live Streaming: GAME #1 | GAME #2 | GAME #3 
Live Stats: GAME #1 | GAME #2 | GAME #3 
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTech_BASE | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACbsb

UTAH TECH PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP #15 Cade Montgomery (4-0, 1.48 ERA) vs. LHP #21 Cody New (3-1, 1.67 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP #45 Ryan Martinez (1-0, 2.23 ERA) vs. RHP #41 Jacob Wilson (1-1, 4.46 ERA)
Sunday (G3) – RHP #35 Dakoda West (1-3, 3.04 ERA) vs. RHP #37 Ryan Kittredge (1-0, 3.08 ERA)

FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (13-11/0-0 WAC) opens its fifth season of Western Athletic Conference play this weekend with a trip to the Inland Empire for a three-game series at long-time rival California Baptist (11-10/0-0 WAC).
            Friday's series opener will start at 7 p.m. (MT), followed by game two on Saturday at 6 p.m. (MT), and Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m. (MT), at James W. Totman Stadium (800) on the CBU campus in Riverside.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Utah Tech enters this weekend's set at CBU with an even 27-27 all-time series record against the Lancers, which dates back to when both programs were members of the Pacific West Conference.
            The Trailblazers have won 13 of the last 20 meetings vs. the Lancers overall, though Utah Tech is 6-7 against CBU in WAC playing, including dropping two-of-three to the Lancers in the final series of the 2024 season. 

LONG-TIME RIVALS: The 54 games played against California Baptist are the fourth-most against one opponent in the Trailblazers' NCAA era, and while their series vs. CBU is one of two long-time Utah Tech opponent series that is still active.
            Utah Tech has faced fellow WAC member, and former long-time PacWest rival, Grand Canyon 66 times since the Blazers' first NCAA Division II season in 2007. 
            When those two sides meet at Bruce Hurst Field next month (4/17-19), that three-game set will move that overall series into first place on that short list of games played against one opponent. Utah Tech has faced former PacWest foes Hawai'i Pacific 67 times and Hawai'i-Hilo 61 times, though the Trailblazers have not played either of those opponents since the 2018 campaign.

IN CONFERENCE OPENERS: Utah Tech is 10-6 all-time in conference opening games, and is 38-23 in its 16 previous conference opening series overall.
            This weekend's series also marks the third time in the Utah Tech's NCAA era that the Trailblazers will open conference play against CBU.
            The previous two instances took place when both programs were members of the PacWest Conference. In 2014, Utah Tech took three-of-four from CBU in Riverside, while the Lancers returned the favor two years later with a 3-1 series win in St. George. 

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 340-285-1 (.544) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 392-344-1 (.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. 

NEARING ANOTHER CAREER MILESTONE: Coach Pfatenhauer continues to inch toward another career milestone. The long-time Trailblazer mentor is eight wins away from career victory No. 400 (392-344-1). 

LAST TIME OUT: Fresh off a successful 7-2 homestand, Utah Tech pushed its win-streak to a season best six-straight with a St. Patrick's Day 10-3 road victory at in-state rival BYU last Monday in Provo. 
            The Trailblazers jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead, and broke open a 4-2 game late with a five-run eighth inning to roll to their third road triumph of the season. 

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 pts) 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.

HOME SWEET HOME: Thanks to its just completed 7-2 homestand, Utah Tech improved to 323-166 (.660) overall in 489 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since the start of its four-year era in the 2007 season.
            The Trailblazers, who are 10-7 at home this season, 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 has 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 has managed to hold its own away from home in its NCAA era as the Trailblazers have played to a 183-227-1 overall road record (.446), including a 3-4 away mark this season. 
            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 196-232-1 (.458) 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 in its series finale vs. Northern Colorado back on Feb. 16. In all, the Trailblazers have played to a 519-400-1 (.564) record all-time through 18-plus years of NCAA competition.
            That record also includes a 86-157 (.354) mark in the program's current Division-I era, and a 53-73 (.420) mark in Western Athletic Conference play.  

