FIRST PITCH: Utah Tech (21-28/7-14 WAC) will close out the 2025 regular season with a three-game series at WAC-leading Sacramento State (30-22/14-7 WAC). 

            Game one of the series will be played on Thursday night beginning at 7 p.m. (MT), followed by game two on Friday at 5 p.m. (MT), and the series finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. (MT), at John Smith Field (1,200) on the CSUS campus.

            Live stats and streaming video information and links can be found online at www.utahtechtrailblazers.com.

 

ALL-TIME SERIES: Utah Tech is 6-10 all-time in its history against Sacramento State, including taking two of three from the Hornets last season at Bruce Hurst Field. 

            Three of the Trailblazers’ six wins have come in Sacramento, highlighted by a road series win in 2022. However Utah Tech was swept in a three-game set during its last visit to the California capital city in 2023.

 

WHAT’S ON THE LINE: Utah Tech enters the final weekend of the 2025 season with a one game lead, and the head-to-head tiebreak, on Seattle U (6-15) for the eighth and final spot in next week’s WAC Tournament. 

            The Trailblazers’ magic number is two – any combination of Utah Tech wins and/or Seattle U losses that equal two will secure the program’s first WAC tourney bid. 

                       

FINALLY ELIGIBLE FOR POSTSEASON PLAY: Not only is the 2025 season Utah Tech’s fifth Division I season overall, it is also the FIRST season that the Trailblazers are eligible for NCAA postseason play. 

        The NCAA Division I Board of Directors officially approved Utah Tech’s move to active Division I status back on June 28, 2024. With that confirmation, Trailblazer Athletics is now officially eligible to participate in all NCAA postseason championships in its 15 intercollegiate programs.

 

COACHING STAFF: Two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year Chris Pfatenhauer is in his 13th 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 coached in his 650th game as Utah Tech skipper in last Sunday’s 9-7 victory over UT Arlington, owns a 348-302-1 (.535) overall record at Utah Tech, and a 400-361-1 (.525) career mark. 

            Joining Pfatenhauer (UNLV, 2000) in the Trailblazer dugout this season is associate head coach Bobby Rinard (Arizona, 2014), who is in his 11th season on coaching staff overall, along with second-year pitching coach Daniel Stange (UC Riverside, 2015), and former Trailblazer Braxton Ipson (Utah Tech 2020), who returns for his second season as an assistant coach after serving as the program’s director of baseball operations in 2022. 

 

PFATE REACHES ANOTHER CAREER MILESTONE: Not only was last Sunday’s game his 650th game in the Trailblazer dugout, Coach Pfatenhauer also reached another career milestone by collecting his 400th career victory coaching victory in that 9-7 triumph over UT Arlington. 

 

LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech wrapped up the non-conference portion of its 2025 regular season slate with a 6-2 road loss at UC Davis this past Tuesday night at Dobbins Stadium in Davis, Calif.

 

HOME SWEET HOME: By going 4-2 on its final homestand of the season, Utah Tech improved to 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 this year, 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: Despite Tuesday’s road loss at UC Davis, Utah Tech has managed to hold its own away from home in its NCAA era as the Trailblazers have played to a 182-232-1 overall road record (.440), including a 4-13 away mark this season. 

            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 UT has won at least 10 road games in nine of its last 11 seasons overall. When you also figure in neutral-site games (15-11 in 26 games), Utah Tech is 197-243-1 (.448) all-time away from Bruce Hurst Field in the program’s NCAA era.

 

900 DOWN: Utah Tech played its 900th NCAA-era ball game in its series finale vs. Northern Colorado back on Feb. 16. In all, the Trailblazers have played to a 527-417-1 (.558) record all-time through nearly 19 full seasons of years of NCAA competition.

            That record also includes a 94-172 (.353) mark in the program’s current Division-I era, and a 60-87 (.408) record in Western Athletic Conference play.  

 

9W vs. P5: Nine of Utah Tech’s 94 D-I wins have come against Power-5 programs, including notching its second victory of the season over a Big 12 program in the Utah home win on March 25. The Blazers also picked up a 10-3 road triumph at Big 12 member BYU back on March 17.   

