Softball | 4/23/2025 1:15:00 PM

(St. George, Utah - April 23, 2025) - The Trailblazers wrap up WAC action this weekend at #25 Grand Canyon on Friday and Saturday at GCU Softball Stadium in Phoenix.

Game #46
Who | Utah Tech (15-30, 6-15 WAC) at RV/#25 Grand Canyon (37-6, 15-2 WAC)
When | Friday, April 25 / 5:30 p.m. MT
Where | GCU Softball Stadium / Phoenix, Ariz.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #47
Who | Utah Tech (15-30, 6-15 WAC) at RV/#25 Grand Canyon (37-6, 15-2 WAC)
When | Friday, April 25 / 8 p.m. MT
Where | GCU Softball Stadium / Phoenix, Ariz.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Game #48
Who | Utah Tech (15-30, 6-15 WAC) at RV/#25 Grand Canyon (37-6, 15-2 WAC)
When | Saturday, April 26 / 1 p.m. MT
Where | GCU Softball Stadium / Phoenix, Ariz.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

LAST TIME OUT
The Trailblazers are coming off being swept at home last weekend against California Baptist to wrap up their home slate.

Scoring three runs in all three contests against the Lancers, the Trailblazers fell 10-3 in game one of a doubleheader on Friday and 10-7 in the second contest of the double dip. 

The series wrapped up on Saturday with a 14-3 loss on Senior Day.

Honoring their three seniors, Ellie Evans, Carly Eldredge & Marisa Rubio, prior to Saturday's contest, Evans went 3-for-5 (.600) from the dish in the series with a double and scored a run while Eldredge hit .556 (5-9) from the plate, added a double, RBI and scored a run.

Other top performers from the series came from Baylee Howley with three extra-base knocks (two doubles, one triple) and scored a run and Rylie Haith smacked a pair of home runs and scored three runs. 

In the circle, the Trailblazers ran into a hot CBU offense as the Lancers averaged 10-plus runs per game as CBU hit .361 from the dish.

After not leading in either contest on Friday, UT led 3-1 after a pair of innings on Saturday. Getting out to a quick start, the Trailblazers led 1-0 in the first thanks to an RBI single to right by Eldredge.

CBU answered back tying the game at one with a lead off home run in the second, but UT quickly responded with a pair of runs for a 3-1 lead.

A one-out double by Howley put one on base for Evans, who knocked her home with an RBI single to right and Evans came around to score after a Lancers fielding error.

CBU responded with 13 unanswered runs scoring three in the third, five in the fourth and five in the sixth to push ahead, 14-3 to seal the complete.

ABOUT THE #25 GRAND CANYON LOPES
Grand Canyon comes into this weekend's series on a nation-leading 14-game winning streak and boasts a 37-6 overall record leading the WAC with a 15-2 mark. 

GCU entered the national rankings this week in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll at #25.

The Lopes have swept their last four WAC series with wins over UT Arlington, Seattle U, Southern Utah and California Baptist and also have a pair of wins over Utah Valley.

GCU is 27-6 at home and 10-0 on the road with a 7-2 mark at home in WAC contests with both losses coming to Tarleton State, who currently rank second in the WAC.

Grand Canyon went 50-13 overall in 2024 winning both the WAC regular season and tournament crowns advancing to the UCLA Regional. It was the NCAA tournament appearance for the Lopes who also played in a regional at UCLA in 2023.

As a team, GCU leads the WAC in numerous categories led by hitting .348 to rank 11th in the country. The Lopes also top the conference in hits (383), home runs (46), on base percentage (.432), RBI (264), scoring (6.7), runs (288) and stolen bases (87).

Six Lopes are hitting .339 or better with sophomore infielder Savannah Kirk leading the WAC and ranking sixth posting a .487 average while her 73 hits are third-best in the nation.

Kirk has added 40 runs scored and stolen 36 base to rank seventh in the nation. Freshman infielder Jada Cooper is hitting .407 from the plate and has a WAC-high 12 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .815 slugging percentage.

