Game Times (Mountain):
Friday - 4:05 p.m.
Saturday (DH) - 12:05 p.m./4:05 p.m. (approx)
Sunday - 12:05 p.m.
Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | UNCO
Live TV/Streaming: GAME #1 - WAC INT'L | GAME #2 - WAC INT'L | GAME #3 - WAC INT'L | GAME #4 - WAC INT'L
Live Stats: GAME #1 | GAME #2 | GAME #3 | GAME #4
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTech_BASE | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACbsb

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday (G1) – RHP #7 Tyler Ray (1-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP #23 Reece Wagner (0-2, 8.53 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – RHP #35 Dakoda West (1-0, 2.61 ERA) vs. RHP #21 Jake Storey (0-1, 5.79 ERA)
Saturday (G2) – LHP #38 David Sheppard (0-0, 4.76 ERA) vs. RHP #29 Trevor Landen (0-2, 14.09 ERA)
Sunday (G4) – RHP #33 Brandon Kosel (1-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. TBA

FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (7-1/0-0 WAC) opens the home portion of its 2026 home slate with an eight-game homestand, beginning with a four-game weekend series vs. Northern Colorado (0-8) at Bruce Hurst Field (2,500).         
        The Trailblazers home opener will be this Friday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. (MT), followed by a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12:05 p.m. (MT), and the series finale on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. (MT).

UTAH TECH VS. NORTHERN COLORADO: This weekend's series will be the third four-game set between the Trailblazers and the Bears played on the diamond. 
        Utah Tech owns a 6-2 overall edge in the series, including a four-game sweep when the two sides first squared off at Bruce Hurst Field late in the 2021 season (5/20-22/21). 
        That season was Utah Tech's first as a newly-minted Division I program, and was Northern Colorado's last season as an affiliate member of the Western Athletic Conference for baseball.
        The two teams renewed acquaintances in a 2025 season-opening four-game series in St. George, during which all four games were decided by a combined five runs, as both side came away with a series split.  

WAC FOR ONE MORE SEASON: The 2026 campaign will mark an end of an (brief) era as Utah Tech will compete as a member of the Western Athletic Conference for the sixth, and final, season. The Trailblazers joined the WAC in 2020-21 during the first year of the program's NCAA Division I transition. 

CLIMBING THE "MOUNTAIN" IN 2027: This past October 29, Utah Tech announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference beginning on July 1, 2026. 
        Starting in the 2026-27 season, both the Trailblazer Baseball and Men's Soccer programs will compete under the Mountain West banner as affiliate members.

COACHING STAFF: Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer is in his 14th 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 350th victory as UT skipper in the 2025 regular season finale at Sacramento State (6-5; 5/17/2025), owns a 358-306-1 (.539) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 410-365-1 (.529) career mark. 
        Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is assistant coach Braxton Ipson (Utah Tech, 2020), who is in his fourth season on coaching staff overall after concluding his collegiate playing career with the program in 2020.
        In addition, pitching coach Quentin McGrath (Washburn, 2017) and assistant coach Tyler Malone (Oregon State, 2020) are in their first seasons on Pfatenhauer's staff, as is former Trailblazer Jake Schulz (Utah Tech 2025), who returns to Utah Tech as the program's director of baseball operations. 

LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech wrapped up a 7-1 season-opening California road swing with a series victory at Pacific last weekend in Stockton.       After suffering their first loss of the young season by a 4-3 count in the series opener (2/19), the Trailblazers bounced back with a 2-1 triumph in game two (2/20), then clinched the series win with an 8-5 victory in the series finale last Saturday.  

HOW SWEEP IT IS: Utah Tech's season-opening sweep at UC Riverside two weeks ago was the program's fifth season-opening series sweep in the program's NCAA era, and was the first in Utah Tech's time as a Division I program.
        Utah Tech also posted four-game series sweeps to begin the 2012, 2016 and 2017 seasons, and recorded a three-game sweep to open the 2020 campaign, which was the program's last Division II season. 