7W vs. P4: Eight of Utah Tech's 86 D-I wins have come against Power-4 programs, including notching its second victory over a member of the Big 12 in last Monday's road win at BYU. 
            The Trailblazers posted two P4 wins last year on the road against Big 12 member Oklahoma State (9-8; 3/5/24), and at home vs. former PAC-12 member and new Big 12 member Utah (W, 11-8; 5/7/24). 
            Six of the eight Trailblazers wins have come against three former PAC-12 Conference member schools (3 vs. Utah; 1 each vs. Arizona/Arizona State/Washington State).
            Of note, all three previous victories over BYU, which is in its second season of Big 12 play, were recorded when the Cougars were members of the West Coast Conference.

HOW SWEEP IT IS: Utah Tech did something during its recently completed homestand that had not happened in nearly four full seasons - post a four-game sweep. 
            The Trailblazers took all four games from CSU Bakersfield last weekend, which clinched the program's fourth four-game sweep during its brief NCAA Division I era overall. 
            Utah Tech recorded three home four-game sweeps during its first D-I season in 2021, all three of which came late in the year in WAC play against Utah Valley (4/30-5/2), Seattle U (5/14-16) and former member Northern Colorado (5/20-22). 

FREE BASEBALL: Utah Tech saw its streak of not playing an extra inning game stopped at 76-straight after its 5-4 game two loss to UC Riverside (2/22) in 10 innings. 
            That extra-inning loss was the Trailblazers' sixth-straight and dropped them to 4-11 in extra innings during their current Division I era. 
            In all, Utah Tech is 35-25 (.583) in 60 extra-inning games in the program's four-year era. The Blazers are now 17-14 in 10-inning games, while the program has won nine of its last 21 extra inning games overall.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Utah Tech heads into this weekend's WAC opening series as the conference leader, and T-EIGHTH in the NCAA Division I ranks, in double plays with 20, which includes six twin-killings during the Trailblazers' current six-game win streak. 

IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS: In addition to double plays, Utah Tech is ranked in the top-30 nationally in sacrifice bunts (t-13th; 17), base hits (t-26th; 223), and walks drawn (t-28th; 120).

AIN'T LIFE GRAND: We are nearly the midway point of the 2025 season and Utah Tech has already tied the program's single season record with three grand slams, two of which came in the Portland road series earlier this month.
             Junior 3B/RHP Ryan Kroepel blasted the first slam in the sixth inning of game two (3/1). Meanwhile senior 1B Aaron Perez connected on his second grand slam of the year, and the 29th in the program's NCAA era overall, with one out in the Blazer ninth in Utah Tech's 8-6 come-from-behind win in the series finale (3/3). 
            Perez notched his first grand slam of the season in game two of the Trailblazers' season-opening series vs. Northern Colorado (2/15).
            In fact, Perez became just the third Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to hit two grand slams in one season, joining former sluggers Chase Pittsenbarger (2010) and Drew Oldfield (2009), who both achieved the feat during Utah Tech's Division II era.
            Utah Tech has belted at least three grand slams in a season six times, including in their first D-I season in 2021, though it took them 52 games to do it. Utah Tech also did it four times in the D-II era (2009/2010/2011/2016).   

