Softball | 4/16/2025 1:00:00 PM
(St. George, Utah - April 16, 2025) - The Trailblazers close out their home WAC slate this weekend hosting California Baptist on Friday and Saturday at Karl Brooks Field.
Game #43
Who | California Baptist (19-25, 7-8 WAC) at Utah Tech (15-27, 6-12 WAC)
When | Friday, April 18 / 2 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
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Game #44
Who | California Baptist (19-25, 7-8 WAC) at Utah Tech (15-27, 6-12 WAC)
When | Friday, April 18 / 4:30 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
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Game #45
Who | California Baptist (19-25, 7-8 WAC) at Utah Tech (15-27, 6-12 WAC)
When | Saturday, April 19 / 12 p.m.
Where | Karl Brooks Field / St. George, Utah
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LAST TIME OUT
The Trailblazers are coming off winning one of three contests at Southern Utah last weekend winning the series opener, 12-6 before falling in the final two games of the series dropping high-scoring contests, 9-8 and 14-11.
Utah Tech totaled 20 runs on the day with its 12 runs in game one being the most runs scored since tallying 15 on Feb. 22 against Utah State and then reached the eight-run mark for the 10th time this season in the nightcap.
The Trailblazers totaled 14 hits in the first game and 11 hits in the second contest with Carly Eldredge leading the way in game one going 3-for-3 and tied her career high driving in four RBI.
Kinley Pappas, Drew McKown and Gabi Giroux all notched two hits apiece with McKown scoring a pair of runs and Giroux driving in a pair of RBI.
The second game saw two hits apiece from Giroux, Marisa Rubio and Jorja Crider, who smacked a pair of solo home runs.
Despite an 11-4 lead in the series finale, the Trailblazers were unable to hang on for the win falling 14-11 in the series finale.
Utah Tech saw its offense continue to be a force totaling 14 hits as a team led by a 3-for-4 performance from Baylee Howley, who added a double, RBI and scored two runs.
Kinley Pappas, Carly Eldredge and Gabi Giroux all added two hits apiece while Rylie Haith belted her first career home run and scored a pair of runs.
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BAPTIST LANCERS
California Baptist enters this weekend's series with a 19-25 overall record and is tied with Abilene Christian for fifth in the WAC standings notching a 7-8 mark in WAC action. The Lancers are coming off a hard-fought 7-6 loss in eight innings at UNLV on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
California Baptist is coming off a WAC series win over UT Arlington last weekend and also have conference series wins at Seattle U and at home against Utah Valley.
CBU is 3-8 on the road, 8-12 at home and 8-5 at a neutral site.
The Lancers went 33-25 overall in 2024 and finished second in the WAC regular season finishing 17-7 and advanced all the way to the WAC Tournament championship game falling to Grand Canyon.
As a team, California Baptist is hitting .287 as a team to rank fifth in the WAC and are seventh in the conference averaging 3.93 runs per game. CBUU is 12-7 when scoring four or more runs and has reached that mark in seven of its 15 WAC contests.
CBU also ranks fifth in the WAC in both hits (334) & home runs (20) while sitting sixth in the conference in runs (173) & RBI (152).
Four Lancers are hitting over .300 from the plate led by junior infielder Ashlee Annett, who has started all 44 games hitting .372 and tops the team with 51 hits while sophomore infielder Kate Penberthy leads the team in at-bats (139), doubles (10), RBI (34) and total bases (71).
In the circle, CBU ranks fifth in the WAC in ERA at 4.24 and is sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 1.01 with 145 strikeouts and 145 walks and are holding to opponents to a .303 average from the dish while opponents are averaging 4.7 runs per game.
Freshman Annika Hollingsworth has a team-leading seven wins while Lili Arana and Morgan McConnell each have six victories apiece. Hollingsworth has a team-high 63 strikeouts while McConnell sits second in the WAC with 118.1 innings pitched.
SERIES HISTORY VS. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The Trailblazers and Lancers are tied at 25 wins apiece with Utah Tech leading the way at home, 16-15 and California Baptist holding the advantage in Riverside, 10-9.