TRAILBLAZERS VOTED SIXTH IN WAC PRESEASON POLL: Utah Tech Baseball was picked to finish sixth in the Western Athletic Conference as the league office announced its 2026 preseason coaches poll released on February 10. 
        Four of the seven teams in the poll received at least one first place vote, led by Abilene Christian, which received three first-place votes and 33 points to top the 2026 preseason coaches poll. Utah Valley garnered one first place nod to finish second with 29 points, while California Baptist collected one first place vote and 27 points to claim the third spot.
        Meanwhile Sacramento State picked up the final two first place votes to finish fourth with 22 points, followed by Tarleton State (15 pts) in fifth, Utah Tech (11 pts) in sixth, and UT Arlington (10 pts) in seventh.  
        The top six teams in the conference standings will advance on to the 2026 WAC Baseball Championship Tournament, which will be held May 20-23 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz. 

HOME OPENERS: Utah Tech owns a 10-8 overall record in home openers, though the Blazers are just 2-3 in their home debuts during the program's brief Division I era. 

HOME SWEET HOME: Utah Tech owns a 330-174 (.655) all-time in 504 games played inside the friendly confines of Bruce Hurst Field since the start of its four-year era in the 2007 season.
        The Trailblazers played to a 17-15 overall home record last season, which is the program's 16th winning home record in 19 seasons since transitioning to NCAA status in 2007.
        Utah Tech has won 20 or more home games in eight of the previous 19 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 away from home in its NCAA era as the Trailblazers have played to a 191-232-1 overall road record (.451) in 19-plus seasons of NCAA play, including its 7-1 start this season. 
        In fact, the Trailblazers have already eclipsed last year's road win total (6-14), doing so in last Saturday's series finale at Pacific.
        Utah Tech has posted a winning road record in eight of their last 16 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 the Blazers have won at least 10 road games in nine of their last 11 seasons overall. 
        When you also figure in neutral-site games (16-12 in 28 games), Utah Tech is 207-248-1 (.455) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in the program's NCAA era.

41 to 1K: Utah Tech is slated to play in its 1,000th NCAA-era ball game at home on Sunday, May 3, in its series finale vs. Tarleton State.  
        The Trailblazers have played to a 537-421-1 (.560) record all-time as the program competes in its 20th NCAA-era season. 
        That record also includes a 104-176 (.371) mark in the program's current Division-I era, and a 62-88 (.413) record in Western Athletic Conference play.  

9W vs. P5: Nine of Utah Tech's 104 D-I wins have come against Power-5 programs, including two wins over the Big 12 Conference last season (10-3 at BYU - 3/17/25; 12-8 vs. Utah - 3/25/25).  
        The Trailblazers also posted two P4 wins in 2024 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 third season of Big 12 play, were recorded when the Cougars were members of the West Coast Conference.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Utah Tech ended the 2025 season as the NCAA D-I co-STATISTICAL CHAMPION with UCLA in double plays per game at 1.00 dp/g. 
        The Trailblazers also wound up tied for fourth nationally in total double plays with 55, which were also the second-most recorded during the program's NCAA era. The Blazers closed the season one twin killing shy of tying the school record of 56 set during the 2022 campaign.
        Utah Tech already has seven double plays through its first eight games this season, which is good for t-34th in the country after two weeks of play. 

K-MAC STREAKS HIS WAY TO WAC HONOR: Junior 2B Kyle McDaniel was named University Credit Union WAC Player of the Week this past Monday for his efforts in the Trailblazers' four road games last week.
        McDaniel batted a combined .389 (7-for-18) in four starts out of the lead-off spot with two extra base hits, six RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored.
        The senior got off to a strong start in the Blazers' 14-4 road win at CSU Bakersfield (2/18), against which he went 3-for-6 with a career high five RBI, one stolen base and one run scored. 
        He then batted .333 (4-for-12) in Utah Tech's series win at Pacific. McDaniel hit safely in all three games, including a 2-for-5 effort with a double and a run score in the series opener last Thursday. He later belted a solo home run in the Trailblazers' 2-1 triumph in game two on Friday night, and had an RBI-single in the team's 8-5 series clinching win on Saturday.
        In addition, McDaniel extended his NCAA era school record on-base streak to 49-straight games, and his career-long hit streak to 22-straight games. 
        The junior's current hit streak became the program's new school record streak thanks to his RBI-hit last Saturday, breaking the previous record of 21-straight games held by former Blazer slugger Jake Engel (2019-21).
        Engel's record 21-game streak spanned over three seasons during the COVID pandemic from May 4, 2019-through-February 25, 2021.