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS 
* - Senior RF/DH Hunter Katschke (.318/.545/.392) batted at a .375 clip (6-for-16) in five games during the homestand with one XBH and four RBI ... he doubled and drove in a run as part of a 3-for-4 day in the series opener vs. Saint Mary's (3/7), then closed the homestand with two hits and three RBI in the finale vs. CSU Bakersfield last Sunday.
* - Katschke belted his co-team leading fourth homer of the season and scored two runs at BYU last Monday.
* - Katschke had a night in the UC Riverside series opener (2/21), during which he tied a program NCAA-era record with five hits (5-for-5) with a double, home run and a career-high six RBI.
* - Katschke became the first Trailblazer in the program's relatively new NCAA Division I era to record five hits in a game, and he became the 16th-different player in the program's four-year era to drive in at least six runs in a single game. 
* - Perez (.329/.513/.435) has been on a tear at the plate since the calendar turned to March ... the senior has hit safely in 10 of 13 starts this month with four multi-hit games, highlighted by a 3-for-5 effort with his second GSHR and a career-high six RBI in the Portland series finale (3/3).
* - Perez batted .310 in nine starts during the homestand with two hits in both the UNLV loss (3/8) and the series opening win over CSU Bakersfield (3/13) with two RBI. 
* - Perez did not show signs of slowing down at BYU last Monday, against which he pounded out a career-high four hits and drove in four runs. 
* - Perez's first GSHR of the season vs. Northern Colorado (2/15) 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 Keatingbelted 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 2B Kyle McDaniel (.352/.500/.426) has recorded two hits in five of his last eight starts, including in three of Utah Tech's five games last week ... He went 2-for-3 with two walks and a run in the Blazers' walk-off win over Gonzaga (3/11), and started his CSUB series off on the right foot with his second HR of the year in the opener (3/13).
* - McDaniel slugged out two more hits and drove in three runs in G3 vs. CSUB, and began this week with a 2-for-5 effort with a run scored at BYU last Monday.
* - McDaniel got his 2025 season off to a great start vs. Northern Colorado, 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, who has hit safely in 16 of his first 24 starts with 10 multi-hit games this season, led Utah Tech with 14 doubles as a true freshman last year, and now has 19 two-baggers to his credit in 73 career games.
* - Like McDaniel, Kroepel (.311/.467/.402) has also recorded two-hit days in five of his last eight starts, including back-to-back games in Sunday's finale vs. CSUB (3/16), and a 2-for-3 effort with a double, walk and an RBI at BYU last Monday.
* - Kroepel batted a team-high .545 (6-for-11) in the UCR series with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored ... Kroepel reached base safely in 11 of his 18 total plate appearances in four starts with three walks and two HBPs, along with two sacrifices.
* - Kroepel kept that vibe going as he tripled in a run, and later scored a go-ahead run, in the third inning at UC Irvine (2/26).
* - Kroepel has also shown that he is a dual threat at the hot corner, as well as the bump, after he picked up his fourth save of the season on two in G2 vs. Saint Mary's (3/8) ... Kroepel's four saves are good for t-second in the WAC and t-15th nationally.
* - Of note, Utah Tech recorded only six total saves in 54 games last season.
* - Freshman DH/RF Finnegan Stewart (.256/.442/.333) has been as steady as anyone in the Utah Tech line-up, having hit safely in 18 of 23 starts ... Stewart hit .278 (10-of-36) during the homestand with five XBH and 13 RBI.
* - Stewart drove in 10 of those runs last week, with a career high four of those runs coming as part of a 2-for-5 night with a triple and homer in the walk-off win over Gonzaga (3/11) ... he also doubled and drove in three more runs in the opener vs. CSUB (3/13).   
* - 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 vs. Northern Colorado.
* - 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 (2/14) when he drilled a two-run shot over the left field wall on the first pitch he saw in the third inning.
* - Stewart also became the 12th different Trailblazer to homer in a season opening game in Utah Tech's four-year era.
* - Junior LF Levi Randall (.338/.408/.427) continued his breakout season in style by batting a blistering .405 (15-for-37) out of the lead-off spot during the homestand at least two hits in six of those outings, including a pair of three-hit efforts in G2 vs. Saint Mary's (3/8) and the finale vs. CSUB last Sunday.
* - Randall also legged out a combined three doubles, drove in six runs, scored 12 runs, and went a 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts.
* - Randall, whose 11 (11-for-12) stolen bases currently tie him for second in the WAC and t-45th nationally, and are also good for t-10th place on Utah Tech's single season list.
