Utah Tech saw its 2026 season come to an end after a 5-3 loss to Sacramento State in the elimination bracket semifinal round of the 2026 University Credit Union Western Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon Hohokam Stadium.
The Trailblazers closed their season with a 35-24 overall record, an 11-win turnaround from a season ago. Utah Tech's 35 wins this year also marked the sixth time in the program's NCAA era that the Trailblazers had reached the 35-win plateau, and are the most victories in the program's brief time as a Division I member.
Utah Tech jumped out to a quick 1-0 first inning lead thanks to three-straight, two-out singles, with
Ty Johnsen driving in
Ryan Kroepel with the game's first run.
Sacramento State (28-31) tied the game in the home second with a Luis Pimental-Guerrero lead-off home run, then took a 2-1 lead in the third after Ryan Ellis club a one-out homer over the right field wall.
The Hornets later stretched their lead to 4-1 in the fourth after Brett Ott and Ellis each doubled in runs.
Utah Tech answered with two runs of its own in the sixth to again make it a one-run game at 4-3.
Gavin Long singled in
Miller Durham with one out in the frame, and after the Blazers loaded the bases with two outs, the Hornets committed their fourth error of the day to allow another run to score.
Sacramento State clapped back with Ellis' third RBI of the game, which came on a run-scoring sacrifice fly out.
The Trailblazers had a chance to tie or take the lead in the eighth after
Andrew Pyle singled and
Cooper Smith walked to lead off the inning. Unfortunately Hornet reliever Sean Carey (S, 2) thwarted the rally by inducing an inning-ending double play. Carey then retired the Blazers in order in the ninth to end the game.
Utah Tech was limited to six hits in defeat, with Durham accounting for two of those safeties to go with one run scored. Durham closed his Trailblazer debut season with a .406 batting average, which ranked him fifth on Utah Tech's single-season list.
Junior
Brandon Kosel (L, 3-4) struck out six and surrendered three runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of work, while six relievers combined to limit the Hornets to only two runs and three hits over the final 4.2 innings to keep the Blazers in the game.