            The Trailblazers posted two P4 wins last year 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 second season of Big 12 play, were recorded when the Cougars were members of the West Coast Conference.

 

FREE BASEBALL: Utah Tech moved to 2-1 in extra inning games this season after its walk-off win over Seattle U back on May 2. The Trailblazers also opened WAC play with a dramatic 3-2 road victory in 10 innings in its WAC opener at California Baptist on March 21. 

            That 10-inning win snapped the Trailblazers’ six-game, extra-inning losing streak, while the extra-inning triumph nearly two weeks ago moved them to 6-11 in extra inning affairs during their current Division I era.

            Utah Tech saw its streak of not playing an extra inning game stopped at 76-straight earlier this season after its 5-4 game two loss to UC Riverside (2/22) in 10 innings. 

            In all, Utah Tech is 37-25 (.598) in 62 extra-inning games in the program’s four-year era. The Blazers are now 19-14 in 10-inning games, while the program has won 11 of its last 22 extra inning games overall.

 

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Utah Tech heads into this weekend’s road series game as the WAC leader, and t-FOURTH nationally, in defensive double plays with 49, which includes four twin killings last weekend vs. UT Arlington, and two more at UC Davis on Tuesday night. 

            The Trailblazers also turned 17 of those double plays in 14 April ball games, 16 of which came in WAC play.  

 

AIN’T LIFE GRAND: We are 49 games into the 2025 season and Utah Tech has already tied the program’s single season record with three grand slams, two of which came in the Portland road series in early March.

            Junior 3B/RHP Ryan Kroepel blasted the first slam in the sixth inning of game two (3/1). Meanwhile senior 1B Aaron Perez connected on his second grand slam of the year, and the 29th in the program’s NCAA era overall, with one out in the Blazer ninth in Utah Tech’s 8-6 come-from-behind win in the series finale (3/3). 

            Perez notched his first grand slam of the season in game two of the Trailblazers’ season-opening series vs. Northern Colorado (2/15).

            In fact, Perez became just the third Trailblazer in the program’s NCAA era to hit two grand slams in one season, joining former sluggers Chase Pittsenbarger (2010) and Drew Oldfield (2009), who both achieved the feat during Utah Tech’s Division II era.

            Utah Tech has belted at least three grand slams in a season six times, including in their first D-I season in 2021, though it took them 52 games to do it. Utah Tech also did it four times in the D-II era (2009/2010/2011/2016). 

 

ONE TO WATCH: Sophomore RHP Cade Montgomery was named to the 2025 College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year watch list this past April 18. 

            Montgomery, who is the lone Western Athletic Conference representative, is one of 54 pitchers from 20 NCAA Division I conferences throughout the country who were named to the midseason list. 

            Unfortunately the sophomore’s season came to an abrupt end after he suffered a season-ending lower leg injury on a sharp comebacker early in the third of his start last Friday at Tarleton State. Montgomery managed to finish the inning, but was replaced in the fourth. 

            Montgomery shined as the Trailblazers’ Friday night staff ace, compiling a 4-2 overall record in 10 starts. He also leads all WAC starting pitchers with a 2.35 ERA (t-19th in NCAA D-I). 

            The sophomore is also ranked in the WAC’s top-20 in wins (4, t-7th), innings pitched (57.1, 10th), opponent batting average (.222, 3rd), and strikeouts (48, t-15th; 7.53 K/9). 

            Montgomery recorded at least six strikeouts in five of his 10 outings this season, highlighted by a career-high nine punch outs at California Baptist back on March 21. 

 

K-MAC STREAKING ALONG: Sophomore 2B Kyle McDaniel (.372/.503/.470) managed to extend his current Division I era school record on-base streak to 35-straight games after he singled and walked at UC Davis on Tuesday night. 

            McDaniel, who has now hit safely in eight-straight, and in 19 of his last 20 games overall, also batted .333 (4-for-12) with a pair of doubles, two RBI, and a team-high four runs scored out of the lead-off spot against UT Arlington pitching. 