* - Sophomore SS Petey Soto Jr. (.259/.321/.344) has driven eight of the 12 total runs on the year over his last nine games, including consecutive two-RBI days in last Sunday's win over CSUB and Monday's road win at BYU.
* - Soto Jr. also homered and drove in three runs as part of a 3-for-4 effort vs. UNLV (3/8). 
* - Junior catcher Ty Johnsen (.257/.343/.422) enjoyed a perfect day in game three vs. CSUB last Saturday, against which he went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, three total RBI, two walks and four runs scored.
* - Not to be outdone, junior reserve 3B Kace Naone (.318/.500/.471) also homered and drove in a career high five runs as part of a 2-for-3 day in that G3 victory over CSUB.  
* - Utah Tech starting pitching has accounted for nine of the team's 13 wins (9-3) to this point of the season, including the last five games of the Trailblazers' current six-game win streak.
* - Junior RHP Tyler Ray (2-0/2.92 ERA/20 K/24.2 IP) got the run going by collecting his second win in as many starts in the CSUB series opener on March 7 ... Ray worked a season-high 6.0 innings and scattered four hits and three runs (two earned) with one strikeout.
* - Ray's effort chased a solid outing in game two vs. Saint Mary's (3/8), against which he tied a career high with five strikeouts and allowed only one run on three hits in 5.0 innings complete. 
* - Sophomore RHP Cade Montgomery (4-0/1.48 ERA/20 K/30.1 IP) ran his record to 4-0 after he fired 6.0 innings of three-hit shutout baseball with four strikeouts in his game two victory over CSUB (3/14).
* - Montgomery, who will start game one at CBU on Friday, became just the second starting pitcher in the program's brief Division-I era, and the fifth starter in Utah Tech's four-year era overall, to begin a season 4-0.
* - Former starter Brett Porthan was the last to do it, going 5-0 in six starts in 2022 ... meanwhile former hurlers Dylan File (4-0 in 10 starts) and Mason Hilty (9-0 in 12 starts) both turned the trick in 2016, while File (5-0 in 8 starts) did it again in 2017 ... former Blazer Preston Grimes was the first to do achieve the feat as he went 4-0 in seven starts to open the 2009 season. 
* - Well it took five starts, but junior RHP Ryan Martinez (1-0/2.23 ERA/24 K/32.1 IP) finally picked up his first win as a Trailblazer in game three vs. CSUB last Saturday ... Martinez, who opened the season with four-straight no-decisions, scattered one earned run (4 total) and six hits with four strikeouts and no walks over 7.0 innings to earn the victory.
* - Martinez, who is slated to start game two at CBU on Saturday, enters the weekend ranked ninth in the WAC in strikeouts.
* - Martinez shined in his Trailblazer debut in game three vs. UNC (2/15), against which he fanned seven and scattered three runs (two earned) and five hits over six innings. 
* - Fellow junior RHP Dakoda West (1-3/3.04 ERA/18 K/26.2 IP) made it a clean sweep last Sunday vs. CSUB after he tossed six innings of one-run, four-hit baseball with three strikeouts en route to his first win of the season. 
* - West's junior campaign got off to a great start when he turned in one of his best overall outings of his Utah Tech career in the series finale vs. UNC (2/16) ... 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.
* - Not to be outdone, junior southpaw Brock Roundy (1-0/7.41 ERA/19 K/17.0 IP) threw a gem in his Monday start at BYU ... Roundy struck out a career-high eight and limited the vaunted Cougar offense to only two runs and six hits in six innings complete to collect his first win in a Trailblazer uniform.  
* - While the starters have been doing their thing, the Trailblazer bullpen had done an overall solid job, particularly over the current win streak.
* - Utah Tech relievers have combined to strike out 28, held hitters to a .244 average, and pitched to a 4.96 ERA over 29.0 innings of work during the win streak.
* - Junior RHP Aaron Morris logged 3.0 innings over two appearances in the CSUB series, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts ... redshirt freshman RHP Easton Brooks worked two innings over two games and fanned three while giving up one unearned run and one hit.
* - Meanwhile, freshman RHP Jackson Ball recorded an inning of one-hit relief in the CSUB opener (3/13), then fired two innings of one-hit, one-run relief with a career high four strikeouts in the BYU win last Monday.  
* - Junior RHP Dakota Gray put together a pair of much-needed bounce back outings, both of which came in relief of Ball ... Gray closed out the G1 win vs. CSUB by striking out the side in the ninth, and chased that with a spotless ninth with another punch out at BYU.  

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech returns home to play the first of consecutive home-and-home games against in-state foe Utah next Tuesday, March 25. First pitch at Bruce Hurst Field is set for 4:05  p.m. (MT).