The Utah Tech Trailblazers women’s softball team will travel to Las Vegas this weekend to compete in the UNLV Red & Black Classic. The event will take place at Eller Media Softball Stadium, where the Trailblazers are scheduled for five games from March 6 to March 8.
Utah Tech, holding an 8-11 record, will face Loyola Marymount twice, host UNLV once, and North Dakota State twice during the tournament. Their first game is set against Loyola Marymount on Friday morning, followed by a matchup with UNLV later that day. Saturday’s schedule includes another contest with Loyola Marymount and a game against North Dakota State. The Trailblazers will conclude their participation on Sunday with a second meeting against North Dakota State.
Last week, Utah Tech finished with a 2-2 record at the Beehive Classic hosted by Utah Tech. The team secured a walk-off win over Weber State thanks to Baylee Howley’s single and ended the tournament with a shutout victory over Utah State behind Sauren Garton’s complete game performance.
Loyola Marymount enters the weekend at 15-5 overall and has recorded wins over ranked opponents such as Washington and Power Five programs including Utah and Rutgers. The Lions lead the West Coast Conference in several categories: batting average (.325), ERA (2.68), stolen bases (31), and fielding percentage (.984). Senior outfielders Sydney Poole (.444) and Avery Francis (.431) are among five players hitting above .300. Freshman pitcher Sara Pinedo leads the conference with a 1.57 ERA.
UNLV stands at 9-11 for the season, coming off two wins last weekend at the Grand Canyon/Arizona State Classic. The Rebels are fourth in the Mountain West Conference in batting average (.294) and average 5.5 runs per game. Seniors Bri Williams (.419) and Keyannah Chavez (.397) lead offensively, while pitchers Emma Wardlaw, Lauren Fettic, and Yanina Sherwood have combined for eight wins this year.
North Dakota State holds an 11-8 record after going 3-2 at their most recent tournament hosted by Gardner-Webb. The Bison have victories over teams like Minnesota this season and were picked sixth in the Summit League preseason poll after finishing last year at 19-31. Junior Star Cortez is hitting .407, while sophomore Amai Hanta leads her team in several offensive categories including stolen bases (nine). Pitchers Madison Wihlm and Jocelyn McClary each hold a 2.41 ERA.
In series history, Utah Tech leads Loyola Marymount two games to one but trails UNLV two games to five across previous meetings since 2017; this weekend marks their first encounter with North Dakota State.
The Trailblazers have compiled records of 10-18 against current West Coast Conference teams, 39-34 versus Mountain West opponents, and are seeking their first win against Summit League competition.