            McDaniel had himself quite the month of April, during which he reached base safely in all 14 games, including 12 games via base hit, highlighted by a career-high 11-game hit streak.

            The sophomore batted a combined .442 (23-of-52) in his 14 April starts with six multi-hit outings, including two three-hit efforts and a career-high tying four hits (4-for-4) at Abilene Christian back on April 12. He also drew a combined four walks, scored eight runs, and drove in three runs during his incredible month.          

            McDaniel, who is currently ranked fifth in the WAC in batting average (.372 – t-50th in NCAA D-I) and seventh in base hits (68) – t-133rd in NCAA D-I), has recorded at least two hits in 14 of his last 30 starts, and in 30 of his 49 total starts this season.

            In addition, McDaniel has reached base safely in 47 of 49 games this season, and in 88 of his 98 career games as a Trailblazer overall. 

 

STREAK NOTES: McDaniel’s current on-base streak is inching him closer to more program history. 

            The junior became just the sixth player in the program’s NCAA era to record an on-base streak that had reached 30-straight games. Meanwhile, his current 35-game streak pulled him into a tie with former Utah Tech infielder Tyler Blair (35 games; 2014) for the second-longest streak in the program’s four-year era.

            Former Utah Tech shortstop Tanner Morache (2014-16) currently owns the school’s four-year era record with a 39-game, on-base streak, which he recorded during his senior season in 2016. 

 

KROEPEL “SAVING” HIS BEST FOR LAST: Sophomore 3B/RHP Ryan Kroepel (.381/.575/.452) extended his hit streak to a season-high 13 games, and his on-base streak to 17-straight games, after going 2-for-4 with an RBI-double at UC Davis on Tuesday night.

            In fact, the sophomore has recorded at least two hits in each of his last seven starts, and in 10 of the 13 games during this current stretch.

            Kroepel did it all with his bat, and with his arm, in last weekend’s series victory over UT Arlington, against which he hit a team-high .615 (8-for-13) in the series with three doubles, three RBI and two runs scored.

            His weekend was bolstered by a career high four-hit day (4-for-5) with two doubles and an RBI in Sunday’s finale.

            Kroepel is batting a WAC-best .468 in conference play (37-for-79), which includes a .491 (29-for-59) clip in the last five WAC series, including an even .500 (7-for-14) clip two weeks ago vs. Seattle U with one homer, two RBI and two runs scored.

            Kroepel has hit safely in 39 of his 49 starts this season with a team-high 24 multi-hit games, and has raised his batting average 45 points to a team-best .381 (#3 in the WAC; t-50th in NCAA) over his 13-game hit streak. The sophomore is also t-fifth (and t-106th in NCAA) in base hits with 69.

            While his bat has stayed hot all season, Kroepel’s right arm has also done the job as he collected two of his team-high seven saves last weekend. 

            Kroepel was called upon to move from third base to the mound in two high-leverage situations, during which he only allowed one of the four combined base runners he inherited to score in 2.1 innings of relief. 

            Kroepel’s seven saves, which is one more save than the entire Utah Tech bullpen recorded last season, ranks him third in the WAC and t-41st nationally. 

 

BIG GAME HUNTER: Senior OF/DH Hunter Katschke (.275/.519/.326) continued his late season surge as he batted .385 (5-for-13) in the UTA series, which included his team-leading 11th homer of the season in the game two victory.

            Katschke is batting .327 (19-of-58) with five homers and 15 RBI over his last 14 starts. In fact, eight of Katschke’s last 24 hits overall have been home runs, which has helped him climb into a tie for fifth place on Utah Tech’s career HR list (24).  

            The senior was named WAC Player of the Week back on April 21 for his efforts in the Trailblazers’ home series win over then conference co-leader GCU (4/17-19).

            Katschke batted .417 (5-for-12) in three starts in that series, with four of his five total hits going for extra bases. He also drove in a team-high six runs and finished with two runs scored.

