Game Times (Mountain):
Thursday: 4:05 p.m. (UPDATED)
Friday: 6:05 p.m.
Saturday: 12:05 p.m.
Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | GCU - PDF
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:
Thursday (G1) – LHP #6 Brock Roundy (2-1, 6.31 ERA) vs. RHP #9 Isaac Lyon (3-3, 3.35 ERA)
Friday (G2) – RHP #15 Cade Montgomery (4-1, 2.05 ERA) vs. RHP #32 Garrett Ahern (4-2, 5.01 ERA)
Saturday (G3) – RHP #45 Ryan Martinez (1-1, 3.88 ERA) vs. TBD

FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (15-20/1-8 WAC) returns home for a three-game Easter Weekend series against WAC co-leader Grand Canyon (22-14/9-3 WAC). Game one of the series will be played this Thursday at Bruce Hurst Field beginning at 4:05 p.m. (MT), followed by game two on Friday night at 6:05 p.m. (MT), and the series finale on Saturday at 12:05 p.m. (MT).

ALL-TIME SERIES: Utah Tech owns a 35-31 all-time series lead vs. Grand Canyon in a series that dates back to when both programs were members of the Division II Pacific West Conference.
    However the series has been one-sided of late as the Trailblazers have lost 13 of the last 14 games between the two sides, including a 1-12 mark since Utah Tech began its transition to Division I status and joined the WAC in 2021.
    Utah Tech finally broke a 12-game losing streak to GCU last season with a thrilling 2-1 road victory in Phoenix (4/21/24).
    This weekend's series will mark just the second time the Blazers and Lopes have squared off in St. George since the 2021 season.
    Prior to that 2021 season, Utah Tech and GCU last met on the diamond in the 2013 season, which was GCU's last season in the PacWest before its beginning its own transition to NCAA Division I status and move to the WAC.
    That season, the Trailblazers won six of the eight meetings between the two teams, including a three-game sweep in Phoenix (May 3-4). However the Lopes claimed the final game of the season series by a 12-3 count (5/16/13) at the 2013 NCAA Division II West Regionals, which was hosted by Utah Tech. 

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 Utah Tech skipper in the 2022 season finale at California Baptist (14-8; 5/21/2022), owns a 342-294-1 (.537) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 394-353-1 (.527) 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 now six wins away from career victory No. 400 (394-353-1). 

LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech saw its season-long skid reach seven-straight after the Trailblazers were swept in a three-game road WAC series at Abilene Christian last weekend. The Blazers dropped a pair of one-run decision in the first two games, 3-2 and 8-7, before the Wildcats posted an 11-5 win in the Sunday finale. 

OUT LIKE A LION: Utah Tech won eight of its last 10 games in March to close the month with an 11-7 record.
    Since its move to Division I status, the Trailblazers have played to a 38-49 (.437) record in over their five previous March months, which included a 9-7 mark in 2022. 

APRIL FOOLIN': Unfortunately the first two-plus weeks of April has not gone as well as the Trailblazers are 0-7 this month and have been outscored 74-21 over those seven ball games. 

HOME SWEET HOME: Utah Tech is currently 324-170 (.656) all-time in 494 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since the start of its four-year era in the 2007 season.
    In fact, Utah Tech will play its 500th NCAA-era home game on Sunday, May 4, when the Trailblazers play game two of their WAC series vs. Seattle U.
    The Trailblazers, who are 11-11 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 mark 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: Despite last weekend's sweep at ACU, Utah Tech has managed to hold its own away from home in its NCAA era as the Trailblazers have played to a 182-228-1 overall road record (.444), including a 4-9 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 197-239-1 (.452) 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 521-409-1 (.560) record all-time through 18-plus years of NCAA competition.
    That record also includes a 88-166 (.346) mark in the program's current Division-I era, and a 54-81 (.400) mark in Western Athletic Conference play.  

9W vs. P5: Nine of Utah Tech's 88 D-I wins have come against Power-5 programs, including notching its second victory of the season over a Big 12 program in the Utah home win on March 25. The Blazers also picked up a 10-3 road triumph at Big 12 member BYU back on March 17.   
    The Trailblazers posted two P4 wins last year on the road at Big 12 member Oklahoma State (9-8; 3/5/24), and at home vs. Utah when the Utes were a member of the PAC-12 Conference (W, 11-8; 5/7/24).  
    Seven of the nine Trailblazers wins have come against three former PAC-12 member schools (4 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 nine-game homestand last month that had not happened in nearly four full seasons - post a four-game sweep.
    The Trailblazers took all four games from CSU Bakersfield (3/13-16), 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 moved to 1-1 in extra inning games this season after posting a 3-2 road victory in its WAC opener at California Baptist on March 21. 
    That 10-inning win snapped the Trailblazers' six-game, extra-inning losing streak, and moved them to 5-11 in extra inning affairs during their current Division I era.
    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. 
    In all, Utah Tech is 36-25 (.590) in 61 extra-inning games in the program's four-year era. The Blazers are now 18-14 in 10-inning games, while the program has won 10 of its last 21 extra inning games overall.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Utah Tech heads into this weekend's series tied for third in the WAC, and t-29th nationally, in double plays with 31, which includes three twin-killings at ACU last weekend, and a combined 11 double plays in 18 March games. 

