Baseball | 8/17/2026 3:26:00 PM

Coming off the most successful baseball season in the program's brief NCAA Division I era, Utah Tech Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ken Beazer announced on Monday that Head Coach Chris Pfatenhauer has signed a four-year contract extension that keeps him in the Trailblazer dugout through the 2030 season. 
 
"We are thrilled to extend Coach Pfatenhauer's contract and have him continue to lead our baseball program for at least the next four seasons," said Beazer. "Chris has built a very successful program that competes at a very high level on the field, and does an incredible job in the classroom. The evolution of our baseball program from its time as a Division II national power, to its transition to Division I competition, to now preparing for its first season in the Mountain West Conference, is a testament Chris' leadership, and the leadership of his assistant coaches, over the past decade-plus he has been here at Utah Tech."

"I could not be more excited to continue the journey here at Utah Tech University," Coach Pfatenhauer said. "Thank you to [Utah Tech] President [Shane B.] Smeed and Athletics Director Ken Beazer for helping get this done. Our mission remains the same - continue to grow, protect, and nurture the program, while playing at the highest possible level, competing for conference championships, and providing the best possible student-athlete experience possible. 

"Being a part of the Utah Tech Culture and the St. George community for the past 14 yeas has been a blessing for our entire family," Pfatenhauer added.
 
In 2026, Coach Pfatenhauer led Utah Tech to a 35-24 overall record, an 11-win turnaround from the season before, which included a dominant 17-9 record at Bruce Hurst Field. The 35 wins were the program's most since transitioning Division I play in 2021, and tied for the fourth most in Utah Tech NCAA era overall. 
 
The Trailblazers also finished third in Western Athletic Conference play and advanced to the one-loss bracket semifinal at the 2026 WAC Tournament.

Pfatenhauer, who became Utah Tech's second head coach in the program's four-year era ahead of the 2013 season, has compiled a 386-329-1 overall record (.540) in his 14 seasons as Trailblazer skipper.

He has won at least 30 games in seven of those 14 seasons, highlighted by a school record 40 victories in 2016 (40-14), and has had his teams play to a .500 or better record in nine seasons overall. Pfatenhauer also led the program to consecutive Pacific West Conference titles in 2014 and 2015, and to five-straight trips to the NCAA Division II West Regionals from 2013-17.
 
Pfatenhauer is a two-time conference Coach of the Year honoree (PacWest in 2014 and 2015), and his teams have produced two Major League Baseball players, six MLB draft picks and two more MLB free agent signees, four All-Americans, 19 all-Region selections, 59 all-conference picks, and 203 academic all-conference honorees.