Former Division II rivals, the two teams met 38 times from 2007 to 2018 as members of Division II with CBU leading 20-18 as the Trailblazers lead the series, 7-5 in 12 meetings as Division I foes.
The Trailblazers won two of three contests at home over the Lancers in 2024 and swept CBU at home in 2023.
Their first two series as Division I opponents came in 2021 and 2022 with the Trailblazers going 1-2 in both series.
LOOK AT THE TRAILBLAZERS TRIO OF SENIORS
- Carly Eldredge
- 189 GP, 181 GS, .339 AVG, 555 AB, 188 H, 90 R, 93 RBI, 23 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 16 SB
- Eldredge ranks in the top 10 in career at-bats & assists and is closing on the top 10 in hits sitting only six base knocks away
- Ellie Evans
- 150 GP, 23 GS, .188 AVG, 96 AB, 18 H, 52 R, 8 RBI, 2 2B, 13 SB
- Marisa Rubio
- 167 GP, 132 GS, .302 AVG, 401 AB, 121 H, 53 R, 55 RBI, 17 2B, 3 3B, 11 SB
WAC RANKINGS IN 2025
The Trailblazers lead the WAC in triples with 14 (19th nationally), hits (362), check in second in batting average (.311), RBI (213), scoring (5.62), sacrifice flies (11), sacrifice bunts (30) & stolen bases (59).
Utah Tech checks in third in the conference in on base percentage (.386) and walks (138) and fourth in slugging percentage (.415).
Individually, Kahahawai-Kekona ranks fourth in the WAC in hits (47), fifth in batting average (.376), sixth in runs (29) and seventh in RBI (30).
Cassidy Hornung is hitting .343 from the plate, fourth in the WAC in runs (33) & stolen bases (13) and leads the conference with 10 sacrifice bunts.
Four more Trailblazer starters are hitting over .300 with Kinley Pappas (.333), Baylee Howley (.333), Calry Eldredge (.328) and Marisa Rubio (.323) all above that mark.
In the circle, Sauren Garton is second in the WAC in complete games (8) & innings pitched (115.2), third in appearances (28) & starts (21) & is seventh in strikeouts (70).
Riley Price has added six wins and has tossed 84.2 innings in 24 appearances and has struck out 40.
TOP 10 SINGLE SEASON MARKS
The Trailblazers have totaled 14 triples this season to lead the WAC and rank 19th nationally as it is tied for sixth-most in a single season in program history.
Utah Tech has also been lighting quick on the base paths swiping 59 stolen bases (second in the WAC) as a team as they are only eight away from reaching the top 10 in program history.
WAC PLAY WINDING DOWN
Utah Tech enters its final two weeks of WAC action with a 6-12 mark, sitting eighth in the conference, just a half-game ahead of Utah Valley who is 5-12.
The Trailblazers wrap up WAC action at Grand Canyon (12-2, first) next weekend while the Wolverines, who are off WAC play this weekend, close out conference action at Seattle U and back home against Southern Utah.
FIVE THE MAGIC NUMBER
The Trailblazers have reached five or more runs in 14 of their 15 wins this season and are 14-13 overall on the season when reaching the five-run plateau.
CLOSE CONTESTS
Five of the Trailblazers 27 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. In addition, four more losses have been by three or fewer runs and a total of six losses this season have been by one run.
Overall in five seasons in Division I, the Trailblazers are 5-12 in extra innings with a 3-0 record in 2021, 0-1 in 2022, 1-4 in 2023 and 1-2 in 2024.
WAC TOURNAMENT HEADS TO RIVERSIDE IN MAY
The Trailblazers are looking to qualify for the WAC Tournament as one of the top eight teams in the conference hosted by California Baptist in Riverside on May 7-10 at John C. Funk Stadium.
ROOT ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM
Utah Tech is 325-106 (.754) overall at home in the NCAA era.
The Trailblazers are 279-95 (.746) at home under head coach Randy Simkins in the NCAA era.
UP NEXT
The Trailblazers wrap up WAC action next weekend at WAC leader Grand Canyon (34-6, 12-2 WAC) on April 25 & 26 in Phoenix.
