Utah Tech junior Ryan Kroepel was named the national John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Week on Mar. 10 for his performance during the Trailblazers’ recent home series against Austin Peay.
The award recognizes Kroepel’s contributions both as a pitcher and a hitter in the four-game series, which ended in a split between Utah Tech and Austin Peay. This recognition highlights his impact on both sides of the game for his team.
Kroepel, who plays as a right-handed pitcher and third baseman, batted .267 with four hits in 15 at-bats over four starts. He drove in three runs, scored four times, drew six walks, and stole one base. Notably, two of his runs batted in came from a crucial two-run home run that helped secure a 15-11 win for Utah Tech in the opening game of the series last Thursday night.
On the mound, Kroepel appeared in relief during two games and earned both a win and a save—contributing to each of Utah Tech’s victories in the series. In Thursday’s opener, he entered with bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning while holding onto a 13-9 lead. He managed to get out of the inning without giving up any runs. After hitting his two-run homer earlier in that game, he pitched a clean eighth inning and worked around a walk in the ninth to earn his NCAA Division I-leading sixth save of the season.
In Saturday’s finale, Kroepel was called upon to pitch the tenth inning with the score tied. He kept Austin Peay off the board through that frame and picked up his first decision of the year when Utah Tech scored to win in their half of the tenth.
Utah Tech now holds a record of 13-3 this season. The team is scheduled to play next on Tuesday against BYU at Miller Park in Provo, with first pitch set for 3:05 p.m.