            The senior got off to a strong start in the series opener (4/17) by going 2-for-4 at the plate, highlighted by a clutch game-tying, two-run double in the home sixth to help Utah Tech rally for a 6-5 victory.

            After legging out another double as part of a 1-for-4 night in game two (4/18), Katschke went 2-for-4 in the 9-1 series finale (4/19) win with a pair of two-run home runs in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively.

            Katschke’s two-homer day was his second multi-homer game in his near two seasons in a Trailblazer uniform. The senior clubbed three home runs and had five RBI in a home win last season vs. Utah (W, 11-8; 5/7/24). 

            Katschke had a night in the UC Riverside series opener (2/21), during which he tied a program NCAA-era record with five hits (5-for-5) with a double, home run and a career-high six RBI.

            Katschke became the first Trailblazer in the program’s relatively new NCAA Division I era to record five hits in a game, and he became the 16th-different player in the program’s four-year era to drive in at least six runs in a single game. 

 

WATCHING THE AP WIRE: Senior 1B Aaron Perez (.323/.488/.407) has also flipped the switch offensively, having hit safely in nine of his last 12 starts (16-for-43; .372) with two doubles, one homer, and six RBI.

            Perez batted .462 last weekend vs. UT Arlington, which included a 3-for-5 day with three RBI in Sunday’s finale. He singled in a pair of runs in the third inning before launching his seventh homer of the season to lead-off the Blazer fifth. 

            The senior has been on a tear at the plate since the calendar turned to March, hitting safely in 28 of 37 of his starts since March 1, with 13 multi-hit games, highlighted by a 3-for-5 effort with his second GSHR and a career-high six RBI in the Portland series finale (3/3).

            Perez, who saw his streak of reaching base safely end at 16-straight games after going hitless in the UVU series opener (4/4), rebounded by batting .364 at ACU last month, highlighted by a 2-for-4 day in the series finale (4/13) with a two-run homer, three total RBI and two runs scored. 

            Perez started WAC play by batting .385 (5-of-13) in the CBU series with two XBHs and two RBI, including belting the eventual game-winning HR in the 10th inning in the series opener (3/21).

            Perez’s first GSHR of the season vs. Northern Colorado (2/15) came nearly two years to the day of Utah Tech’s last grand slam, and coincidentally it was another Blazer first baseman who hit it … former 1B Sean Keating belted a bases-clearing homer, which was part of his three-homer day in a Utah Tech 12-4 home win over Wichita State (2/22/23).

           

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS 

* – In all, seven Trailblazers hit north of .330 in the UT Arlington series, while the team as a whole batted .380 in the series with 10 extra base hits.

* – Outfielder Ethan Royal (.204/.250/.317) enjoyed a solid Senior Weekend, batting an even .500 (6-for-12) in the UTA series, which included his second career three-hit game and a highlight reel catch in his final home start on Sunday. 

* – Well it took him 72 games but Royal belted his first homer as a Trailblazer when he muscled out a solo shot in game one of the Utah Valley (4/4) series.

* – Junior 3B/DH Kace Naone (.297/.547/.372) saw extended playing time at designated hitter, third base and in left field, over the last eight games … Naone was the starting DH in the final two games of the UTA series and responded by hitting at a .444 (4-for-9) clip with one double and a co-team high four RBI. 

*- Naone also started at DH in the final two games of the Tarleton series (4/26-27) and responded with solo homers in each start … he batted .333 (3-for-9) in the series overall with three XBHs and three RBI.

* – Sophomore SS Petey Soto Jr. (.272/.370/.339) posted his second career four-hit game and scored three runs in last Saturday’s win over UTA. 

* – Soto Jr. had himself a solid series vs. GCU last month, against which he hit an even .400 (4-for-10) with three XBHs, two RBI and two runs scored.

* – Soto Jr. has driven in 19 of his 23 total runs on the year over his last 34 games, including three RBI as part of a 2-for-3 day with two runs scored in the Utah win (3/25). 

* – The sophomore shortstop has hit safely in 18 of his last 26 starts, and has reached base safely in 37 of his 49 starts this season overall. 