AIN'T LIFE GRAND: We are 35 games into 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 in early March.
    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). 

K-MAC GETTING ON BASE: Sophomore 2B Kyle McDaniel (.378/.496/.484) continued his torrid hitting pace, and inched closer to a Utah Tech Division I era school record, last weekend at Abilene Christian.  
    McDaniel went 8-for-12 (.667) in his three starts at ACU, collecting three hits in Friday's series opener before going 4-for-4 with two runs scored in game two on Saturday.
    The sophomore then went 1-for-4 at the plate on Sunday, and in the process, extended his streak of reaching base safely to 21-straight games. 
    McDaniel has recorded at two hits in nine of his last 17 starts, and in 25 of his first 35 starts this season with 14 multi-hit games.
    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. In all he combined to go 9-for-15 at the plate with a team-high five XBHs, four RBI and three runs scored. 

STREAK NOTES: McDaniel's current on-base streak is the second-longest in Utah Tech's current D-I era behind only former Blazer catcher Kaden Hollow, who reached base safely in 24-straight games in 2022.
    Of note, only five former Trailblazers have seen an on-base streak extend to 30-plus games in the program's NCAA era overall, the last being former All-American outfielder Jake Engel (2017-21), who reached base safely in 31-straight games, which included a school record 21-game hit streak.
    Engel's feat spanned three seasons, including the final 14 games of the 2019 season, 16 games during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign, and the first game of Utah Tech's D-I era in 2021.  
    Former Utah Tech shortstop Tanner Morache (2014-16) currently owns the school's four-year era record with a 39-game, on-base streak during his senior season in 2016. 

