Baseball | 5/19/2026 3:55:00 PM

Utah Tech baseball landed five players on the 2026 Western Athletic Conference postseason awards list, which was announced by the league office on Tuesday.
 
The Trailblazers co-led the WAC with three first-team selections, including senior catcher Ty Johnsen and junior infielders Ryan Kroepel and Kyle McDaniel.
 
In addition, junior infielders Miller Durham and Petey Soto Jr. were voted to the conference's second team, with Soto Jr. also garnering All-Defensive team honors. 

Johnsen finished the regular season ranked in the top-16 three statistical categories, including 16^th in both batting (.331) and runs scored (42). 
 
Johnsen started in 44 of 51 games played, during which he hit safely in 35 of those outings with 14 multi-hit starts, highlighted by a 4-for-4 day with two doubles and four runs scored in a home win over Sacramento State (4/3). He wound up with 12 total extra-base hits, including nine doubles and three home runs, and finished the regular season with 29 RBI, 30 walks (13^th in the WAC), and four stolen bases. 
 
Defensively, Johnsen posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 33 total assists, and he threw out 11 of 23 potential base stealers.
 
Kroepel, who was also voted first team all-WAC in 2025, found himself ranked in the WAC's top-20 in six offensive categories, which includes leading the conference in walks with a Utah Tech single-season record 45 free passes. 
 
Kroepel started in all 55 games, with 50 of those starts coming at third base. The junior batted .318 overall, .358 in conference play, and finished the year ranked t-fifth in the WAC in runs scored (53), sixth in on-base percentage (.470), t-12^th in RBI (46), and 16^th in hits (64).

He hits safely in 43 of those starts with 18 multi-hit outings, and enjoyed a career long 37-game on-base streak, which Kroepel saw end in the penultimate game of the season against Abilene Christian last Saturday.
 
Kroepel was tabbed 2026 WAC Preseason Player of the Year and was voted to the conference's all-preseason team at both third base and at reliever. He began the season ranked as the 18th-rated third baseman by D1Baseball.com, and has been included on both the 2026 NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year watch list and John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award national semifinalist list.
 
In addition, Kroepel, who led the WAC with 10 saves in 17 relief appearances, was tabbed as a Perfect Game College Midseason Third Team All-American as a two-way player back on April 1, and was named the national John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Week on March 10

McDaniel enjoyed another banner season in 2026, during which he established himself as one of the best lead-off hitters, not only in the conference, but in the country. 
 
The junior, who began the year as the 12^th-rated second baseman by D1Baseball.com, started in all 55 games and hit safely in 45 of those outings with 25 multi-hit games. He posted seven three-hit games, along with one four-hit effort, and tied a school record with five hits in last Friday's home win over Abilene Christian. 
 
A 2025 second team all-WAC selection, McDaniel is currently ranked in the WAC's top-10 in batting (8^th - .355), base hits (3^rd – 82), runs (3^rd – 60), doubles (t-5^th – 17), RBI (t-9^th – 49), on-base percentage (t-4^th - .472), walks (t-4^th – 43), and stolen bases (t-5^th – 16-for-17), and is tied for 14^th in homers (7) and 15^th in slugging percentage (.528). 
 
Defensively, McDaniel posted a .976 fielding percentage and helped turn 24 of the Trailblazers' 31 total double plays this season.
 
Durham closed the 2026 regular season as the WAC's leading hitter with a .395 average to go with 10 home runs, nine doubles and 42 RBI in 41 games. He is coming off his second WAC Player of the Week performance in five weeks overall last week, during which he batted a combined .667 (10-for-15) with three home runs, 11 RBI and five runs scored in four starts.
 
The junior first baseman heads into postseason play as one of the hottest hitters in the WAC, as he is currently riding a six-game hit streak, and a career-best 27-game on-base streak. He hit safely in 32 of his 41 starts with 20 multi-hit outings, including four-straight and in 12 of his last 18 games overall. 
 
Despite playing in only 41 games this season, Durham finished second in the WAC in on-base percentage (.484), fifth in slugging percentage (.643), t-eighth in the WAC in homers (10), 17^th in hits (62) and RBI (42). 
 
Durham was dominant in conference play, during which he hit a combined .429 (2^nd) with seven extra base hits and 19 RBI. He is also rated as one of the best defensive first basemen in the conference, and nationally, as he currently owns a .993 fielding percentage with only two errors in 296 total chances. 
 
Soto Jr. has put together a stellar junior season, during which he has established himself as one of the best nine-hole hitters in the country. 
 
The junior shortstop closed the regular season ranked in the WAC's top-10 in batting (9^th - .354), hits (T-4^th - 74), doubles (t-10^th - 15), and stolen bases (t-10^th - 13-for-15), and is ranked t-12^th in RBI (46) and t-20^th in slugging percentage (.507).
 
Soto Jr. wrapped up the regular season riding a six-game hit streak, and has hit safely in 39 of his last 46 starts overall with 22 multi-hit games overall, including seven three-hit games. 
 
A semifinalist for the 2026 Books Wallace National Award for the nation's best shortstop, the junior helped turn 22 of Utah Tech's 31 total double plays. 
 
Utah Tech (33-22) is in Mesa, Ariz., for the 2026 University Credit Union WAC Baseball Tournament, which will take place this Wednesday-through-Saturday at Hohokam Park.
 
The third-seeded Trailblazers will square off against No. 6 seed UT Arlington in the first game of the tournament at 12 noon (MT).