* – Freshman DH/RF Finnegan Stewart (.263/.407/.332) has been as steady as anyone in the Utah Tech line-up, having hit safely in 33 of his first 48 collegiate games … Stewart batted .333 (4-for-12) in the Seattle U series with a pair of two-hit games, and included his fourth HR of the season, a two-run shot in the series finale (5/4). 

* – Stewart batted a team-best .455 (5-for-11) with two RBI and one run scored in the Tarleton series, which was bolstered by his third career three-hit game in the series finale (4/27).

* – Stewart batted .278 (10-of-36) during the long March homestand with five XBHs and 13 RBI … the freshman drove in 10 of those runs over a five-game stretch, with a career high four of those runs coming as part of a 2-for-5 night with a triple and homer in the walk-off win over Gonzaga (3/11) … he also doubled and drove in three more runs in the opener vs. CSUB (3/13).   

* – Stewart made the most of his collegiate debut as he hit .333 (4-of-12) with five walks and five runs scored in four starts vs. Northern Colorado.

* – Stewart wasted little time making a name for himself as he became the first true freshman in the program’s NCAA era to homer in a season-opening game (2/14) when he drilled a two-run shot over the left field wall on the first pitch he saw in the third inning.

* – Stewart became the 12th different Trailblazer to homer in a season opening game in Utah Tech’s four-year era.

* – Utah Tech’s catching tandem of Andrew Pyle and Ty Johnsen combined to hit .600 (6-for-10) in the Seattle U series … Pyle (.253/.368/.349) went 4-for-6 (.667) with an RBI in games two and three (5/3-4), while Johnsen (.219/.274/.345) drove in a pair of runs as part of a 2-for-4 day in the opener (5/2).

* – Junior LF Levi Randall (.298/.364/.370) moved into a tie for eighth place on Utah Tech’s single season steals list with his 12th stolen bag in Sunday’s finale vs. UTA.

* – Randall had himself a day in the series opener vs. GCU (4/17), going 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple, two runs scored, and his team-leading fifth outfield assist as part of a second-inning double play.
* – After four-straight no-decisions, junior RHP Ryan Martinez (2-3/4.67 ERA/49 K/71.1 IP) finally picked up his first win as a Trailblazer in game three vs. CSUB (3/15) … Martinez scattered one earned run (4 total) and six hits with four strikeouts and no walks over 7.0 innings to earn the victory.

* – Martinez shined in series finale vs. GCU (4/19), against which he struck out three and limited the Lopes to only six hits and one run over 7.1 innings … the junior’s 7.1 IP marked his longest outing of the season overall. 

* – Martinez, who is slated to start Thursday’s series opener as Sacramento State, enters the weekend ranked fifth in the WAC in innings pitched (71.1 IP), and in the top-25 in strikeouts, including a season-high eight over six innings in a no-decision at CBU (3/22).

* – Junior Ethan Gardner (1-0/1 SV/5.74 ERA/12 K/15.2 IP) earned his first Division I victory in Sunday’s finale vs. UTA, against which he struck out one and scattered one run on four hits in 3.0 innings of work.

* – Gardner also collected a three-inning save in the series clinching win vs. Seattle U one week earlier on May 4 … the junior fanned three and surrendered only one run and two hits to close out that victory.

* – Junior RHP Dakoda West (2-6/4.68 ERA/28 K/50.0 IP) earned his second decision of the season in that series finale vs. Seattle U (5/4) … West allowed two runs on two hits with three punch outs in six innings complete.

* – West retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced, including 14-straight after surrendering a one-out single in the Redhawk first inning.

* – Junior RHP Tyler Ray (3-2/4.18 ERA/36 K/47.1 IP) earned his third win of the season in relief in G1 vs. GCU (4/17) … Ray heads into the weekend ranked 11th in the WAC in ERA. 

 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: The 2025 Western Athletic Conference Baseball Postseason Tournament will be held next week, May 20-24, at Hohokam Park in Mesa, Ariz.