MCDANIEL GARNERS NATIONAL ATTENTION: McDaniel opened the 2026 campaign as the 12th-rated second baseman by D1Baseball.com. 
        McDaniel earned second team all-WAC accolades in 2025 after he put together one of the best overall offensive performances in program history. 
        The junior reached base safely in 52 of his 54 starts, including 33 via the base hit with 21 multi-hit games, highlighted by a career-best 13-game hit streak to close the season, and had at least one hit in 24 of his last 25 starts overall.
        McDaniel finished the season ranked t-third in the WAC in batting (.367), fifth in hits (77), fifth in on-base percentage (.464), and t-eighth in walks (35). In addition, he wound up with 10 doubles, one triple, four homers, 21 RBI, 40 runs scored and 10 (10-for-14) stolen bases.

KROEPEL CREATING PLENTY OF PRESEASON BUZZ: Junior 3B/RHP Ryan Kroepel has also enjoyed quite the lead-up heading into his second season as a Trailblazer.  
        Kroepel was tabbed WAC Preseason Player of the Year and was voted to the conference's all-preseason team at both third base and at reliever.
        Kroepel also began the season ranked as the 18th-rated third baseman by D1Baseball.com, and is listed on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year preseason watch list.
        The junior earned first team all-WAC honors, both at the plate and on the mound, in 2025. He finished t-third in the WAC in batting at .367 batting average, including a conference-best .467 clip in conference games, and hit safely in 43 of his 55 starts with a team-high 25 multi-hit games. He wound up ranked in the WAC's top-14 in hits (76; 6th), slugging percentage (.546; 12th), on-base percentage (.442; 11th), and doubles (15; 13th).
        In addition to his dominance at the plate, Kroepel was one of the top closers in the country last season. He posted a 4-2 record and eight saves, which ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, on Utah Tech's single season and career lists. Kroepel appeared in 18 games in relief and finished with a 3.09 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched. 

RIGHT ON CUE: Kroepel was named WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/16) for his performances in the Trailblazers' season-opening road series sweep at UC Riverside two weeks ago.
        The junior made back-to-back appearances in the Trailblazers Valentine's Day doubleheader, and collected saves in each of the two seven-inning victories.
        Kroepel made his first appearance of the season in the first game, during which he fired two innings of spotless relief, and needed only 19 pitches to set down all six batters he faced, in Utah Tech's 4-3 win in seven innings.
        Then in the nightcap, he was called upon to move from third base to the mound with no outs in the bottom of the seventh after UCR had plated four runs to begin the inning and had runners on second and third. 
        With the tying run on deck, Kroepel proceeded to retire the next three Highlander batters, including one on a safety squeeze bunt comebacker to the mound, along with a strikeout and a flyout, to earn his second save of the day in the 12-8 triumph.

SAVING THE DAY: Utah Tech's bullpen has recorded saves in five of the seven victories this season, led by Kroepel, who notched his team-leading third save in game two at Pacific. 
        Kroepel, who is currently t-second nationally in saves, retired all seven batters he faced in 2.1 innings of spotless relief with three strikeouts to earn his second multi-inning save of the year.
        Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore RHP Easton Brooks recorded his first collegiate save after he tossed three spotless innings at CSU Bakersfield (2/18). Brooks struck out a career high six in that outing, while nine of his 19 career strikeouts overall have come vs. CSUB, including three Ks last season (3/13/25).
        Senior LHP Brock Roundy followed suit in the Pacific finale last Saturday, during which he hurled 1.2 innings of spotless relief to earn his first save as a Trailblazer. Roundy also earned the decision in the CSU Bakersfield win after he struck out three in 3.0 innings of one-run, three-hit relief.  