In the circle, the Lopes post the second-lowest ERA in the nation with a 1.81 ERA sitting only behind Tennessee (1.73) and top the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.06) while opponents are only hitting .224 and averaging 2.2 runs per contest.

Junior pitcher Taryn Batterton leads the WAC in wins (16), ranks fourth in the conference in strikeouts (86) and is seventh in innings pitched (101.1). Senior Meghan Golden is a perfect 11-0 with a 0.95 ERA and holding opponets to a .187 average from the dish. Sophomore Maggie Place has added eight wins in 64.0 innings.

SERIES HISTORY VS. GRAND CANYON
The Trailblazers lead the all-time series over Grand Canyon, 28-14 having lost six of its last seven contests against the Lopes.

Since becoming Division I opponents in 2021, the Trailblazers are 5-10 against GCU with a pair of wins in 2021 and 2022 and took the series finale in 2023 in their last trip to Phoenix.

The two teams met for the first time in the NCAA era in 2008 meeting 27 times over the ensuing six seasons (through 2013) winning 19 of the first 21 meetings between the Trailblazers and Lopes.

LOOK AT THE TRAILBLAZERS TRIO OF SENIORS

• Carly Eldredge - Arvada, Colo./Holy Family HS
  • 192 GP, 184 GS, .342 AVG, 564 AB, 193 H, 91 R, 94 RBI, 24 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 16 SB
  • Eldredge ranks eighth in career at-bats & is 10th in assists and is now only one hit shy of moving into the top 10 in career hits
• Ellie Evans - Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake HS
  • 153 GP, 24 GS, .208 AVG, 101 AB, 21 H, 53 R, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 13 SB
• Marisa Rubio - Victorville, Calif./Silverado HS
  • 170 GP, 135 GS, .297 AVG, 407 AB, 121 H, 53 R, 56 RBI, 17 2B, 3 3B, 11 SB

WAC RANKINGS IN 2025
The Trailblazers lead the WAC in triples with 15 (19th nationally), check in second in batting average (.308), RBI (222), runs (245), scoring (5.44), sacrifice flies (14), sacrifice bunts (33) & stolen bases (59). 

Utah Tech has also drawn 145 walks to rank third in the WAC and are fourth in slugging percentage (.417).

Individually, Kahahawai-Kekona is tied for the WAC lead in triples (3), sixth in hits (49), tied for seventh in RBI (30) and ninth in batting average (.366).

Five more Trailblazer starters are hitting over .300 with Carly Eldredge (.344), Baylee Howley (.342), Cassidy Hornung (.336), Kinley Pappas (.331) and Marisa Rubio (.308) all above that mark. Jorja Crider is tied for seventh in the conference with seven home runs.

In the circle, Sauren Garton is second in the WAC in complete games (8), appearances (30) & starts (23), third in innings pitched (120.2), & is seventh in strikeouts (73).

Riley Price has added six wins and has tossed 93.2 innings (9th in WAC) in 26 appearances  (8th in WAC) and has struck out 41.

TOP 10 SINGLE SEASON MARKS
The Trailblazers have totaled 15 triples this season to lead the WAC and rank 19th nationally as it is tied for fourth-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 SERIES FINALE
Utah Tech enters its final week of WAC action with a 6-15 mark, sitting in ninth in the conference.

The Trailblazers are right behind Utah Valley for the coveted eighth spot in the WAC standings as the top eight teams in the regular season standings reach the WAC Tournament.

The Wolverines end the season traveling to 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 20 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.

UTAH TECH IN WAC PLAY
The Trailblazers is in their fifth season of WAC play with a 51-61 overall mark. The Blazers are 29-30 at home and 22-31 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.

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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN 
Utah Tech is 205-128 (.616) overall on the road in the NCAA era.

The Trailblazers are 179-116 (.607) on the road under head coach Randy Simkins in the NCAA era.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers close out the regular season at Weber State (21-27) on May 3.