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS 
* - Senior RF/DH Hunter Katschke (.245/.451/.313) will look to return to his early season form this week, this after going just 4-for-36 at the plate since the BYU road win on March 17 ... that said, two of Katschke's four hits over this current stretch left the ballpark, including a three-run shot in the Utah home win (3/25).
* - In fact, three of Katschke's last five hits overall have been home runs, including solo home runs at both BYU (3/17) and CBU (3/22).
* - Katschke, who is currently eighth on Utah Tech's career HR list (19), 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 (.327/.522/.417) has been on a tear at the plate since the calendar turned to March ... the senior has hit safely in 10 of his last 13 games, and in 19 of 24 of his starts since March 1, with seven 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, who saw his streak of reaching base safely end at 16-straight games after going hitless in the UVU series opener (4/4), hit .364 at ACU last weekend, highlighted by a 2-for-4 day last Sunday with a two-run homer, three total RBI and two runs scored. 
* - Perez opened WAC play by batting .385 (5-of-13) in the CBU series with two XBHs and two RBI, including belting the eventual game-winning HR in the 10th inning in the series opener (3/21).
* - Perez also went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in the Utah home win (3/25).
* - 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 Keating belted 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).
* - Kroepel (.333/.516/.412) batted a combined .385 (5-for-13) last weekend at ACU with a team series high four RBI, all of which came in game two on Saturday which came on a two-run HR and a two-run single. 
* - Kroepel is coming off a solid March in his own right, during which he batted .308 (21-for-68) in the month and reached base safely with a hit in 13 of 18 starts with eight two-hit games. 
* - Kroepel carried that momentum into April as he is batting .333 (8-for-24) in seven starts with three more two-hit outings. 
* - 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 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-third in the WAC and t-76th nationally ... he also threw one pitch in Sunday's finale at ACU, which resulted in an eighth-inning ending 3-6-1 double play. 
* - Of note, Utah Tech recorded only six total saves in 54 games last season.
* - Freshman DH/RF Finnegan Stewart (.270/.434/.341) has been as steady as anyone in the Utah Tech line-up, having hit safely in 26 of his first 35 collegiate games ... in the home win over Utah (3/25), he came on as a pinch hitter in the eighth and drove the first pitch he saw off the wall in right center for an RBI-double to add the exclamation point to the Blazers' three-run rally.
* - Stewart posted his first collegiate three-hit game (3-for-3) in the UVU series opener (4/4) ... the freshman also drew a walk, drove in one run and scored once during his perfect night at the plate.
* - Stewart combined to hit .308 (4-for-13) at ACU, highlighted by a 3-for-5 day with one double and three RBI in game two last Saturday.
* - Stewart hit .278 (10-of-36) during the long March homestand with five XBHs and 13 RBI ... the freshman drove in 10 of those runs over a five-game stretch, 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 became the 12th different Trailblazer to homer in a season opening game in Utah Tech's four-year era.
* - Sophomore SS Petey Soto Jr. (.276/.362/.351) belted out two doubles in the UVU series, including one two-bagger and a steal of home plate in the sixth inning of game two (4/5).  
* - Soto Jr. has driven 16 of his 20 total runs on the year over his last 20 games, including three RBI as part of a 2-for-3 day with two runs scored in the Utah win (3/25). 
* - Soto Jr. also homered and drove in two runs as part of a 2-for-4 effort in game two at CBU (3/22).  
* - The sophomore shortstop has hit safely in 10 of his last 13 starts, and in 12 of his 18 March starts overall with five multi-hit outings ... Soto Jr. has also reached base safely in 29 of his 35 starts this season overall. 
* - Well it took him 72 games, but senior OF Ethan Royal (.185/.262/.329) belted his first homer as a Trailblazer when he muscled out a solo shot in the third inning vs. Utah Valley on Thursday night.
* - Royal enjoyed a solid series at ACU, against which he batted an even .300 (3-for-10) with two doubles, two runs scored, one RBI and one stolen base.
* - Junior reserve 1B Gavin Glasgow (.400/.800/.500) made the most first start of the year in the home loss to BYU (4/8) by tripling off the center field wall and later scoring on a Soto Jr. single ... it was Glasgow's first triple since his freshman year at Crowder (MO) CC in 2021. 
* - Sophomore RHP Cade Montgomery (4-1/2.05 ERA/41 K/48.1 IP) came away with a no-decision in last Friday's opener at ACU, against which he struck out six and scattered two runs on four hits in 5.0 innings complete ... he wound up throwing a career-high 108 pitches over those five innings of work.   
* - Montgomery, who will look for his first WAC win of the season in game two vs. GCU on Friday, picked up his fourth victory of the season after he fired 6.0 innings of three-hit shutout baseball with four strikeouts in his game two victory over CSUB (3/14).
* - Montgomery just missed his fifth win of the year in the series opener at CBU (3/21), against which he fired six innings of four-hit shutout baseball with a career-high nine strikeouts.
* - Montgomery enters this week as the WAC ERA leader (2.05 - #17 in NCAA D-I) and t-third in wins (4-1 -t-145th in NCAA D-I).
* - After four-straight no-decisions, junior RHP Ryan Martinez (1-1/3.88 ERA/41 K/51.0 IP) finally picked up his first win as a Trailblazer in game three vs. CSUB (3/15) ... Martinez scattered one earned run (4 total) and six hits with four strikeouts and no walks over 7.0 innings to earn the victory.
* - Martinez was saddled with the loss in game two vs. UVU (4/5) ... the junior rebounded from a three-run second inning with four strikeouts and held UVU to one unearned run and three total hits over his next five-plus innings of work ... Martinez began the eighth inning, but two lead-off UVU homers spelled the end of his day.
* - Martinez came away with his sixth ND last Saturday at ACU, against which he fanned five and scattered 11 hits and four runs over 5.2 IP. 
* - Martinez, who is slated to start Saturday's series finale vs. GCU, enters the weekend ranked t-9th (with Montgomery) in the WAC in strikeouts, including a season-high eight over six innings in a no-decision at CBU (3/22).
* - Junior southpaw Brock Roundy (2-1/6.31 ERA/27 K/25.2 IP) shined in his last two midweek starts, including a gem in Utah Tech's road win at BYU (3/17) ... 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. 
* - Roundy, who will start Thursday night's series opener vs. GCU, followed that up with five solid innings vs. Utah (3/25), during which he fanned five and scattered one run and four hits to earn his second win of the season. 

ABOUT THE GCU "LOPES": Grand Canyon enters this weekend's series having won four of its last seven games, including a WAC road sweep at CBU (4/4-6) two weeks ago. However the Lopes followed that up by dropping two of three at home in a WAC first-place battle vs. UVU last weekend, and are coming off a 14-4 road loss at nationally-ranked Arizona this past Tuesday night.
    Junior SS Emilio Barreras (.391/.551/.511) is the Lopes' top hitter, while senior 3B Eli Paton(.290/.543/.380) leads GCU with 18 XBHs, including a co-team high eight homers, along with 30 RBI. 
    GCU's Thursday night starter, junior RHP Isaac Lyon (3-3/3.35 ERA/60 K), returns to his native St. George for the first time since he starred at Snow Canyon HS. 
    Lyon also has Utah Tech ties as he is the son of Dixie State/Utah Tech Athletics Hall of Famer, and former MLB pitcher Brandon Lyon, who pitched two seasons at then-Dixie College (1997-99) and has his #9 jersey retired. 
    As a team, GCU is hitting at a .289 clip and averages 6.7 runs and 9.5 hits a game, while the Lopes' pitching staff owns a 5.23 team ERA and has struck out 296 in 310.0 IP. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech heads back to Texas next weekend (April 25-27) for a three-game WAC road series at Tarleton State.