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS 
* - McDaniel batted a team-high .571 (8-for-14) in the UCR series with one double, two RBI and a team-highs of eight runs scored and six walks out of the lead-off spot. 
* - McDaniel has pounded out at least two hits in five of the eight starts, which includes a 3-for-6 day with a career-high five RBI at CSU Bakersfield (2/18). 
* - McDaniel's previous career high for RBI was three set three times, with the last instance coming last season against, coincidentally, CSU Bakersfield last season (3/15/25) ... McDaniel also became the first Trailblazer to drive in at least five runs since former Blazer OF Chase Rodriguez did it in a win at California Baptist (5/17/24) late in the 2024 season.
* - Kroepel did it with his arm, and with his bat, in the UCR series, during which he hit .375 (6-for-16) with two walks, two stolen bases, and five runs scored over the four games.
* - Kroepel bounced back from a hitless day at CSU Bakersfield by batting .333 (4-for-12) in the Pacific series, which was capped by a 2-for-4 day with a two-run HR in the series finale.
* - Senior catcher Ty Johnsen legged out three doubles in three games at UCR, including a pair of two-baggers in the series finale (2/15) ... he batted an even .500 in the UCR series overall with two RBI and three runs scored. 
* - Johnsen followed that up by going 2-for-3 with another double and three runs scored in the CSU Bakersfield win (2/18). 
* - Junior 1B Miller Durham enjoyed a solid Trailblazer debut in the opener at UC Riverside (2/13) when he went 3-for-4 with a double, two walks, three RBI and one run scored.
* - Durham wound up hitting an even .400 in the UCR series (6-for-15) with four RBI and three runs. 
* - Durham also hit Utah Tech's first home run of the season, a towering shot over the right field wall to lead off the second inning at CSU Bakersfield (2/18), and batted a combined .333 in the Pacific series.
* - Junior SS Petey Soto Jr. hit a combined .357 (5-for-14) in the UCR series with two doubles, three RBI and four runs ... Soto Jr. also recorded his 100th-collegiate hit in the CSU Bakersfield win (2/18), which came in the form of a ninth inning RBI-double.
* - Soto Jr. doubled again the series finale at Pacific last Saturday as part of a 3-for-5 effort with a career-high tying three runs scored. 
* - Sophomore OF Finnegan Stewart already has a pair of three-RBI games through his first eight starts, highlighted by a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning at CSU Bakersfield (2/18).
* - Stewart batted .333 (4-for-12) in the UCR series with four RBI, three of which came in game three on Valentine's Day. 
* - Senior RHP Tyler Ray, who will start Friday's opener vs. Northern Colorado, fanned three and scattered two runs and seven hits over six innings complete to pick up his first win of the year in the opener at UCR (2/13).
* - Fellow senior RHP Dakoda West, who will toe the rubber in game two vs. UNCO on Saturday, struck out a season-high four and allowed only one run and six hits in 5.2 innings in game two at Pacific, but did not figure in the decision. 
* - West picked up his first win of the season in game three at UCR (2/14) after he fanned three while allowing only two runs and six hits over 4.2 innings. 
* - Junior RHP Brandon Kosel turned in a great start in his Blazer debut at UCR (2/15) with 6.1 innings of three-hit shutout baseball with four strikeouts in an 8-1 victory ... Kosel will get the start in Sunday's finale vs. UNCO.
* - Including Roundy's win at CSUB, four of Utah Tech's seven pitching decisions have been recorded by the Blazer bullpen ... junior reliever Brandon Wyland collected the victory in game two at UCR (2/14), while sophomore Talan Kelly was credited with the win in game two at Pacific last Friday night.
* - Senior RHP Ryan Martinez, who transferred to Utah Tech from Pacific ahead of the 2025 season, struck out two in 2.0 innings of relief to earn the win over his former club in last Saturday's series finale ... for Martinez, it was his third pitching victory as a Trailblazer.   

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech wraps up its eight-game homestand next weekend with a four-game series vs. Austin Peay.